For over a century, folks have counted on powerful, hard-working trucks to get things done for either work or fun, and enhancements in technology have only strengthened the core appeal of having your own pickup truck. If you’re interested in a Ford F-150 Lightning for sale, despite the remarkable technology that has gone into making it, you’re likely looking for a powerful truck that you can count on. Ford understands this better than just about anyone else out there, and as you compare their lineup to other brands, it shows.
Take, for example, the Tesla Cybertruck, which is undeniably one of the most talked about vehicles on the market, especially for a so-called truck. It is about as unique a pickup as you’re likely to see, and whether you love it or hate it, there’s no doubt it’s notable and recognizable. Is a unique design necessarily what you’re looking for in a truck? Let’s look at the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Cybertruck to see just how well Ford understands what folks like us are looking for in a great pickup. There are plenty of things that Tesla does right, but also many mistakes we can see.
The F-150 Lightning vs Cybertruck by the Numbers
Before we dig into some things that are more descriptive in nature and open to opinion, let’s quickly look at the numbers on these two trucks. We think this is a fair place to start because it shows some advantages for Cybertruck, and we don’t want to be accused of being needlessly biased. For starters, both trucks for the 2024 model year have two configurations available, but they’re pretty different. The Cybertruck is available with a 600 hp dual-motor setup available or an 845 hp tri-motor “Cyberbeast” model.
By comparison, every Ford F-150 Lightning is offered with a pair of motors: the standard setup has a battery that delivers 452 hp; you can also choose an extended-range battery for 580 hp. You might’ve noticed one of the key differences between these two pickups is that the Cybertruck is offered with two or three motors, while the F-150 Lightning always comes with two motors. That’s a significant difference we’ll get into later, but we wanted to mention it now. In terms of capability, the Cybertruck can haul 11,000 lbs behind it, while the F-150 Lightning offers 10,000 lbs of maximum towing. The 1,000 lb difference won’t matter for most drivers, but it’s worth noting. So why do we prefer the Ford truck?
Design: Controversial or Conventional?
When expressing why Ford better understands what folks look for in a truck, there’s no better place to start than with the overall designs of these two pickups. The aesthetic and design choices that went into the Cybertruck have been talked about by everyone who’s ever seen one, so there’s no denying it has made an impact. However, we wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a good impact. It’s one thing to turn heads in a large, powerful truck with stylish lines and aggressive curves; it’s another thing to get noticed everywhere you go for driving a pickup that looks like it fell out of a sci-fi movie. This is a notable difference because it does matter—you want to be proud of the vehicle parked in your driveway. We’d feel pretty silly with our neighbors having to look at the Cybertruck daily.
Power and Configuration Options for Drivers
We touched on this a bit when we looked at the numbers, but the difference in configuration options between these two trucks is important. At a glance, they seem comparable since they both have two options available. However, Ford gives you two distinct options that ensure there’s an accessible standard-range version of the F-150 Lightning available, along with a more powerful option if you need the boosted capability. With the Cybertruck, since it only has the equivalent of an extended-range setup, it also starts with an MSRP set at more than $25,000 higher than the F-150 Lightning. Tesla says a single-motor model is coming next year with a more accessible price tag. Still, they’ve also said we’d have full self-driving possible by 2014, so we’ll see how things shake out next year (plus, it means settling for a single motor).
Functionality and Customization Options
One of the best things about a powerful truck like the Ford F-150 is that it can be just about anything you want. Whether you need a pickup to haul a trailer behind it, want something you can take off-road, prefer a truck that you can build a camper onto for weeks of overlanding away from civilization, or anything else you can imagine, there’s a way to make it happen with the right truck. The Tesla Cybertruck has such a distinct design that customizing it and turning it into something perfect for you is far less accessible. Not only do we like the conventional style of the F-150 Lightning, but it’s also more practical for daily use.
Ease of Charging and Daily Driving
Speaking of daily use, with an electric vehicle (EV), driving every day necessitates charging. To Tesla’s credit, they understand this better than any other company out there, and you can see that with the impressive range of the Cybertruck. The standard dual-motor version offers an estimated 340 miles of range from a full charge. The three-motor model drops that down slightly to 320 miles of estimated range. By comparison, the similar extended-range version of the F-150 Lightning offers an estimated 320 miles of range from a full charge, which, in real-world use, would be comparable to the Cybertruck.
The advantage of the F-150 Lightning is that Ford has an incredible number of options for you to utilize to keep your truck charged. You can charge the F-150 Lightning at home, at work, or on a job site. Ford also has its BlueOval Charge Network, giving you access to the largest public charging network in North America. On top of that, thanks to a recent agreement, you can use more than 15,000 Tesla Supercharger locations with the F-150 Lightning, giving you the best of both worlds for keeping your truck ready to roll.
Interior Layout and Features
The moment you take a look inside the Tesla Cybertruck, you’ll likely be struck by just how sparse the interior is. Some people like to use words like “clean” or “airy” to describe the interior, but we’d say “lacking” and “empty.” There’s no denying the massive 18.5-inch display front and center in the Cybertruck looks stunning, but it should since that’s all there is inside (other than a second 9.4-inch screen for rear-seat passengers). We don’t have to tell you how difficult it is to adjust controls with a touchscreen while keeping your eyes on the road.
Inside the F-150 Lightning, you’ll find the best of everything Ford offers. A 12-inch Infotainment screen is standard, though we prefer the available 15.5-inch display to truly get the most from what Ford delivers. This is paired with a massive 12-inch productivity screen for the gauge cluster and the perfect combination of physical controls and touchscreen options. Combine all this with the available 18-speaker B&O sound system, and you’ll have a truck you’ll look forward to getting into each day.
It’s Clear That Ford Does It Better
When it comes to EVs, we know that Tesla knows what they’re doing, and they’ve helped push the industry forward in many ways. That being said, they’re still a young company with a lot to learn, and there will always be mistakes along the way. We see Cybertruck as one of them. On the other hand, Ford has been around for more than a century and already made and learnt from its share of mistakes, resulting in the industry leader we see today.
The evidence is clear: the F-150 Lightning perfectly combines the conventional features and style you expect from a truck with bold, electrified performance and innovative technology that pushes the envelope. As far as we’re concerned, that’s everything we want from a pickup and more, but Tesla can learn and deliver something even better next time. Of course, that’ll just push Ford to show them how it’s done all over again.