Which electric pickup is better?

The Ford F-150 Lightning is one of the best electric pickup trucks you can buy, and the fact that it’s made by a legacy automaker instills confidence in many buyers who are wary of buying a vehicle from a startup (like Rivian).

Now Ford will face stiff competition from established automakers, such as Ram’s new 1500 REV pickup truck. The new Ram REV 1500 won’t be available until the fourth quarter of 2024, but it promises to be a highly capable truck once it hits the market.

Let’s examine which is the better electric pickup: Ford F-150 Lightning or Ram REV 1500?

1. Range comparison

The feature-packed F-150 Lightning has a range of up to 320 miles if you opt for the 131-kilowatt-hour Extended Range Big Battery ($6,850 option). But the standard 98-kilowatt-hour battery only gives you a range of 240 miles, which probably won’t last even half that number if you’re towing any significant weight.

The Ram 1500 REV beats the Ford in terms of range, and this takes into account both the standard-range model and the extended-range model. The standard-range Ram 1500 REV has a 168-kilowatt-hour battery that’s good for 350 miles on a single charge, which is better than Ford’s top option. If you upgrade to the massive 229 kWh battery pack, the estimated range should be around 500 miles (which puts it firmly in the mix with EVs with greater range).

The 500-mile range is certainly a step in the right direction to convince hardcore pickup enthusiasts to switch to electric vehicles, and is more than enough to leave the F-150 Lightning’s 320-mile range in the dust. Ram definitely should take the prize when it comes to range if the truck is able to meet these initial range estimates when it goes on sale.

2. Compare towing capacity and payload

If you’re wondering if it’s possible to tow a heavy trailer with an electric vehicle, you might be surprised to discover that an electric pickup truck like the F-150 Lightning is pretty good at it. The Lightning can tow between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds depending on its specifications. You can max out by purchasing the XLT or Lariat model with the Max Tow Package ($1,100 option) and the Extended Range Battery Pack.

The Ram 1500 REV can tow more, up to 14,000 pounds, which is a big step up compared to the Ford. The Ram should tow the same weight as the Ford with much less effort because it’s designed to tow more weight, and has a larger battery, so loss of range when towing isn’t a concern.

Payload is another important thing to consider when buying a pickup truck, and the Ram beats the Ford in this category as well. The Lightning has a maximum payload capacity (with the standard range battery) of 2,235 pounds, while the Ram 1500 REV tops it again, being able to carry up to 2,700 pounds.

In the world of pickup trucks, more is better, and the Ram 1500 REV beats the F-150 Lightning when it comes to towing prowess and payload capacity.

3. Which one has better performance?

The Ram 1500 REV will be available with 654 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque, meaning it’s an insanely powerful pickup truck. Acceleration numbers back this up too. The Ram can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a very quick 4.4 seconds, but that’s not enough to keep up with the best the F-150 Lightning has to offer.

The F-150 Lightning can go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3.8 seconds, which means it can easily outpace the RAM from stoplight to stoplight. When it comes to pickup trucks, performance isn’t just about acceleration numbers, and Ford also beats Ram when it comes to torque. The Ford’s dual electric motors can deliver up to 775 pound-feet of torque, which easily beats the Ram’s 620 pound-feet of torque.

4. Which is better, “Frank”?

The Ford F-150 Lightning offers the most space of any car currently on sale; It’s known as the Mega Power Frunk in Ford parlance. It has 14.1 cubic feet of space under the hood, allowing you to host a party from the front of your electric F-150 (which can also double as a cooler if you fill it with ice).

To put the F-150’s trunk size into context, consider that the Tesla Model 3’s front trunk offers only 3.1 cubic feet of space, or about five times less. The F-150 Lightning also has four 120-volt outlets built into the trunk, as well as easily accessible USB-C and USB 2.0 ports.

Ram clearly measured the 1500 REV against the F-150 Lightning because its trunk is larger at 15 cubic feet. Ram also features an integrated power supply in the front trunk, which can produce up to 3.6 kilowatts. Both vehicles feature an excellent front trunk, which adds a lot of practicality, but the Ram trumps the Ford thanks to its cubic feet.

5. Internal comparison

Inside, the F-150 Lightning is well appointed, especially if you opt for the higher Lariat and Platinum trims, but it still looks a lot like an internal-combustion F-150 pickup truck. This means that while it’s well built and solid inside (and features great, convenient storage under the rear seats), it’s nothing to write home about.

The Ram 1500 REV, on the other hand, continues Ram’s tradition of hitting it out of the park with its interior. It features a futuristic interior design with a huge 14.5-inch touchscreen dominating the center console. There’s also a 10.25-inch passenger touchscreen and an impressive 12.3-inch display for the driver.

The three screens give the interior an ambiance reminiscent of a spaceship cockpit. It’s also nice to see that Ram has integrated physical controls into the areas surrounding the massive central touchscreen.

The Ram 1500 REV wins this category because it really advances the idea of ​​traditional truck interior design.

6. Which has a better design?

Both trucks take a very similar approach to their design, and this is probably no coincidence. These two cars are key pillars of their respective brands’ overall sales, so taking a conservative approach when improving an established formula is key.

To that end, the F-150 Lightning appears mostly indistinguishable from the regular F-150 (except for the front light bar on some trim levels), and the Ram 1500 REV features styling not much different from the standard Ram (although Although it is bolder and different from the Ford.

The Ram 1500 REV looks a lot like the regular Ram 1500, but at least the front end is more adventurous than what Ford did with its F-150 Lightning. The Ram 1500 REV features a huge Ram logo on the grille, which also lights up. Futuristic daytime running lights also infiltrate the grille from the headlights, creating a cohesive look that brings the beauty of the front end together. The LED headlights also look more high-tech than those found on the Ford.

Overall, the Ram 1500 REV wins because even though its styling is derived from the regular combustion-engined 1500, it feels confident and high-tech, whereas Ford took a very conservative approach to its F-150 Lightning.

The Ram 1500 REV will be among the most capable electric pickups

The Ram 1500 REV looks very promising, and should be at the top of pickup truck enthusiasts’ lists when it comes time to shop for a new pickup truck. Ram should have no problem placing itself among the best electric pickup trucks when it debuts.

While the Ford F-150 Lightning is an excellent product, Ram’s superior stats in most of the categories that really matter sets it apart from older Fords, and that’s why Ram is the winner. Ford has plenty of time to develop the next-generation F-150 Lightning (or a heavily revised version of the current model), and it’s sure to be a beast, so it will be interesting to see what Ford has in the works.