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I put down a reservation for a Cybertruck on the first day of the launch back in 2019 since I knew I’d be replacing my old Dodge 4×4 2500 within a few years. I didn’t really like the look of Cybertruck at the time, to be honest, but I bought a Tesla Model S 85D when they came out in 2015, so I was very sure I specifically wanted a BEV truck once they came out. There was nothing on the market at the time, so I knew reserving early would keep Cybertruck as an option once it became available so that I could at least consider it, along with other BEV trucks on the market, once it came time to buy. The anticipated price, specs, features, toughness, and range of the Cybertruck were the reasons I placed a reservation.
The Cybertruck launch in 2019 appeared to make the decision of what to buy simple. The top-spec Trimotor Cybertruck was predicted to have up to 500 miles of range plus all the power, capacity, and luxury features that I wanted at a relatively affordable price. Nothing on the market, or coming to market, appeared to come close to this “beast.”
With the arrival of the Cybertruck last month, I was certain its price would be much higher than suggested in 2019, given the entire car market went up 40–50% in that time period. However, I was very disappointed, along with millions of others I suspect, when the Cybertruck tri-motor proved to have a much lower range than anticipated along with its anticipated much higher price.
This new reality of course made my buying decision much harder since the Cybertruck now appeared to be merely “competitive” in its field as opposed to a clear-cut standout. For me, this meant all BEV truck options were firmly on the table and I’d need to do a deep dive to see which, if any, of the BEV trucks on the market in 2024–2025 could meet my needs. This article is about how I decided what to buy.
Now, obviously, what I personally want, need, and value in a truck will be different from other buyers, since we are all unique. That said, I suspect the data and the process that I used may prove helpful to anyone looking to buy. Fortunately, as this analysis shows, we have some excellent choices on the market. I hope you enjoy this review.
The options that I felt were worth considering included the Cybertruck, Lightning, Rivian R1T, Chevy Silverado BEV, and Ram 1500 REV. I did not consider the upcoming Ram Charger hybrid since I am not interested in a hybrid, and the Hummer is just not for me.
I want to be clear that I’ve never been particularly brand loyal, so I’ve wound up owning pretty much every make over the years, including most high-end brands. I work hard to check my biases before I buy any vehicle since I understand how easy it is to buy stuff based purely on emotion and to overlook options that may prove to be very good. Emotion is important when buying a vehicle of course, since everyone wants to like what they drive, but I prefer to temper my emotional wants with facts and data to make sure I am buying what I need as well as what I want.
As a management consultant, I basically do math and analysis for a living. I regularly make spreadsheets and I write custom software … so laying out data and doing formal analysis is a very “normal” process for me. It is what I do. I do this even for mundane things like tires, to be honest. Yes, I’m a nerd.
I should also mention that in addition to my “desk job” as a management consultant, I also run a solar installation business, I have a farm, and I am a trained automotive mechanic. The takeaway is that I drive a lot (2× more than average), I’ve always owned trucks, I use trucks daily, and I know trucks. Specifically, I have owned Ford trucks, a Chevy, a Toyota, and, as mentioned, I currently have a Dodge 2500 4×4. I have not driven a Rivian, but it gets great reviews and I’m sure it is a good vehicle.
I will start with a warning that the tables I put together below are probably not perfectly accurate. There are many possible configurations for the vehicles I outlined, each region of the country is priced a bit differently, dealers may sell for more or less than the prices posted, plus I had a heck of a time even finding reliable and consistent information/specs in some cases. Further, the tables below do not include local or national incentives when it comes to price.
My goal in this exercise was to compare similarly equipped (higher-end) BEV trucks that will be available in 2024–2025, since a “higher-end” truck is what I personally want to buy in this timeframe.
My Process
Step 1 — I started by making a list on a spreadsheet of my wants and needs for a BEV truck, along with minimum performance targets for each item. I defined my “needs” as non-negotiable specs and features that I absolutely need to have. My “wants” were defined as those that are simply less critical to me. I also recognized that the trucks on my list often offered interesting features that, while not particular wants or needs for me, nevertheless offered clear value. I tracked and valued these items in this analysis as “bonus” features.
Step 2 — Eliminate trucks that do not meet my needs from the analysis. For me “needs” were a pass/fail consideration since I would not buy a vehicle that did not meet my needs.
Step 3 — Points & ranking the contenders. I decided to use a point system to rate the trucks that made it to this step. Fully meeting a “need” is assigned 4 points, while wants are worth 2 points, and bonus features earn 1 point. Exceeding a specification also can earn points as this offers value in the same way a bonus feature does. Exceeding a specification by more than 10% earns an extra “bonus” point. In a similar way, failing to meet a non-critical (want) specification by more than 10% results in the loss of a point, and a miss by 20% is a loss of 2 points.
Step 4 — Selection: Total points wins.
Comparison Table
Wants & Needs Targets
Price / Performance
Price — $80,000 (or so) — I would pay more than this for a truck that offered more value to me, so this item is simply a want.
Range — 300 miles minimum (450+ much preferred) — I did the math on all the routes I’ve taken over the past 5 years to see how much range I needed (as opposed to wanted). I wanted 500 miles of range, but it turns out I only need 300.
Performance — 0–60 in
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