The 3 Best Alternatives to the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla’s Cybertruck has divided the opinions of many with its futuristic design, which includes a highly angular exterior and a stainless steel exoskeleton. The electric automaker’s CEO and co-founder, Elon Musk, stated that this angular design comes from the fact that you can’t stamp ultra-hard 30X steel since it’ll break the stamping press. 

Aside from its bold exterior design choices, the first Cybertruck, known as the Foundation Series, released in late November 2023, costs over $100,000. In 2019, Elon Musk had promised that the Cybertruck would start at $39,900. The media can highlight the bad to make certain issues seem like widespread problems, but several Tesla Cybertruck Foundation Series buyers posted images indicating some build quality issues within certain examples.

For example, some reported that their Cybertruck’s retractable tonneau cover got stuck during operation, while others shared instances of body panel gaps and breakdowns days after receiving their vehicle delivery. You can read more about these reports on the Tesla Cybertruck Forum. 

While the Cybertruck has features that appeal to many, such as a durable exterior and 845 horsepower, these reports indicate that Tesla has some things to work out regarding the model’s development. This is to be expected, given that this is the vehicle’s first iteration, and its production faced serious challenges, resulting in several delays. If you don’t like Tesla’s Cybertruck or wish to explore its primary competitors, keep reading to learn more about your options. 

2024 Ford F-150 Lightning – $62,995

Ford’s 2024 F-150 Lightning is our list’s most affordable Cybertruck alternative, starting at $62,995. Horsepower for this model impresses at a range of 462 to 580. All powertrains produce 775 lb.-ft. of torque. A 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning with an extended-range battery will travel from 0-60 MPH in 3.8 seconds. Towing capacities range from 5,000 lbs to 10,000 lbs.—falling short of the Rivian’s R1T, Tesla’s Cybertruck, and GMC’s Hummer EV pickup.

Range anxiety is lessened with the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning’s Intelligent Range. This feature updates the F-150 Lightning’s range estimates to account for factors like towing weights, traffic, and more. A 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning can travel 240-320 miles per charge, with the Flash model containing the highest range. For context, the average American driver travels 39 miles each day. 

Below is a list of each 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning trim and their starting prices:

• XLT – $62,995
• Flash – $67,995
• Lariat – $76,995
• Platinum – $84,995

This Ford shares the Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T’s ability to act as a power source. More specifically, the 2024 F-150 Lightning offers available home backup power, which can be a vital asset during a storm.

Exterior spotlight

The F-150 Lightning provides a durable exterior with high-strength steel underpinning, crafted sheet metal, and one of the strongest S-Series frames that Ford has ever built. This frame is fully boxed and made of high-strength steel, optimizing torsional rigidity. In other words, drivers get better handling, experience less noise and vibration, and receive higher crash protection.

Drivers can choose between three F-150 Lightning bed options: 5.5 ft., 6.5 ft., and 8 ft. The frunk (front trunk) has more room than any vehicle on this list of Cybertruck alternatives at 14.1 cu. ft. Ford increases the F-150 Lightning’s nighttime utility with available LED zone lighting illuminating its perimeter. 

Color options consist of: 

• Avalanche
• Agate Black
• Antimatter Blue
• Carbonized Gray
• Icon Silver
• Oxford White
• Rapid Red
• Star White

While Rivian’s R1T might have more vibrant shades than the 2024 F-150, this Ford still offers a palette that exceeds the number of choices available for a Cybertruck. The F-150 Lightning has a low center of gravity that fosters smooth driving, and its profile exceeds 19 ft., which helps it fit in most garages. 

Interior close-up

The 2024 F-150 Lightning seats up to five passengers, and the driver’s seat has an available memory function that recalls side-view mirror settings in addition to preferred seat positions. While the side view mirror function is an added benefit, we’d like to seat these memory functions as standard, given the model’s starting price that exceeds $60,000.

Drivers who frequently work on-site can benefit from adding this electric pickup’s interior work surface option, which integrates a table-style feature into the cabin. The available work surface is removable via its stowaway shifter. A panoramic glass roof is also available, helping the F-150 Lightning compete against the Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, and GMC Hummer EV, which contain similar features.

While the F-150 Lightning is the least stylish pick on our list regarding exterior design, its cabin has more details and accents than the Cybertruck, which isn’t much of a surprise given Tesla’s minimalist design philosophy. Ford F-150 Lightning drivers can give their interiors more flair with available ambient lighting.

2025 Rivian R1T – $69,900

Rivian’s 2025 R1T offers five trims starting at $69,900, with its highest grade, the Ascend Quad Max, having a base price of around $120,000. The R1T is an all-electric pickup truck that balances luxury, style, and capability—a rare combination. This Cybertruck rival provides a 420-mile maximum range, up to 1,025 horsepower, and a lightning-fast 0-60 MPH time of 2.5 seconds.

While the performance specs above are the model’s best, you still receive plenty of value with the base R1T Adventure model, which is far less expensive than a Foundation Series Cybertruck. The R1T Adventure delivers 533 horsepower, a 270-mile range, and a 0-60 MPH time of 4.5 seconds. 

The Cybertruck’s seven drive modes include: 

• Comfort
• Sport
• Custom
• Beast
• Overland
• Baja
• Wade mode

However, the R1T exceeds the Cybertruck’s number of drive modes with:

• Standard mode (balanced driving)
• Off-road mode
• Rock-crawl mode
• Sand mode
• Tow/haul mode
• Sport mode
• Glacier mode (for navigating snowy or icy terrain)
• Adaptive mode

Independent air suspension helps the R1T drive with over 6” of vertical ride-height adjustment for better stability, aerodynamics, and performance when carrying different payload capacities. R1T drivers can tow up to 11,000 lbs., which equals the Cybertruck’s maximum towing capability. 

Tesla previously advertised a new rear-wheel drive (RWD) version of the Cybertruck starting at $57,390 but has since removed the order links. This Cybertruck variant won’t be available until 2025 at the earliest, and it offers much lower horsepower than the base Rivian R1T at 315, which translates to a slower 6.5-second 0-60 MPH time. 

Exterior spotlight

The R1T’s optional powered tonneau cover, with its thorough cargo protection, gives Tesla’s Cybertruck a run for its money. This Tonneau cover is lockable, water-resistant, and built with aluminum panels to provide ideal durability. However, if you drive without it, the R1T’s corrosion—and wear-resistant bed can handle itself. 

While the Cybertruck’s natural stainless steel exoskeleton appeals to many, some may prefer to shop for an all-electric truck with more exterior color options. With nine color choices, Rivian’s R1T far exceeds the Cybertruck. You won’t have to worry about the R1T’s exterior being weak since it doesn’t contain the Cybertruck’s configuration. Exterior materials for this Rivian include aluminum alloy, ultra-high-strength steel, and carbon fiber materials.

Interior close-up

Rivian’s R1T interior contains solid wood accents, which Tesla’s Cybertruck doesn’t feature. While these accent touches are attractive, we’re more impressed with the R1T’s interior storage solutions, which feel more innovative than the Cybertruck’s. These creative storage areas include a lockable center console, hidden storage compartments under the rear seats/within door panels, and the gear tunnel below the bed and in front of the rear wheels.

This gear tunnel is lockable and watertight and supplies an additional 11.7 cu. ft. of storage through a 65” length and a height of 18.3”. LED lights inside the tunnel ease cargo organization, while 120V and 12V plugs provide additional utility. R1T drivers can open or close their gear tunnel wirelessly with the Rivian app, in their cabin, or by using buttons on the truck’s bed rail.

Most modern EVs use their designs containing fewer moving parts to accommodate a frunk. The 2025 R1T’s lockable frunk provides 9.9 cu. ft. of space—2.8 ft. more than Tesla’s Cybertruck. This frunk features automatic lights, cargo nets, and an easy-to-clean design with a bottom valve opening to the ground below to drain rinsing water. This pickup’s bed additionally has a hidden tailgate space for a full-sized spare tire, which the Cybertruck doesn’t offer.

2024 GMC Hummer EV Pickup – $96,550

GMC’s Hummer is in the ballpark of Tesla’s Foundation Series when it comes to pricing, with starting costs ranging from $96,550-$108,700, depending on which grade you select. A fully-loaded Foundation Series Cybertruck costs $120,000.

Drivers can customize the 2024 Hummer EV pickup with best-in-class horsepower and torque, registering at 1,000 and 11,500 lb-ft. These impressive performance specs contribute to its top 0-60 MPH time of three seconds. Still, its maximum towing capacity is 7,500 lbs, which falls short of the Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning.

Hummer EV pickup drivers have fewer drive modes to choose from than Tesla’s Cybertruck and Rivian’s R1T. These drive modes consist of:

• Off-road
• Terrain 
• Tow/haul
• Normal
• My mode (custom) 

This electric Hummer’s four-wheel drive (4WD) setup isn’t your typical drivetrain. Instead, it goes above and beyond with optional torque vectoring, which offers capabilities like traversing 18” verticals and traveling through deep water up to 32”, matching Tesla’s Cybertruck. GMC includes one-pedal driving within the 2024 Hummer EV, which allows a user to accelerate and decelerate with the accelerator pedal to extend range via regenerative braking.

Public DC fast charging provides the 2024 Hummer EV pickup with just under 100 miles of range in 12 minutes, topping the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T. This Hummer can drive up to 381 miles per charge when properly equipped.

Exterior spotlight

Every Hummer EV pickup contains durable off-road-ready bumpers and body panels. While these elements don’t match the strength of the Cybertruck’s stainless steel, you won’t have to worry about messing up your purchase during instances like off-roading. Selecting this electric truck’s optional underbody armor provides extra protection for the drive unit and battery pack through steel plates and shields. 

GMC designs the 2024 Hummer EV with a sleek, illuminated seven-bar grille and taillamps containing an exclusive H insignia inside their casings. Sides feature unique elements such as Hummer EV badging. This pickup’s bed is five feet—which is one foot shorter than the Cybertruck’s. However, this length fosters more optimal maneuverability in on and off-road situations. Wheel specs for this electric pickup range from 18” to 22”. Our favorite component of this pickup’s exterior is its Infinity Roof with removable panels you can stow.

Interior close-up

GMC carries the 2024 Hummer EV’s stylish and rugged exterior into the cabin through dynamic two-tone designs, such as the Lunar Horizon-themed interior in Jet Black and Light Grey and the optional Lunar Show with jet black and taupe with tech bronze accents. Neither the Foundation Series Cybertruck nor the 2025 Rivian R1T offer these two-tone interior configurations.

This electric pickup’s front trunk provides 11.3 cu. ft. of storage, exceeding the Foundation Series Cybertruck and 2025 Rivian R1T. The frunk area is large enough to store the aforementioned removable modular sky panels. However, this electric Hummer’s bed contains a 36.7 cu. ft. cargo capacity that’s almost half that of the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup. 

Physical toggle switches sit beneath the infotainment display for more intuitive and less distracting control over primary vehicle features like drive modes compared to touch-activated features with haptic feedback. The Foundation Series Cybertruck and 2025 R1T lack these physical toggle switches.

The 2024 Hummer EV pickup’s interior brings sustainability to the forefront with its steering wheel containing Regen On Demand. This feature allows users to control regenerative braking levels using a paddle switch on the steering wheel, resulting in a higher range. The Hummer EV pickup’s interior accommodates up to five passengers.

Final verdict

Your favorite alternative from our list will hinge on your driving needs and preferences, but our top pick is undoubtedly the 2025 Rivian R1T, which can fill in the Cybertruck’s blanks via its several trim levels.