Electric vehicles might not use any fossil fuels to move around, but they’re still subject to efficiency testing. The Tesla Cybertruck delivers impressive efficiency that bests all of its rivals except for one. Rivian’s R1T has stronger efficiency than the Tesla, even when riding on the larger optional wheels and carrying the heavier battery pack.
Reddit user u/Wugz did the math, finding that the Rivian’s efficiency beats that of the Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, and GMC Hummer EV. As Electrek pointed out, the Cybertruck’s efficiency figures may change over time because of its newness, but there are a few reasons to believe the early data.
The Rivian R1T, with a 0.30 drag coefficient, is significantly more aerodynamic than the Cybertruck at 0.335, which in turn is slipperier than the F-150 Lightning and GMC Hummer. Chevy’s Silverado EV gets closest in the wind tunnel, reaching a 0.331 drag coefficient.
Tesla’s range estimates are known for being optimistic, as the automaker uses a different set of “correction factors” that give its vehicles higher range estimates. Using numbers closer to the industry average, the Cybertruck’s range would fall somewhere in the high 200-mile area instead of the 340 and 320 miles offered by the currently available models.
[Image: Rivian]
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