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 purchasing a vehicle from a startup (like Rivian).
Now Ford is going to be facing stiff competition from established automakers, like 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 an extremely competent truck once it does hit the market.
Let’s examine which is the better electric pickup: the Ford F-150 Lightning or the Ram REV 1500?
1. Range Comparison
The feature-packed F-150 Lightningis available with up to 320 miles of range if you opt for the large 131-kWh extended-range battery (a $6,850 option). But the standard 98 kWh battery only nets you 240 miles of range, which likely won’t even last half of that number if you’re towing any significant weight.
The Ram 1500 REV beats the Ford for range, and that’s considering both the standard-range model and the extended-range model. The standard-range Ram 1500 REV features a 168-kWh battery pack good for 350 miles on one charge, better than Ford’s top option. If you step up to the huge 229-kWh battery pack, the estimated range should be around 500 miles (putting it firmly in the mix withthe EVs with the most range).
500 miles of range is definitely a step in the right direction to convince hardcore pickup enthusiasts to make the jump to electric, and it’s more than enough to leave the F-150 Lightning’s 320 miles of range in the dust. The Ram should definitely take the prize when it comes to range if the truck is able to meet these preliminary range estimates when it goes on sale.
If you’re wondering whether it’s possible totow a heavy trailer with an EV, you may be surprised to find out that an electric pickup like the F-150 Lightning is pretty good at it. The Lightning can pull between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds, depending on its specifications. you may achieve the maximum number by purchasing either an XLT or a Lariat model with the Max Tow Package (a $1,100 option) and the extended-range battery pack.
The Ram 1500 REV can tow even more, up to 14,000 pounds, which is a significant step up from Ford. The Ram should tow the same weight as the Ford with much less effort because it’s rated to tow more weight, and it has a bigger battery, so the range loss when towing is not as concerning.
Payload is another important thing to consider when purchasing a pickup truck, and the Ram edges out 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 beats it out once 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 both when it comes to its 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, which means it’s an insanely powerful pickup truck. The acceleration figures back this up as well. 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 zip from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 3.8 seconds, which means it can easily outpace the Ram from stoplight to stoplight. When it comes to pickup trucks, performance isn’t all about acceleration figures, and the Ford also beats out the Ram when it comes to torque. The Ford’s dual electric motors can deliver up to 775 pound-feet of torque, which handily beats the Ram’s 620 pound-feet of torque.
4. Which One Has the Better Frunk?
The Ford F-150 Lightning offers the largest frunk out of any vehicle currently on sale; it’s known as the Mega Power Frunk in Ford lingo. 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 into context how large the F-150’s frunk is, consider that the Tesla Model 3’s front trunk only provides 3.1 cubic feet of space, or around five times less. The F-150 Lightning also has four 120V outlets built into the front trunk, as well as easily accessible USB-C and USB 2.0 ports.
The Ram clearly benchmarked the 1500 REV against the F-150 Lightning because its frunk is even bigger at 15 cubic feet. The Ram also features an integrated power supply in the front trunk, which can output up to 3.6 kW. Both of these vehicles feature excellent front trunks, which add tons of practicality, but the Ram beats the Ford by virtue of a cubic foot.
5. Interior Comparison
Inside, the F-150 Lightning is well appointed, especially if you go for the higher Lariat and Platinum trims, but it still looks very much like an internal combustion F-150 pickup truck. This is to say, even though it’s well-built and rugged inside (and features awesome, convenient storage underneath the rear seats), it’s nothing to write home about.
The Ram 1500 REV, on the other hand, continues the Ram tradition of hitting it out of the park with its interior. It features a futuristic interior with a massive 14.5-inch touchscreen that dominates the center console. There’s also a dedicated 10.25-inch passenger touchscreen and an awesome 12.3-inch screen for the driver.
The three screens give the interior a vibe reminiscent of a spaceship’s cockpit. It’s also great to see that Ram has integrated physical controls into the surrounding areas of the massive central touchscreen.
The Ram 1500 REV wins this category because it truly advances the idea of what a traditional truck interior should be.
6. Which One Has the Better Design?
Both of these trucks take a very similar approach to their design, and this is probably not a coincidence. Both of these vehicles are essential pillars of their respective brands' total sales, so taking a conservative approach when improving upon an established formula is key.
To this end, the F-150 Lightning looks mostly indistinguishable from a regular F-150 (except for the light bar up front on certain trim levels), and the Ram 1500 REV also features styling that diverges very little from a standard Ram (although it is more daring and different than the Ford).
The Ram 1500 REV looks an awful lot like a regular Ram 1500 truck, but at least the front end is much more adventurous than what Ford did with its F-150 Lightning. The Ram 1500 REV even features a huge Ram logo on the grille, which also lights up. The futuristic daytime running lights also creep into the grille from the headlights, creating a cohesive look that really brings the front-end aesthetic together. The LED headlights also look more high-tech than those found on the Ford.
Overall, the Ram 1500 REV wins because, although its design is derivative of the regular combustion-engined 1500, it does come across as confident and high-tech, while Ford took an ultra-conservative approach to its F-150 Lightning.
The Ram 1500 REV Will Be Among the Most Capable Electric Pickups
The Ram 1500 REV looks extremely promising, and it should be at the top of pickup truck fans' lists whenever the time to shop for a new pickup truck comes around. The Ram should have no problem positioning itself among the best electric pickup trucks when it debuts.
While the Ford F-150 Lightning is an excellent product, the Ram’s superior stats in most categories that truly matter set it apart from the older Ford, and that’s why the Ram is the winner. Ford has plenty of time to develop its next-generation F-150 Lightning (or a heavily revised version of the existing model), and it will surely be a beast, so it’ll be interesting to see what Ford has in the works.
