Ford CEO, Jim Farley has fired the first shot at Elon Musk sharing a video of a Ford F-150 Lightning tackling the same Stair Step challenge as did a release candidate Tesla Cybertruck. In the video, the F-150 appears to outperform the Cybertruck.
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Tesla has designed the Cybertruck to be the most rugged and off-roading capable vehicle in the world.
Some of the features that make the Cybertruck an ideal vehicle for off-roading include the vehicle’s ultra-hard 30X cold rolled stainless steel exoskeleton, brand-new air suspension with industry-leading 14 inches of suspension travel, and a quick-responding dual-motor and tri-motor powertrain setup.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Cybertruck however, in paper the vehicle is shaping up to be a leader in the off-roading world.
Related News: Tesla Bans Individuals Who Share a Leaked Cybertruck Video Shot by a Tesla Employee From Attending November 30 Delivery Event
To drive this point home, Tesla has been taking release candidate Cybertrucks into several challenging situations.
To test out the vehicle’s durability, Tesla has subjected the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton to gunfire and shots from Joe Rogan’s bow and arrow.
On the durability front, Tesla has taken 2 release candidate Cybertrucks with a graffiti paint job and decked out with SpaceX Starlink mobile receivers on a 1280-mile off-road journey across the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.
Tesla has also subjected a Cybertruck prototype to the Mojave desert heat in California where a prototype had to be towed after it was unable to supercharge amidst the desert heat.
Tesla has also been spotted filming a new promotional video comparing a Cybertruck to a Ford F-150 Lightning and Porche 911.
All these Cybertruck tests have been exciting but they lack an important component due to the fact that they were either conducted in secret or that there weren’t any independent observers to attest to the Cybertruck’s performance.
That’s at least until Tesla took a Cybertruck to the Hollister Hills vehicular recreation area. The two Cybertrucks present at the park covered several situations, however, the Cybertruck prototypes tackling one particular section of the off-roading trail – Stair Steps, have been videotaped by several individuals present at the park.
The Stair Steps is the most challenging part of Hollister Hills Park as it combines a high incline with a slippery surface that pushes any vehicle to its limits.
As you can see from the video, the Cybertruck prototype was able to make it up this challenging surface. However, as you can also see from the video, the Cybertruck struggled a bit with wheel spin, especially at the beginning where the Cybertruck is seen struggling to get going.
The Cybertruck’s performance although not perfect still is better than most internal combustion off-roading vehicles that attempt the Stair Steps.
However, how does the Cybertruck’s performance compare with that of its biggest competitors, the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T?
Lucky for us, a few days ago, a Rivian R1T owner took his vehicle on the same patch of off-roading ground and shared with us a side-by-side comparison of the Cybertruck’s performance against the Rivian R1T.
We’ve discussed the Cybertruck’s performance against the Rivian in a separate article. However, today, thanks to Ford CEO, Jim Farley, we’ve also gotten footage of a white Ford F-150 Lightning attempting the same feat.
As you can see in the video, the Ford F-150 Lightning, similar to the Rivian R1T and the Cybertruck is able to make it up the Stair Steps. In this regard, all three vehicles get a pass.
However, if we look closely, especially at the start of the Stair Steps, the F-150 Lightning appears to get going up the hill with more ease than both the Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T.
The F-150 Lightning not only gets going uphill the easiest but, the vehicle is also able to finish the Stair Steps the fast and with the least amount of wheel spin.
Going only by this video, it’s easy to say the F-150 Lightning is the off-roading champion out of the three all-electric trucks.
However, similar to what we said during the Rivian-Cybertruck comparison, there are a lot of factors that can lead to the F-150 coming out ahead.
These include driver experience, tire pressure, tire size, temperature, suspension setting, and many other factors that necessitate more thorough testing.
In addition, the Cybertruck is still in the process of calibrating and testing and we don’t know what the final capabilities of the vehicle will be after Tesla is done fine-tuning the vehicle.
Having said that, it’s still interesting to see the first off-roading showdown between the Cybertruck and F-150 Lightning. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as more comparison videos come out.
Until then, make sure to visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.
So what do you think? Excited to see the Cybertruck going toe-to-toe with the Ford F-150 Lightning? In your opinion which vehicle won this showdown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: Courtesy of Ford CEO Jim Farley
For more information check out: The Tesla Cybertruck 300X Reflective Stainless Steel Exoskeleton Turns Grayish Exotic Metal Color When Frozen
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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