Everyone and their dog knows the Rivian R1T with the quad-motor powertrain is ridiculously fast in the quarter mile. The good folks at Edmunds clocked 11.9 seconds at 109.9 miles per hour (177 kilometers per hour), and the stint from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) took 3.5 seconds.
The question is, how fast is the zero-emission truck off the beaten path? Rather than just another instrumented test, Edmunds decided to compare Rivian's first electric truck against a fine example of the 2023 model year Ford F-150 Raptor R. Although smaller than the supercharged V8-engined brute, the R1T is heavier due to its high-voltage battery.
In this particular configuration, the curb weight is 7,150 pounds (make that 3,243 kilograms) compared to 6,003 pounds (2,723 kilograms) for the internal combustion-engined challenger. The Rivian also happens to be punchier, with Rivian advertising 835 ponies and 935 pound-feet (1,268 Nm) of twist.
Under the hood of the Raptor R, you'll find a 5.2-liter V8 of the DOHC variety with 700 horses and 640 pound-feet (868 Nm) on deck. For the 2024 model year, the Ford Motor Company upgraded the Predator engine of the Raptor R to a TRX-beating 720 hp.
Quite a bit pricier than the R1T Quad Motor, the F-150 Raptor R takes 13.49 seconds to cover the quarter mile on a flat-ish dirt road. By comparison, the all-electric alternative does 13.39 seconds in similar conditions. Zero to 60 miles per hour also favors the Rivian, with Edmunds reporting 5.05 seconds and 5.35 seconds, respectively. How about top speed?
Photo: Edmunds on YouTube
Obviously enough, the Raptor R is the faster truck. With Emme Hall behind the wheel, the most powerful internal combustion-engined Ford truck of them all topped 108 miles per hour (174 kilometers per hour) as opposed to 103 miles per hour (166 kilometers per hour) for the R1T Quad Motor. The Raptor R's larger and better tires for driving over loose surfaces, together with its increased width and 10-speed transmission, also resulted in a better time over the half mile: 21.85 instead of 22.48 clicks.
Gifted with independent suspension at every corner, the R1T Quad Motor also proved inferior in terms of chassis flex, suspension articulation, and wheel travel. On the other hand, the Rivian boasts a better ride while driving at a steady 25 miles per hour (about 40 kilometers per hour) over a bumpy dirt road.
At the end of the day, these extremely different trucks excel in their own respective ways. One could further argue that the Raptor V6 is more than adequate for most prospective customers. Heck, the vast majority of said customers fail to experience even 50 percent of what the Raptor can do off the beaten path. The same applies to the R1T Dual Motor, but only as long as you specify the optional All-Terrain Upgrade.
At press time, the R1T Adventure Dual Motor with the All-Terrain Upgrade and Large battery pack retails at $79,000. Regarding the F-150 Raptor, the R package is $30,575 over the V6's recommended retail price of $76,775 for the 2023 model year. As for 2024, make that $31,575 over $77,980 ($109,555).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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