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GMC Hummer EV vs Tesla Cybertruck vs Rivian R1T: price and specs comparison
Legacy automaker General Motors recently unveiled the Hummer EV, a monster of a vehicle that will be pitted against other all-electric trucks like the Tesla Cybertruck and the Rivian R1T. The Hummer EV isn’t just another rival in the sustainable pickup truck market. The rivalry between the GMC Hummer EV, the Tesla Cybertruck, and the Rivian R1T also represents the battle between legacy automakers and new kinds of auto manufacturers.
Price
GM seems to have gone a different route when deciding the Hummer EV’s price. GM plans to release four variants of the all-electric “supertruck:” the EV2, EV2X, EV3X, and the limited Hummer EV Edition 1. The base model’s starting price is $79,995 with a reservation fee of $100.
Each subsequent model’s price is raised by about $10,000, except the limited edition Hummer Edition 1. For example, the Hummer EV2X costs $89,995 and the EV3X costs $99,995. The Hummer EV Edition 1, on the other hand, starts at $112,595.
Tesla and Rivian’s EV pickup trucks are priced significantly less than the GM Hummer EV. The Rivian R1T starts at $69,000, though speculations suggest that the production truck will be more affordable. But even at its original price, the R1T is $10,000 less than GM’s cheapest all-electric pickup truck. Rivian’s R1T has a reservation fee of $1000.
When it comes to pricing, however, Tesla’s Cybertruck takes the cake with a starting price of $39,990 for its single motor RWD variant. Tesla set a reservation fee of $100 for the Cybertruck. Tesla seemed to go the opposite direction as the other two automakers and set the price for its top-tier Cybertruck at $69,900. This makes the top-tier Cybertruck Tri-Motor AWD more affordable than the GMC Hummer EV’s base variant.
Price may not be the main factor that sways potential customers from one EV pickup to another. GMC, Tesla, and Rivian have packed their EV trucks with the best specs and features possible. In the end, these specs and features may be the deciding factor for buyers.
- The Rivian R1T promises to bring electrification to the luxury adventure industry. (Credit: Rivian)
- Tesla Cybertruck futuristic aero wheel makes debut in Los Angeles unveiling event on Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)
- (Credit: GMC)
Range and Performance
When it comes to range and performance in the EV market, Tesla sets the bar high. Tesla’s in-depth knowledge in battery technology has given it a serious edge against the competition, most notably legacy automakers like GM.
For the purposes of this comparison, Teslarati will be looking at top-tier variant of each EV pickup truck. In GM’s case, the Hummer EV Edition 1 has a tri-motor setup with an estimated 350+ miles of range. According to the OEM, the Hummer EV can run 0-60 mph in approximately 3 seconds.
Rivian’s R1T pickups beat the Hummer EV’s range, reaching up to 400+ miles on a single charge. In terms of performance, the R1T matches GM’s Hummer EV with the ability to run 0-60 mph in 3 seconds.
The Cybertruck will be Tesla’s first entry into the pickup truck market, but the company certainly didn’t hold back when it came to range and performance. The tri-motor Cybertruck is expected to have an EPA-estimated range of 500+ miles and can run 0-60 mph in about 2.9 seconds.
Unique Features
When it comes to novel features, GMC has some tricks up its sleeve. After all, the legacy automaker has been in the pickup truck market for decades and has enough experience to understand what Hummer customers want. When Rivian revealed the R1T, it seemed to understand the pickup truck market’s customer base well, too.
When it comes to vehicles, utility is a top priority, most especially for pickup truck buyers. Rivian understood that useful features mattered and included features like a cleaver gear tunnel and “Tank Turn.” Both features were specifically included in the Rivian R1T with the pickup customer in mind.
The GMC Hummer EV also has some features specifically tailored for pickup owners. During its unveiling, GM introduced the Hummer EV’s CrabWalk feature which allows the vehicle to navigate tricky terrain. The legacy automaker also included adaptive air suspension.
- (Credit: Tesla)
- (Credit: Rivian)
- (Credit: GMC)
Tesla’s focus has always been on sustainability, but it still managed to include some unique features in the Cybertruck. The adaptive air suspension GM announced for the Hummer EV was also seen in the Cybertruck during its unveiling.
The bed of the Cybertruck includes 110v/220v outlets, which impressed many pickup truck owners who use power tools for work or recreation. Tesla’s pickup truck also has Camp Mode, which allows passengers to sleep in their vehicles comfortably without draining the batteries.
Camp Mode is not unique to the Tesla Cybertruck. The feature is available in all Tesla vehicles. But it’s one of many features that neither GM nor Rivian has announced for their pickup trucks. Camp Mode will not be the only quirky Tesla feature that will make it to the Cybertruck, too. There are also features like Dog Mode and the multiple entertainment features available in Tesla vehicles like Caraoke.
Conclusion
Tesla and Rivian, especially the former, have forged their own path in the auto industry. Both car companies have committed to manufacturing sustainable vehicles with great performance and look good doing it.
In comparison, General Motors Truck Co. has been one of the leading car manufacturers in the world for decades and has created some of the toughest pickup trucks ever made. So it’s no surprise everyone wondered what GMC would bring to the table when it announced the Hummer EV.
Given each automaker’s competencies, the battle between the GM Hummer EV, Tesla Cybertruck, and Rivian R1T could decide the future of the electric pickup market. Nevertheless, the presence of the three all-electric trucks in the market today bodes well for the shift to sustainability as a whole. Every GMC Hummer EV sold is one less ICE truck on the road, after all.
Watch an in-depth look at the GMC Hummer EV in the video below.
News
Tesla makes good on its Cybercab promise in just two weeks
Tesla Cybercab riders can now pull up a rear camera view and darken the screen.
Tesla has given Cybercab passengers a way to see what is behind them, along with a way to turn the cabin screen off entirely.
Riders in Austin can now bring up a live rearview camera feed on the Cybercab’s center display in the middle of a trip. Austin rider Ethan McKanna spotted the change late Friday night, posting from a ride that “You can now open the camera to view what’s behind you in Cybercab!” His photo shows a strip of rear camera video across the top of the screen, with another Cybercab following on a bridge. Sawyer Merritt shared the image Saturday and wrote that it “sounds like” there is also a new quiet mode that darkens the entire screen for riders who want to relax, sleep, or avoid a bright display at night.
The camera view goes beyond the rear feed. Tesla UI software engineer Evan, who posts as @CarCoder, replied to McKanna with a tip: “You can also tap it to see more cameras, and swipe it up or down to hide and show.” Until now, the Cybercab only showed its rear and repeater feeds on the “Please Exit Safely” screen at the end of a ride, so passengers could check for cyclists and traffic before opening a door.
Quiet mode surfaced a day earlier. Austin rider Jackson Blatz posted a video Friday morning of the new Robotaxi interface in a Cybercab with the option. Tesla has not published release notes for either feature.
The rear camera view moved quickly from request to release. Earlier this month, Cybercab rider Dan Burkland asked Tesla to let passengers pull up the rear and repeater cameras whenever they want, “especially for peace of mind.” Evan answered “In development,” as Teslarati reported at the time. About two weeks later, riders have it.
The feature fills a gap created by the Cybercab’s design. With no steering wheel, no pedals, no mirrors and no rear window, a passenger has no natural way to glance behind the car. The eight exterior cameras that feed Tesla’s autonomy software were already on board, so the change only required software.
There is also an AI angle to how it was built. Yun-Ta Tsai, a senior staff engineer on Tesla’s AI team, quoted Merritt’s post and wrote that the “(human) camera view tuning is optimized with Grok and implements part of the algorithm by directly programming the fixed-function hardware, so I don’t even need to check the datasheet.” Tsai did not say which part of the algorithm Grok handled. Grok already plays a bigger role inside the vehicle, with Grok Bot now enabled across every Cybercab and the Model Y Robotaxi fleet after Tesla brought the agent into its cars in September.
The two features join a busy week of changes for riders in Austin, which also brought a redesigned Live Activity for iPhone and Apple Watch and live trip sharing. They also arrive as Tesla prepares the Cybercab for life outside its own fleet. On the third quarter earnings call, Lars Moravy said the company is aiming to deliver Cybercabs to customers before the end of 2026. Tesla has not said whether the camera view and quiet mode will also come to its Model Y Robotaxis.
Elon Musk
Tesla shows what Roadster drivers will see on screen before thruster activation
Tesla’s Roadster video reveals a fighter jet inspired cockpit with a 5,500 PSI thruster gauge.
Tesla has given future owners their clearest look yet at the cockpit of its next generation Roadster. In a 34 second video posted to X on Friday afternoon, the company walked through the car’s touchscreen with a caption: “Inspired by fighter jet cockpits, Roadster’s interface was designed around the pilot.”
The clip opens on a black screen with red graphics and a 3D wireframe of the car, which sits beside the Roadster’s squared off yoke. Tapping parts of the model brings up controls for the rear wing, including low drag and high downforce positions, along with a charging page with a charge limit bar and a small music player. A row of tabs along the bottom reads Home, Vehicle, Listen, Climate and Navigate.
Most of the video is spent in Track Mode. The dashboard shows a live circuit map, a list of session lap times, brake and motor temperatures, and pressure and temperature readouts for each tire. A setup page lets the driver pick Auto, Low Drag, High Downforce or Custom aero modes, adjust aero balance and brake balance, and switch stability and traction control off. Along the bottom, a status bar reads “Thruster · 5,500 PSI” next to a “Boost Ready” indicator.
That gauge ties the software to the hardware Tesla showed off near Waco, Texas on October 15. The Thrust and Rocket versions use cold gas thrusters fed by carbon overwrapped pressure vessels, and Tesla lists 0 to 60 mph times of under 0.9 seconds and under 0.59 seconds for them, as Teslarati detailed in its breakdown of the three Roadster configurations. The base Performance car relies on a fan and ground sealing system for grip, and the aero settings on screen match the active wings and suction setup covered in our look at how the Roadster generates downforce.
The Roadster layout is a departure from the rest of Tesla’s lineup. Instead of a map centered screen, the Roadster puts the car itself at the center of the home page, and Tesla’s Roadster page lists two smaller forward displays alongside the main touchscreen. Tesla has not said whether any of the Track Mode telemetry will make its way to the Model 3 Performance or other vehicles.
The interface could still change before deliveries. Elon Musk said at the event that Roadster production will begin in 2028, and Tesla says the flagship Rocket version is not approved for public road use. Reservations are open with a $50,000 payment, while Thrust is listed as a limited release and Rocket is invite only.
Those who want to see the car in person will get their first chance this weekend. The Roadster goes on display in the lobby of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles from October 24 to 27, according to Sawyer Merritt, the first time the public will be able to view it up close.
Elon Musk
Tesla reveals Optimus Academy, where robots teach themselves
Tesla has begun building production quality Optimus robots in Fremont and revealed its training plan.
Tesla has started building Optimus on the high volume line it set up inside its Fremont factory, and the company says the robots coming off it are the first that meet the bar for a real product. “The bots coming off this line are the first production-quality bots that we have manufactured,” Tesla wrote in its third quarter shareholder letter, adding that it has “proven that the current manufacturing process for Optimus is suitable for a commercial product.”
The line sits in space that built the Model S and Model X until this spring. Tesla cleared the old vehicle line in 46 days, as Teslarati reported in July, to make room for robot production sized for one million units a year. On Wednesday’s earnings call, Elon Musk said most of the equipment for that capacity is already in Fremont, with output set to climb toward roughly 20,000 robots a week as the line ramps.
Musk described the ramp as a classic S curve. “The growth of Optimus is an S curve, but the initial curve is a shallow slope,” he said. The team is now refining the robot’s AI, electromechanical design, reliability and service life, and Musk expects that work to be finished by the end of next year, when Tesla plans to start delivering Optimus to outside companies for dangerous, repetitive and around the clock jobs.
The most interesting part of the call was how Tesla plans to teach the robots. Its cars send real driving data back to the AI team from millions of vehicles, but Optimus has no fleet like that yet. “A big difference with Optimus versus the cars is we don’t have this vast fleet of cars from which we can gather training data,” Musk said. Tesla’s answer is an Optimus Academy, where 10,000 to 20,000 robots will practice a wide range of tasks and feed what they learn into the next version of the model. Every unit off the Fremont line becomes a source of that training data.
Smarter hardware is on the way too. Tesla plans to put its AI5 chip into Optimus next year, and Musk said a new Optimus video should arrive within one or two months showing the robot completing tasks driven by AI rather than preprogrammed motions. He took aim at rival humanoid demos that only run scripted routines, saying those would not hold up in the real world.
The supply chain is lining up behind the program. In September, Tesla certified Tuopu, Joyson and Sanhua as mass production partners for Optimus components. A far larger Optimus factory is also rising at Giga Texas, where drone footage from Joe Tegtmeyer showed the steel frame nearing completion, and Musk has pegged that plant’s long term target at 10 million robots a year.
Tesla executives also said Optimus production costs are trending toward the expected manufacturing cost of Cybercab, a sign the robot is being engineered for volume from the start. The hands remain the toughest piece of the design, a point Musk also made at the X Takeover event earlier this month, as Teslarati covered at the time, and that is where much of the current engineering effort is focused.





