News
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.
Tesla has taken another concrete step toward owning its battery supply chain, and it’s doing so with what is perhaps the most important vehicle in its short-but-storied history.
On September 23, Tesla announced that it has officially built the first Cybercab with cathode material produced in-house at the company’s first cathode plant in the U.S., and the first in the U.S. overall.
First Cybercab made using our in-house cathode material – from the first cathode plant in the Americas pic.twitter.com/X95aVXsT9H
— Robotaxi (@robotaxi) September 23, 2026
Active cathode material is the most expensive piece of a lithium-ion battery cell, and it often accounts for more than a third of cell cost. For years, the industry sourced a majority of it from Asia, but Tesla’s decision to make it in the United States bodes well for the Cybercab project. This is the latest chapter in Tesla’s vertical integration strategy, which began in public at Battery Day in 2020.
At the Battery Day Event, Elon Musk said the company would build a North American cathode plant and overhaul the process to cut costs and waste, while also making some of the most powerful and long-lasting cells in the industry.
The Austin facility took years to appear. Tesla filed permits for “Project Cathode” in 2022 on land near Giga Texas. By mid-2022, the building frame was up and Tesla later invested hundreds of millions of dollars as part of a larger expansion of the Giga Texas plant. The company stated it was operating the first large-scale cathode production facility in North America to supplement 4680 cell production.
One month later, that material reached a finished Cybercab.
Made with nickel cathode manufactured locally at Gigafactory Texas! https://t.co/DqMm5fZV3n
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 24, 2026
The timing of this breakthrough is monumental for the Cybercab program. As Tesla officially launched the first Cybercab rides to the public earlier this month, production of the ride-hailing-geared vehicle is moving forward on the planned S-curve that CEO Elon Musk told everyone to expect.
Nevertheless, packs of Cybercab units have been spotted throughout the United States, in an effort to potentially activate the fleet as soon as the company gains regulatory approval in various geographic areas.
On top of that, Tesla owning the cathode step and pairing it with its own in-house lithium from the Gulf Coast refinery shortens the supply chain that once stretched thousands of miles and subjects every pack to fewer external price shocks and geopolitical risks.
Tesla is not yet independent of all of its foreign suppliers, as some precursor metals come from mines and chemical plants. But the first in-house cathode Cybercab shows the company is closing the most expensive and most concentrated gap in its battery production efforts. For a vehicle like Cybercab to operate at a high utilization within the Robotaxi network, that control over cost is so crucial.
It is arguably as important as the software that drives it.
Tesla is set to inaugurate its dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, this evening, but drone footage has already started to show who is expected on the handover stage.
Zanegler, a drone operator who regularly documents Tesla Semi operations in Nevada, filmed a row of new-generation Semi units parked outside of the plant with customer branding applied. The liveries visible in the video include companies like PepsiCo, U.S. Foods, Einride, DHL, WattEV, and others that have committed to utilizing Tesla’s Class 8 electric truck in their fleets.
Tesla Semi Pre-Reveal Revealed!
Excited to share this segment of the drone flight one day prior to the Tesla Semi Reveal event.
They have added branding to several Tesla new generation semis.
Including:
Pepsico
US Foods
Einride
LTS
Nevoya
OK Produce
ABF Freight
DHL
WattEV… pic.twitter.com/KoFOg2FouR— Zanegler (@HinrichsZane) September 24, 2026
Several of those company names already sit within Tesla’s public ordering book, including PepsiCo, which has been the program’s primary anchor customer since the first Semi deliveries in December 2022. PepsiCo now runs dozens of Tesla Semi units in daily service, with drivers completing regional routes.
Einride placed a 500-unit order in August, which was, at the time, the largest single Semi commitment. First deployments of their Semi units are planned for this month and will eventually span across California, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, and Georgia. Meanwhile, IMC Logistics announced a 50-truck California order this week.
Tesla Semi lands the biggest electric truck deal in U.S. history
Other names, like LTS, OK Produce, and HMD, have not been widely confirmed as firm buyers, but their presence on the lot is perhaps the clearest signal that Tesla intends to expand on that list this evening at the event.
Tesla first unveiled the Semi back in 2017 with a 2019 production target.
Limited pilot builds reached PepsiCo in late 2022, and high-volume production began at the new 1.7-million-square-foot plant that sits logically positioned next to Tesla’s Gigafactory Nevada. Tesla Semi program director Dan Priestley has said that Tesla expects to build “many thousands” of Semi units this year, but as with every Tesla release, there have been set expectations of an S-curve ramp.
Outside estimates still put 2026 deliveries in the 5,000-to-15,000 range, but it will ultimately depend on Tesla’s readiness to put those units out, as well as how smoothly production is moving internally.
Tesla’s Semi Rollout event is set to start tonight at the Sparks factory, and it will be livestreamed on X starting at 6 p.m. PDT / 9 p.m. ET.
The Tesla App is now giving owners a better indication of what to expect when visiting a Supercharger site, as it is now sharing Site Maps in the app itself, making the feature no longer exclusively available in the car.
Tesla owners can now preview a Supercharger’s layout and live stall status from their phone thanks to the App’s new software version, v4.61.0. Zooming into a supported Supercharger on the charging map now switches the familiar street view into a site-specific map that shows stall positions, occupied bays, out-of-service posts, and a live count of open Superchargers.
It will even show you which specific Tesla model is charging at each occupied stall.
You can now see Live Site Maps in the latest Tesla app (4.61.0.) pic.twitter.com/JIL8QzR8hu
— Zack (@BLKMDL3) September 18, 2026
This is the same view drivers first saw inside the car with the 2025 Holiday Update, which started as a pilot for Tesla in California and Texas. Those early maps showed layout, nearby amenities, and the status of each operational stall. The feature has spread to most Superchargers in the U.S., but now Tesla wants the feature available through the Smartphone App, which is now rolling out to owners.
The in-vehicle screen maps remain a richer 3D canvas and originally required AMD Ryzen infotainment hardware, which left many Intel-based Model 3 and Model Y owners without the view. The app version removes that hardware barrier, so any owner can now get a preview of their upcoming Supercharger stop on their phone.
Anyone with the updated version of the app can open a Site Map on their phone. The feature has provided some additional peace of mind to anxious travelers and those who might be looking for a place that is less congested for faster charging speeds. It is a meaningful addition to many owners, especially for trips to unfamiliar locations.
You can now pick a Supercharger location that might be more aligned with what you are looking for or need: you can pick a site based on what stalls are open, where ADA stalls sit, how you will pull in, and more, instead of circling a crowded lot after arriving. Owners of older cars now have access to the feature without having to purchase a new vehicle altogether.
Site Mpas will not reserve a stall, nor will it change how Fast Charging works. Tesla does something simpler and more useful by giving owners a dedicated preview of the Supercharger they’re about to charge, turning an unknown parking lot into a place that may seem more familiar thanks to the preview.
Interested in ordering a Tesla? Use my referral code for three free months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) here.
Tesla Cybercab gets initial tie-in to localized, in-house cathode plant
Tesla leaks Semi customers ahead of handover event
