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Tesla and Rivian are poised to battle Ford and GM for the US’ electric truck market
The US pickup truck market is a hefty prize for any automaker. In the second quarter alone, pickup trucks accounted for 33% of sales from Ford, GM, and Fiat Chrysler, up from 30% the previous year. Full-size trucks, such as the F-150, Silverado and RAM, continue to see growth as well, with the average price of such vehicles hitting $47,255 per unit.
Tyson Jominy, an analyst at research firm J.D. Power, explained in a statement to The Wall Street Journal that the US car industry’s interest in pickup trucks continues to be strong. “Trucks are the one sure bet for all three. They’re trying to take every cent off the table and use it to fund their research and development,” he said.
Yet, just like the passenger car sector, the pickup truck segment is about to feel the disruption from dedicated all-electric vehicles. Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will be releasing its own pickup truck later this year, and that it would be a vehicle so loaded with tech that it would not look out of place in the Blade Runner franchise. Rivian, itself a Detroit-based company, is poised to start producing its R1T pickup truck soon. The R1T is critically acclaimed, being a true off-roader that exudes luxury.
Both Tesla’s pickup truck and Rivian’s R1T will likely enter the market as quickly as their respective automakers are able. The pickup market is ripe for disruption after all, and any company that breaches the segment first with a truck that is both capable and reasonable in price would likely enjoy momentum for years to come. Quite surprisingly, neither Ford nor GM seem to be in any hurry to launch their own pickup trucks to the market.
This is quite surprising considering that both companies have immense experience in truck building. Each company has also stated that it will be releasing its own electric truck. Ford provided a teaser of its F-150 EV last June, which involved an impressive demonstration featuring the truck pulling over a million pounds of cargo. Back in April, GM CEO Mary Barra stated that General Motors will be releasing a “complete range of EVs, including full-size pickups.”
Ford, for its part, stated after its impressive F-150 EV demonstration that the vehicle is not slated for production anytime soon. Ford Chief Product Development Officer Hau Thai-Tang explained in an interview with Yahoo Finance that while a hybrid F-150 will be introduced next year, a battery-electric variant similar to the unit used in the 1-million-pound demonstration is still “a couple years out.” GM is equally vague, if not more. FCA is even less committal, not even confirming its plans for an electric pickup truck.
Considering the coming competition from younger companies such as Tesla and Rivian, both of whom are still hungry and aggressive, Ford, and GM’s decision to adopt a deliberate pace in their EV truck initiatives might prove to be a miscalculation. Such wait-and-see strategies, after all, could easily be remembered in the future as the stuff of hubris, if they are not careful.
This is especially true if one were to look at what the Tesla Truck and the Rivian R1T are both set to offer. Elon Musk has spoken a lot about Tesla’s pickup truck, from its “cyberpunk” appearance, Porsche 911-esque performace, and its $49,000 starting price. Rivian’s R1T, on the other hand, is so steeped in luxury amenities and nifty features that it almost seems like a full suite of Patagonia outdoor gear with wheels.
Granted, both Tesla and Rivian lack the experience in truck-building enjoyed by Ford and GM. That being said, Tesla has extensive experience in developing electric vehicles, and its battery tech is second to none. Rivian, on the other hand, is backed by what could very well be the deepest pocket in the tech industry today: Amazon. With this in mind, veteran automakers might be well advised to expedite the release of their own electric pickups, or risk being outperformed and outmaneuvered by upstart electric vehicle makers that are a fraction of their age.
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Tesla FSD fleet is nearing 7 billion total miles, including 2.5 billion city miles
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) fleet is closing in on almost 7 billion total miles driven, as per data posted by the company on its official FSD webpage.
These figures hint at the massive scale of data fueling Tesla’s rapid FSD improvements, which have been quite notable as of late.
FSD mileage milestones
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles. Tesla owner and avid FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog also shared a screenshot indicating that from the nearly 7 billion miles traveled by the FSD fleet, more than 2.5 billion miles were driven inside cities.
City miles are particularly valuable for complex urban scenarios like unprotected turns, pedestrian interactions, and traffic lights. This is also the difference-maker for FSD, as only complex solutions, such as Waymo’s self-driving taxis, operate similarly on inner-city streets. And even then, incidents such as the San Francisco blackouts have proven challenging for sensor-rich vehicles like Waymos.
Tesla’s data edge
Tesla has a number of advantages in the autonomous vehicle sector, one of which is the size of its fleet and the number of vehicles training FSD on real-world roads. Tesla’s nearly 7 billion FSD miles then allow the company to roll out updates that make its vehicles behave like they are being driven by experienced drivers, even if they are operating on their own.
So notable are Tesla’s improvements to FSD that NVIDIA Director of Robotics Jim Fan, after experiencing FSD v14, noted that the system is the first AI that passes what he described as a “Physical Turing Test.”
“Despite knowing exactly how robot learning works, I still find it magical watching the steering wheel turn by itself. First it feels surreal, next it becomes routine. Then, like the smartphone, taking it away actively hurts. This is how humanity gets rewired and glued to god-like technologies,” Fan wrote in a post on X.
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Tesla starts showing how FSD will change lives in Europe
Local officials tested the system on narrow country roads and were impressed by FSD’s smooth, human-like driving, with some calling the service a game-changer for everyday life in areas that are far from urban centers.
Tesla has launched Europe’s first public shuttle service using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in the rural Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm region of Germany, demonstrating how the technology can restore independence and mobility for people who struggle with limited transport options.
Local officials tested the system on narrow country roads and were impressed by FSD’s smooth, human-like driving, with some calling the service a game-changer for everyday life in areas that are far from urban centers.
Officials see real impact on rural residents
Arzfeld Mayor Johannes Kuhl and District Administrator Andreas Kruppert personally tested the Tesla shuttle service. This allowed them to see just how well FSD navigated winding lanes and rural roads confidently. Kruppert said, “Autonomous driving sounds like science fiction to many, but we simply see here that it works totally well in rural regions too.” Kuhl, for his part, also noted that FSD “feels like a very experienced driver.”
The pilot complements the area’s “Citizen Bus” program, which provides on-demand rides for elderly residents who can no longer drive themselves. Tesla Europe shared a video of a demonstration of the service, highlighting how FSD gives people their freedom back, even in places where public transport is not as prevalent.
What the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Transport says
Rhineland-Palatinate’s Minister Daniela Schmitt supported the project, praising the collaboration that made this “first of its kind in Europe” possible. As per the ministry, the rural rollout for the service shows FSD’s potential beyond major cities, and it delivers tangible benefits like grocery runs, doctor visits, and social connections for isolated residents.
“Reliable and flexible mobility is especially vital in rural areas. With the launch of a shuttle service using self-driving vehicles (FSD supervised) by Tesla in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, an innovative pilot project is now getting underway that complements local community bus services. It is the first project of its kind in Europe.
“The result is a real gain for rural mobility: greater accessibility, more flexibility and tangible benefits for everyday life. A strong signal for innovation, cooperation and future-oriented mobility beyond urban centers,” the ministry wrote in a LinkedIn post.
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Tesla China quietly posts Robotaxi-related job listing
Tesla China is currently seeking a Low Voltage Electrical Engineer to work on circuit board design for the company’s autonomous vehicles.
Tesla has posted a new job listing in Shanghai explicitly tied to its Robotaxi program, fueling speculation that the company is preparing to launch its dedicated autonomous ride-hailing service in China.
As noted in the listing, Tesla China is currently seeking a Low Voltage Electrical Engineer to work on circuit board design for the company’s autonomous vehicles.
Robotaxi-specific role
The listing, which was shared on social media platform X by industry watcher @tslaming, suggested that Tesla China is looking to fill the role urgently. The job listing itself specifically mentions that the person hired for the role will be working on the Low Voltage Hardware team, which would design the circuit boards that would serve as the nervous system of the Robotaxi.
Key tasks for the role, as indicated in the job listing, include collaboration with PCB layout, firmware, mechanical, program management, and validation teams, among other responsibilities. The role is based in Shanghai.
China Robotaxi launch
China represents a massive potential market for robotaxis, with its dense urban centers and supportive policies in select cities. Tesla has limited permission to roll out FSD in the country, though despite this, its vehicles have been hailed as among the best in the market when it comes to autonomous features. So far, at least, it appears that China supports Tesla’s FSD and Robotaxi rollout.
This was hinted at in November, when Tesla brought the Cybercab to the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, marking the first time that the autonomous two-seater was brought to the Asia-Pacific region. The vehicle, despite not having a release date in China, received a significant amount of interest among the event’s attendees.
Tesla FSD fleet is nearing 7 billion total miles, including 2.5 billion city miles
Tesla starts showing how FSD will change lives in Europe
