[ChasingCoral]

Great video by Tom Moloughney. Lightning wins 6 categories, RIvian 3, and Hummer 3 but clearly Tom thinks it is Lightning, Rivian, Hummer, in that order in the shootout. He's still undecided which he'll keep, though. That's another question.

Tom also is finding the Hummer DC Fast Charging is extremely inconsistent and that preconditioning does not work in the Rivian or the Hummer -- don't use it unless the pack is frozen and really needs preconditioning to be able to charge. At mild temperatures preconditioning causes them to shut down.

He talks more about it in the latest InsideEVs weekly podcast:

 

[R.I.P.]

Great video by Tom Moloughney. Lightning wins 6 categories, RIvian 3, and Hummer 3 but clearly Tom thinks it is Lightning, Rivian, Hummer, in that order in the shootout. He's still undecided which he'll keep, though. That's another question.

Tom also is finding the Hummer DC Fast Charging is extremely inconsistent and that preconditioning does not work in the Rivian or the Hummer -- don't use it unless the pack is frozen and really needs preconditioning to be able to charge. At mild temperatures preconditioning causes them to shut down.

He talks more about it in the latest InsideEVs weekly podcast:

Ford is using archaic (read: tried-&-true) technology in the Lightning, intentionally, while it develops the next gen. This is turning out to be one of its strengths, as the tech just works.

GM and Rivian are far more bleeding edge, with the expected niggles needing to be worked out. Here is the part that I am pleasantly surprised about; the Ford is really holding its own against the newer tech. Blow for blow, it is performing either close, or in some cases better then you might expect against much higher tech machines.

It is a good reminder that higher tech does not always a guarantee of better performance.

 

[Spiffster]

I have a Lighting on order and a Rivian on preorder so I have thought about this a lot. Considering Im stuck with the Lariat the Rivian currently has more tech for the money. To summarize, the sound system in the Rivian is VASTLY better than the one in the Lariat, and this is very important to me. If Im spending 77-87k on a truck I would expect something better than a basic 8 speaker system, thats what the B&O system (In the Lariat) is and it sounds like crap (IMO). I know B&O makes great systems, my wife's Audi has one and its amazing, but what they put in the Lariat is not acceptable in this price range (again just my opinion). Then you have the regular OTA updates that adds neat features like gear guard, pet mode, kneel mode, etc. The Rivian also has better performance, more garage friendly dimensions, adjustable air suspension, panoramic glass roof, heated steering wheel, cooled seats, standard driver+ and a better warranty vs the Lariat. Yes, the Lariat has some features that the Rivian doesnt, but they are features I dont want or need. I dont want or need a lot of what the Rivian has but I definitely dont need a powered liftgate or sliding rear window. Honestly, what I really wanted was a 40k truck sans all the extra crap that I can use as a truck and not have to worry about wear and tear. I can always install my own high end stereo, but at these prices, I should not have to.
Fact remains though, I still need a truck and I want an EV so, it would seem, these are my options indefinitely. Yeah, GM is offering a cheaper option (2024 Silverado EV) but I would end up at the end of that list vs a second day (May 20th) reservation with Ford that I thought for sure would land me a Pro model... fuck. Anyway, for this price range this would be a YOLO purchase, and the Lariat just doesnt fit the bill IMO.

 

[rclightning]

I think it depends with every driver. I can say that based on my lifestyle, lightning is far ahead no matter what the rivian offers. After test driving both the rivian and lighting I new I made the best decision with Ford. Huge space for a family of four and one more on the way. Wireless CarPlay is a huge must for me and Rivian not having that was a done deal on getting the lightning. I agree with Spiffster sound system should have been better but its not the end of the world for me as I am usually just listening to disneys top hits haha. Eveything else is extra and nice. Only complain is the range for the price. I am getting a lariat and for 78k, its a joke to say that I am getting 230 mile range for that price, although I have seen people get 280-300 on range on a standard battery so we will see.