Rivian R1T Truck Beats Tesla Cybertruck In Buyer's Choice Poll

A recent consumer poll has pitted four upcoming pickups to war, but between two of the newcomers -- Tesla and Rivian -- Rivian came out on top.

Autolist.com conducted a survey in late November and early December and sought the preference of about 1,100 car shoppers for the pickup they would choose among four brands with a 2021 debut: the unnamed General Motors pickup, Ford's next-gen all-electric F-150, the Tesla Cybertruck, or Rivian's R1T.

The results of the survey show that when it comes to popularity among "would-be" first-time truck owners, Tesla's Cybertruck is ahead of the R1T (and also the two others), but is dead last among those who owned trucks before. However, for its emerging rival, that wasn't the case as Rivian's popularity sits largely unwavering among those who have and have not owned pickups before.

"What this tells us is that the upcoming Rivian and Tesla trucks can coexist on the market as newcomers without cannibalizing sales from one another," said Chase Disher, an analyst at Autolist.com.

"The Rivian can appeal to a more traditional truck buyer looking for something fresh, while the Tesla can appeal to those new to the segment looking for a more performance-based model."

Performance
When it comes to expected performance, the primary choice was Cybertruck. About 50% of the respondents selected the Tesla vehicle for that category, thwarting Rivian that came out last with 35% of the votes. The consumers' preference for the Cybertruck's performance overturns what would otherwise be standard features buyers hunt for in a pickup like "practicality, efficiency, towing or hauling capabilities," according to Disher.

Style
Surprisingly, Cybertruck's -- in all its futuristic design -- is not ahead of the "exterior styling" category, and it isn't a reason why consumers would buy it over the three other trucks. The style category, however, is led by Rivian, with 75% of the respondents picking it over the three brands.

Tesla and Rivian are both in a tight space in the electric vehicle (EV) race with Rivian already with 100,000 delivery vehicles order from Amazon. But it is worth noting that Ford is also a Rivian investor with a $500 million investment this year. Ford plans to roll out an all-electric Lincoln SUV in 2022 and will use Rivian's platform.