2025 GMC Sierra EV vs the Competition

Like the Sierra, the Tesla Cybertruck is new, but its polarizing looks and expensive launch models have struggled to find mass appeal. The Cybertruck is for buyers who are drawn to the apex of the segment, where design and capability are more prized than frugality.

• The 2025 GMC Sierra EV offers considerably more standard power and torque than the 2025 Tesla Cybertruck, with 645 horsepower and 765 pound-feet on offer. The Cybertruck comes standard with just 593 hp and 525 lb-ft.
• Cabin space heavily favors the Sierra, which offers more head room, leg room, hip room and shoulder room in both the front and rear rows.
• The Sierra EV offers a smaller turning circle (42.4 feet vs. 43.5 feet), making it easier to maneuver and park in tight spaces.
• The Sierra EV comes standard with Google Built-In infotainment with Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
• The Sierra EV comes standard with Bose premium audio; no such option exists on Cybertruck.
• The Sierra EV’s conventional bed style more readily accommodates large, boxy items and makes it easier to access them from the ground without reaching.
• The Sierra can be optioned with a panoramic sunroof and sliding sunshade; the Tesla offers only a fixed glass roof.
• The Sierra EV can be used to power your home or send power back to the grid; the Tesla is not yet capable of bidirectional charging.

The Ford F-150 Lightning is perhaps the most conventional competitor to the Sierra EV. On the surface, the F-150 Lightning looks suspiciously like a standard F-150. That’s no bad thing. After all, the F-Series is the best-selling pickup nameplate in the world, and the Lightning offers many of the same advantages that make its gasoline- and hybrid-powered cousins such strong competitors, including segment-leading capability.

• The most powerful Sierra EV produces 760 horsepower, compared to the Lightning’s 580. It also offers more torque (785 lb-ft vs. 775 lb-ft).
• The standard Sierra EV offers more towing capacity than the standard F-150 Lightning, with a max of 10,500 pounds (vs. 10,000).
• The Sierra EV offers a much smaller turning circle (42.4 feet vs. 47.8 feet), making it easier to maneuver and park in tight spaces.
• The 2025 Sierra EV offers more first- and second-row legroom than the F-150 Lightning.
• The standard bed length on the 2025 Sierra EV is nearly four inches longer than the Lightning’s.
• The Sierra EV comes standard with Bose premium sound, which can be upgraded with in-bed audio for the ultimate tailgating experience.
• The Sierra EV has an optional rubber cargo mat, not available on the Ford Lightning.
• All Sierra EVs come standard with a heated steering wheel, which is only available on certain trim levels in the Lightning.
• Both the 2025 Sierra EV and Ford F-150 Lightning are capable of bidirectional home charging, allowing you to power your home during an emergency or send energy back to the grid.

While the Rivian R1T was considered the wild child of the segment when it debuted in 2021, it’s now part of the “old guard” of electric pickups. The R1T was just updated in 2025 to help it keep up with its competitors.

• The 2025 Sierra EV (645 horsepower) offers more standard power than the Rivian R1T (533 hp) and more torque (765 lb-ft vs. 610 lb-ft).
• Cabin space heavily favors the Sierra, which offers more leg room, hip room, and shoulder room in both the front and rear rows. Only second-row headroom favors the Rivian 39.7 inches vs. 38.7”)
• The Sierra EV offers a smaller turning circle (42.4 feet vs. 44.9 feet), making it easier to maneuver and park in tight spaces.
• The Sierra EV comes standard with Bose premium sound that can be upgraded with in-bed audio for the ultimate tailgating experience; the Rivian offers a Dolby audio upgrade but no in-bed speaker option.
• The Sierra EV is equipped with larger front and rear brakes, offering greater confidence when hauling or towing.
• The Sierra offers a 240-volt cargo-area plug; the Rivian only offers up to 115V.
• The Sierra EV can be used to power your home or send power back to the grid; the Rivian is not yet capable of bidirectional charging.