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Rivian R1T Vs. Ford Lightning Towing Video Shows How The American EVs Compare
The two US-made electric trucks’ towing features are analyzed and compared in similar conditions.
Iulian Dnistran 
By: Iulian Dnistran
Jan 16, 2023 at 7:11am ET
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Towing is a big deal for a lot of pickup truck drivers in the United States and manufacturers know this, so they equip their vehicles with all sorts of features – some more useful than others.
In the video embedded above, the presenter tries to dissect every single haul-related feature of the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T electric trucks, in a bid to find out which is better as a daily towing vehicle.
Right off the bat, a cool thing the Ford F-150 Lightning can do is guess the size of the trailer, and if it can't figure it out, the driver can dial in all the numbers on the infotainment screen, so the vehicle knows how to better manage the braking and safety assistance systems.
Gallery: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning: First Drive
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Another plus for Ford’s EV truck is the much higher availability of aftermarket parts made specifically for towing, simply because what fits on an internal combustion-engined F-150 will fit on the Lightning as well.
Both vehicles have 360-degree camera views, but as the reviewer notes, Ford’s setup is a bit better for hauling because the trailer-oriented camera shows the hitch from a top-down perspective, while in the Rivian the camera is mounted much lower to the ground, and at an angle, which makes connecting a trailer using only the camera feed will be a bit more tedious.
The Ford F-150 has some nice extra features like a camera that points toward the bed and the ability to use adaptive cruise control while towing, both of which are absent on the Rivian R1T. There’s also no trailer-aware blind-spot detection on the Rivian truck.
Gallery: 2022 Rivian R1T: First Drive Review
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The R1T does have the upper hand when it comes to towing capacity however, with a total of 11,000 pounds, while the F-150 Lightning can tow up to 10,000 pounds. It also one-ups the Lightning by being more comfortable thanks to its adaptive air suspension system.
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Rivian’s truck offers a smaller turning radius, which makes tight turns with a trailer much easier than when you’re towing with Ford’s EV truck.
To summarize, the video embedded at the top of this video isn’t specifically about the drop in range when towing, but more about what it’s like to live with one of these electric trucks if you tow regularly. So go check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Read more news about electric pickup trucks
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Watch The Chevy Silverado EV Tow A Trailer During Validation Testing
Source: EV Buyers Guide / YouTube
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