Gas vs Electric · Head-to-head running cost
Rivian R1T vs Ford F-150: what it really costs to run
Here's how the Rivian R1T and the Ford F-150 stack up on running cost, with the calculator below already set to both trucks so you can plug in your own home charging and gas prices.
When you come out ahead
Showing cumulative fuel savings. Add the two cars' prices in the controls to plot your exact break-even point.
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On paper this is a lopsided per-mile fight. The R1T's roughly 2 mi/kWh on cheap home electricity works out to a much lower cost per mile than the F-150 burning regular gas at about 20 mpg. Add the EV's maintenance edge and, mile for mile, the Rivian pulls clearly ahead when it's charging in your garage overnight. The catch is that 2 mi/kWh is already thirsty for an EV, so how you drive this truck matters more here than in most matchups.
Then there's the sticker: from about $70,000, the R1T opens a wide price gap over an F-150 that starts near $40,000, and those cheaper miles have to chew through that gap before you break even. With the federal EV tax credit gone as of September 30, 2025, only state or utility incentives might soften it, and those vary by where you live. The honest caveat here: fit off-road tires, hitch a trailer, or lean on public DC fast-charging and the R1T's efficiency and cost edge shrink fast.
What to keep in mind
- Big tires, off-road driving, and towing all drag the R1T below its ~2 mi/kWh, which is exactly when a work-ready F-150 closes the running-cost gap.
- The R1T's advantage lives or dies on home charging; leaning on public fast-chargers out in truck country can erase most of it.
- The roughly $70k-vs-$40k sticker gap is the real hurdle, so the more miles you drive, the more the R1T's cheaper miles get a chance to pay it back.
Rivian R1T vs Ford F-150: common questions
Does towing wipe out the Rivian R1T's savings over an F-150?
It doesn't wipe them out, but it shrinks them. Towing can pull the R1T well below its ~2 mi/kWh rating, raising its cost per mile, while the F-150's ~20 mpg also drops under load. Set your real efficiency in the calculator to see how close they get.
Is the R1T still cheaper to run if I use public fast-charging?
Usually much less so. Public DC fast-charging (roughly $0.48/kWh on average) costs far more than home charging (about $0.17/kWh), and at only ~2 mi/kWh the R1T uses a lot of kWh per mile. Lean on it and much of the edge over the F-150 disappears.