Cybertruck vs F-150: Specs, Sales, Prices and What Tesla's Elon Musk and Ford Have Said About One Another

When Elon Musk took the stage to unveil the new Cybertruck pickup on November 21, he made sure that Tesla came out swinging—at one point literally.

Following a demonstration with a sledgehammer designed to show off the Cybertruck's ability to withstand massive blasts of force without leaving a mark, Musk goaded veteran truck-makers like Ford, at one point stating that "you want a truck that's really tough, not fake tough."

On Sunday, Musk made another pointed comparison to the much-beloved F-150, posting a video to Twitter of a Ford model in a "tug of war" with the Cybertruck.

The footage, which appeared to show the new Tesla pickup truck pulling an F-150 uphill with ease, has been viewed more than 12.5 million times.

The social media video generated so much debate about the legitimacy of the test that Musk agreed to conduct a round-two, possibly by next week.

In response to the video, Sundeep Madra, vice president of an experimental division called Ford X, wrote to Musk: "Send us a Cybertruck and we will do the apples to apples test for you." Not one to back down from a challenge, the Tesla boss posted a three word rebuke: "Bring it on."

But how do the Cybertruck and F-150 actually compare? Here's a basic run-down.

Price: The Tesla Cybertruck is priced at between $39,000 and $69,900, while the 2020 F-150 is priced at between $28,495 and $67,485, with various different trims between those ranges.

Materials: The Cybertruck is made with a stainless steel exoskeleton and glass that may or may not be able to withstand collisions. Fords are made of aluminum-alloy and standard glass.

Availability: The full range of Ford F-150s are for sale now, while the Tesla Cybertruck is listed for pre-order online for a fully refundable $100 and is expected to go into production in late 2021.

Speed: The Cybertruck will accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in under 6.5 seconds, while the top-of-the-line F-150 Limited manages 0-60 m.p.h. in 5.1 seconds. There will be a much better direct power comparison when Ford unveils its electric F-150 in the coming years. The tri-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) Cybertruck blasts from 0-60 in under 2.9 seconds, Tesla says.

Storage: The Cybertruck has 100 cubic feet of exterior storage, while the 2020 F-150 has up to 77.4 square feet. Inside, both pickup trucks can seat up to six people.

Towing capacity: Tesla says the Cybertruck has a towing capability of between 7,500 and 14,000 pounds, while the Ford F-150 models boast towing ranges of up to 13,200 pounds.

Sales: Musk has said on Twitter that there have been about 200,000 orders for the Cybertruck. Ford said it sold more than 900,000 units of its F-series across the U.S. last year.

More Cybertruck specs can be seen here and the full F-150 specs here.

There are myriad differences between the two vehicles, not even mentioning that one is electric. It may not be a totally fair comparison, but it's one that Musk himself has brought to the fore. It's clear the aesthetic choices of the sharp-edged Cybertruck are enough to set it apart.

Tesla is also known for its implementation of technology. The Cybertruck will have self-driving options, for a price, and a large dashboard screen. It boasts up to 500 miles of range.

As Musk said on stage: "Doesn't look like anything else." On Twitter, the billionaire inventor said the rematch with the F-150 may be streamed online for the world to see as early as next week, while casually discussing the merits of weight and torque with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

For its part, Ford is standing by its tried-and-tested F-150s.

A spokesperson told Business Insider: "With America's best-selling truck for 42 years, we've always focused on serving our truck customers regardless of what others say or do. We look forward to our all-new F-150 hybrid coming next year and all-electric F-150 in a few years."

In a later statement (via TechCrunch) Ford distanced itself from a rematch, saying: "Sunny's tweet was tongue in cheek to point out the absurdity of Tesla's video, nothing more."

This article has been updated with additional specification details and a Ford statement.