To date, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have been what one might call “the best of frenemies,” two heads of rival companies vying for share in the EV market. This is because while the two have been quick to throw jabs at each other’s products and strategies in some cases, Farley and Musk have also been keen to praise each other on multiple occasions as well. Regardless, the recent launch of the Tesla Cybertruck adds another competitor for the Ford F-150 Lightning in the EV pickup space, and now, The Blue Oval has reportedly spent a pretty penny to acquire one to benchmark.
Ford just paid $250k for a Cybertruck in the aftermarket and is testing it at its proving grounds near Detroit. pic.twitter.com/sWcX8JQ209
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) March 1, 2024
This news comes to us from Tesla investor and all-around fan Sawyer Merritt, who recently posted a photo of a Tesla Cybertruck on X stating that “Ford just paid $250k for a Cybertruck in the aftermarket and is testing it at its proving grounds near Detroit.” Indeed, that certainly looks to be the case, as this Cybertruck is surrounded by a number of Ford Mustang Mach-E models – some of which are covered in various stages of camo, including an example that’s riding pretty high and stuffed with large wheels and tires underneath, resembling a prototype that Ford Authority spotted testing nearly three years ago.
It’s obviously unclear if Ford really did pay $250,000 for this Tesla Cybertruck, but it wouldn’t be surprising given the fact that a small handful of examples have been trading hands recently for anywhere between $240k and $290k, which is far higher than even the base price of the range-topping Cyberbeast, which starts out at just under $100k. Regardless, it isn’t surprising that Ford would want to benchmark the new EV pickup, given the fact that is has already done so with every other model in Tesla’s lineup – including the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X.
We’ll have more on the F-150 Lightning and Cybertruck’s rivalry soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford F-150 news, F-150 Lightning news, and non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
Don’t believe it. F150 EV was out 2yrs before Teslas ugly EV truck. Word was Tesla bought 1-2 F150 EVs an put Tesla badges on it when testing etc. Was publicized.
F-150 EV’s are a joke! Range sucks, 42k lost on everyone built, terrible in winter and good luck replacing the 25k battery. This truck is junk!
Amen brother, Amen!