Lucas Bell 
To say that we are living in an age of incredible automotive performance is a major understatement. Never before has there been so many powerful vehicles on sale, nor has that horsepower been distributed across so many different segments. There is perhaps no vehicle more emblematic of this trend than the mighty Ram 1500 TRX. With 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque on tap from its 6.2L supercharged V8 engine, the Ram TRX has the power to embarrass most of the poster cars from decades past. Thanks to that Hellcat V8, the truck is not only the most powerful pickup on sale, it is also the quickest accelerating and fastest of its breed. Thanks to some new drone footage taken above Tesla Motors’ Fremont facility, we can now add another title to the truck’s resume: Tesla Cybertruck benchmark competitor.
The Spy Video Tells All
The drone footage in question was captured and uploaded by YouTuber Gabeincal, and features a flyover of the EV automaker’s production facility and test track. The most interesting bit of the clip comes when the drone flies over that aforementioned test track, where a Ram 1500 TRX can clearly be spotted alongside a Model S and some Model 3s. Not only is the truck present at the EV facility, but it appears to be sporting some testing equipment. This clearly highlights that Elon has chosen the Ram 1500 TRX as the truck he would like his Tesla Cybertruck to stack up against. Considering how well received the off-roading Ram has been, this isn’t too much of a surprise.
The Tesla Cybertruck has been somewhat of a vaporware product as of late, with little in the way of tangible updates since the truck made its debut. That said, Elon is adamant that the production variant of the wannabe battle tank will start being built in late 2021. Of course pre-production builds will need to take place first, but that’s the sort of detail that the California automaker doesn’t tend to bother with. The EV brand knows that they will face stiff competition from the likes of the GMC Hummer EV, electric Ford F-150, and Silverado EV models in the coming years. But Tesla can’t yet benchmark against any of those products. It makes a lot of sense then to instead try and stack up against the most extreme truck on the market right now.
Tough Rival For Tesla Cybertruck
The Ram 1500 TRX may just be the farthest thing from the Tesla Cybertruck on sale however. With a fuel economy average of just 12 mpg, the TRX isn’t necessarily what you’d call environmentally friendly. Regardless of its thirsty nature, the truck has managed to strike a chord with truck buyers, which is something Elon hopes the Cybertruck will do as well. We won’t be surprised to see the EV try and match the on-road performance of the Ram, though it may struggle to match the TRX’s off-road prowess. Either way, Stellantis should take some pride in knowing that the California automaker thinks so highly of their latest super truck. We don’t think they’ll have to worry about losing customers to Tesla Motors, however.
