The emerging electric truck market may as well be a circus: Models on the horizon include a Hummer resurrected from the dead, a cyberpunk-inspired armored vehicle, a six-figure Defender lookalike promising Unimog axles, and a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered pickup sporting a diminutive mammal as its badge--along with running boards that glow blue. It would be easy to overlook the two most humble members of this whimsical troupe: The Lordstown Endurance and Rivian's R1T.

Ignoring the R1T and the Endurance would be a mistake: They will be the only two performers in the first act of electric truck production. Other companies angling for an electric truck still have engineering to finalize, manufacturing to source, or safety certifications to earn. Rivian and Lordstown are the only players with a chance of fulfilling any volume of orders in 2021.

The R1T and the Endurance are unhampered by the "look-at-me" styling that defines several of their competitors. With solid front clips and distinct LED lighting, both trucks are unmistakeably electric vehicles. Otherwise, their size, layout, and aesthetics will be familiar to the many drivers who know and love modern four-door pickups. Neither the R1T nor the Endurance hangs their hat on the hypertruck features (and corresponding six-figure price tag) that weigh down some electric prototypes. Both models' power and offroad control benefit from four electric engines: more engines than the industry average.

Despite these superficial similarities, the R1T and the Endurance are more different than alike. The two pickups ship with entirely distinct features intended for separate markets; Rivian and Lordstown are companies with opposite philosophies.

The Endurance Is A Fleet Vehicle

Here Are The Differences Between The Rivian R1T And The Lordstown Endurance
Via: Detroit News

Lordstown advertises its Endurance as "a new type of pickup truck…smarter, safer, and more productive for work." With its first truck, the Ohio-based company targets operators of commercial vehicle fleets ranging from utility companies to delivery services.

Lordstown estimates that the average tradesperson who purchases and drives a $50,000 electric Endurance 100,000 miles will spend $20,000 less (in fuel and repairs) than a peer who opts for a $50,000 F-150. Lordstown adds that purchasing and driving an Endurance 50,000 miles per year for eight years would only cost a total of $68,600. Fuel and repairs for a comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) truck would drive the total cost to $117,086. None of these numbers include state and local tax credits an electric truck operator may enjoy.

The Endurance will be the first commercially available vehicle with four in-wheel hub motors. These engines eliminate the need for transmissions and driveshafts. Lordstown opted for this layout of its Endurance skateboard chassis to build a vehicle with fewer moving parts than anything else on the road. The company intends to minimize repair costs--and costly "downtime"--with the Endurance's mechanical simplicity. Lordstown even puts their money where their mouth is with an incredible 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty and 8-year battery and hub motors warranty.

This truck eliminates excess costs and complexity by doing away with luxuries such as independent rear suspension and a large, road-trip-ready battery. These necessary tradeoffs will leave the Endurance as one of the most efficient—and effective—vehicles on the road in 2021.

RELATED: Electric Truck: Lordstown Endurance Preview

The R1T Is An Adventure Enabler

Here Are The Differences Between The Rivian R1T And The Lordstown Endurance
Via: Ben Moon

Rivian advertises the R1T as an environmentally conscious expedition vehicle, a "truck built for whatever you call a road." First and foremost, the company touts the launch edition's 300-mile range. Rivian is working on an upmarket edition with a 400-mile range. Rivian has proudly tested their R1T in extreme climates ranging from 130 degrees Fahrenheit to -25 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Rivian company has engineered and tested a drivetrain that places its four electric engines, batteries, and cooling system between the truck's frame rails. This system maximizes cabin and cargo space while lowering the vehicle's center of gravity. Instead of hub motors, Rivian has opted to connect each wheel to a separate engine with a half-shaft. This layout adds moving parts but decreases the truck's unsprung weight while increasing ground clearance.

The quad-motor R1T boasts 14 inches of ground clearance and independent rear suspension. The resulting electric truck can ford three feet of water, rock crawl at a 100% grade, and tow 11,000 pounds. The R1T can complete a "tank turn," by reversing the engines on one side and spinning on a dime. Room for a full cabin of passengers and a three-second 0-60 time does not hurt the R1T's reputation either.

RELATED: This Is What Makes The Rivian R1T One Of The Best Electric Trucks Of 2021

Lordstown Is Built Upon The Bottom Line

Here Are The Differences Between The Rivian R1T And The Lordstown Endurance
Via: Getty Images

Lordstown's history is a complex story of corporate mergers and loans, along with several name changes. Long story short: The team behind Lordstown, the Workhorse Group, has over twenty years of experience manufacturing General Motors' fleet vehicles. When the investors behind Workhorse embarked on an electric fleet vehicle project, General Motors recognized a golden opportunity. GM loaned Workhorse $40 million, which included the closed GM assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. With this loan and factory, Lordstown Motors Corporation was born.

Lordstown now trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol RIDE. To increase Lordstown's value, GM forgave the startup from making any mortgage payments on the new plant, though it will repossess the plant should Lordstown fold. The current value of Lordstown is estimated at $1.6 billion. GM has a seat on the startup's Board of Directors.

Lordstown's Board of Directors has released a mission statement: "It is the duty of the Board of Directors to serve as a prudent fiduciary for shareholders and to oversee the management of the Company's business." The Lordstown directors believe the way to financial success is a fleet vehicle providing unprecedented value to any company or owner-operator. Building such a vehicle would put the people of Lordstown, Ohio back to work. Such a vehicle may also save small business owners thousands of dollars each year, improving the United States' economic landscape. Lordstown is offering the Endurance as that vehicle.

Rivian Aims For Sustainable Offroading

Here Are The Differences Between The Rivian R1T And The Lordstown Endurance
Via: Rivian

One interesting fact about the Rivian company is that it is currently the most successful electric startup in the fleet vehicle market: In a recent partnership, Amazon invested in Rivian and ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans. The Amazon deal boosted Rivian's estimated value to $30 billion. Only time will tell whether the relatively new Lordstown Corporation will dethrone Rivian as king of the electric fleet vehicle. But Rivian's current success in the fleet market comes nowhere near defining the company.

Rivian is an organization built by offroading enthusiasts upon the motto: "Keep the world adventurous forever." Rivian has announced that its mission is to stop atmosphere carbonization with innovative electric vehicles. Rivian believes that this intimidating objective is easily achievable by "harnessing the very thing every one of us is born with: an adventurous spirit." The company adds that we are each "hardwired with curiosity and a capacity to invent better ways of doing things. The part of us that seeks to explore the world is the secret to making sure it remains a world worth exploring." This startup aims to encapsulate this adventurous and innovative spirit in its first vehicle: the 2021 Rivian R1T.

Rivian is not alone in this belief: according to Rivian Forums, thirty-thousand customers have bought into the Rivian mission and preordered an R1T truck or an R1S SUV. However, that number is unconfirmed by Rivian themselves.

Adventurous environmental stewards the world over are joining Rivian as well. Early adopters include offroad expedition veteran Ewan McGregor and brand ambassadors include outdoor photographer Ben Moon and free-soloist Alex Honnold. It is this single-minded mission that creates the loyal fan base necessary for the Rivian company to challenge Tesla.

Sources: Rivian, Lordstown, Detroit News, and Outside Magazine.

NEXT: Tesla VS Rivian: Their Truck Strategy Compared