TSLA vs RIVN: Tesla vs Rivian — Which EV Stock Is the Better Buy?: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Tesla is a profitable, global-scale EV and energy business with autonomous driving and robotics optionality, while Rivian is an early-stage EV manufacturer still working toward profitability with a focused product lineup and key partnerships. The comparison often comes down to growth stage preference: established platform vs. high-risk, high-reward turnaround.
Use this TSLA vs RIVN comparison to weigh an established but high-multiple EV leader against a pre-profitability EV challenger. Tesla is valued partly on autonomous and energy upside; Rivian is a bet on unit economics improvement and the VW and Amazon relationships.
TSLA holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. RIVN has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+29.64% vs +12.11%), though TSLA has the better forward P/E setup (149.11x vs -9.50x for RIVN). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for TSLA (+11.65%) than for RIVN (+5.68%).
- →Want the largest and most profitable EV platform with autonomous driving optionality
- →Believe FSD and Robotaxi represent a transformative long-term revenue opportunity
- →Are comfortable with a high multiple that prices in execution of future products
- →Want energy storage exposure alongside vehicles as a diversified clean energy play
- →Are willing to take early-stage EV risk in exchange for higher potential upside
- →Believe Rivian's R2 cost reduction and VW partnership will drive unit economics improvement
- →Value the Amazon EDV anchor relationship as a commercial volume floor
- →Have a longer time horizon and can tolerate continued near-term cash burn
| Metric | TSLA | RIVN |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 69.6 | 23.9 |
| AI rank | #37 | #3349 |
| Latest close | $369.57 | $17.76 |
| 1M return | -7.72% | +7.51% |
| 6M return | -15.53% | +6.54% |
| 1Y return | +12.11% | +29.64% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | TSLA | RIVN |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.25K (+12.5%) started 2025-07-21 | $12.96K (+29.6%) started 2025-07-21 |
| 5Y ago | $16.92K (+69.2%) started 2021-07-21 | $1.76K (-82.4%) started 2021-11-10 |
| 10Y ago | $251.41K (+2414.1%) started 2016-07-21 | $1.76K (-82.4%) started 2021-11-10 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | TSLA | RIVN |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $1.43T | $25.71B |
| Trailing P/E | 346.22 | N/A |
| Forward P/E | 149.11 | -9.50 |
| Price/Sales | N/A | 4.65 |
| EV/Revenue | 14.32 | 4.01 |
| Analyst target | $425.22 | $18.77 |
| Target upside | +11.65% | +5.68% |
| Metric | TSLA | RIVN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 15.80% | 11.40% |
| Earnings growth | 8.30% | N/A |
| EPS growth | +8.30% | N/A |
| FCF margin | +5.37% | -23.57% |
| Operating margin | 4.20% | N/A |
| Profit margin | 3.95% | -63.62% |
| ROIC proxy | 4.90% | -65.69% |
| Return on equity | 4.90% | -65.69% |
| Dividend yield | N/A | 0.00% |
| Beta | 1.80 | 1.60 |
| Debt/equity | 18.74 | 118.15 |
| Current ratio | 2.04 | 2.10 |
| Quick ratio | 1.43 | 1.54 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | TSLA | RIVN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +12.51% | +29.64% |
| CAGR | +12.56% | +29.66% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.39 | 0.65 | |
| Max drawdown | 29.93% | 42.54% | |
| Max daily drop | 8.20% | 18.12% | |
| Max wkly drop | 10.28% | 19.21% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +69.19% | -82.37% |
| CAGR | +11.10% | -30.92% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.40 | -0.15 | |
| Max drawdown | 73.63% | 95.12% | |
| Max daily drop | 15.43% | 25.60% | |
| Max wkly drop | 27.20% | 39.27% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +2414.08% | -82.37% |
| CAGR | +38.06% | -30.92% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.77 | -0.15 | |
| Max drawdown | 73.63% | 95.12% | |
| Max daily drop | 21.06% | 25.60% | |
| Max wkly drop | 43.05% | 39.27% |
| Category | TSLA | RIVN |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Tesla, Inc. | Rivian Automotive, Inc. |
| Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | EV design and manufacturing, energy storage, solar, autonomous driving software (FSD), and the Supercharger network. Expanding into robotics (Optimus) and Robotaxi. | EV manufacturer focused on adventure trucks (R1T), SUVs (R1S), and commercial delivery vans (EDV) for Amazon. Joint development agreement with Volkswagen Group. |
| Investor focus | FSD progress and Robotaxi commercialisation, energy storage growth, Optimus robotics optionality, gross margin recovery, and volume growth in China and Europe. | Path to gross profit and cash flow breakeven, R2 platform launch timing, Amazon EDV delivery ramp, and VW partnership technology access. |
- →Largest EV maker globally with the most mature manufacturing scale and lowest cost structure
- →Supercharger network becoming the North American standard, generating recurring revenue
- →FSD and Robotaxi represent a high-upside autonomous platform business beyond the car
- →Loyal enthusiast brand with strong demand for R1 platform vehicles among outdoor and adventure buyers
- →Amazon EDV partnership provides a large committed commercial order with a high-quality anchor customer
- →VW joint development agreement provides capital, technology access, and potential cost improvements
- →Price cuts compressing automotive gross margins
- →Increasing EV competition in China from BYD and local manufacturers
- →Elon Musk brand and execution risk across multiple ventures
- →Sustained cash burn with no near-term path to profitability
- →High manufacturing costs relative to selling price
- →Execution risk on R2 platform launch and cost reduction targets
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