Apples-to-apples is the key phrase in this debate. Investors and onlookers don’t know which Cybertruck configuration was used or which F-150 was battling Cybertruck in the Tesla’s video. Configuration and conditions matter a lot. Here’s what investors need to know to evaluate who might win the truck wars.

Configuration

Tesla is offering the Cybertruck in three configurations: a one motor rear wheel drive option, a two motor all wheel drive option and a three motor all wheel drive option. A three motor all wheel drive Cybertruck is a $70,000 vehicle with about 1,000 foot-pounds of torque.

(A foot-pound is a common unit of torque—or twisting force—that correlates to how much and how easily a vehicle can pull something.)

A base model F-150 isn’t comparable to the three motor Cybertruck. A $70,000 Ford truck is more like a F-450 super duty pickup. A truck like that can also generate about more than 1,000 foot-pounds of torque—similar to the top-level configuration of Cybertruck.

Tires

A Ford F-450 also has more tires—six of them, with four in the back. That matters. A lot. Torque, for instance, is no good on ice. Surface contact with the road is critical. That raises another point. Onlookers don’t know what kind of tires were on both vehicles in the Telsa-filmed tug of war. Both Ford and Tesla didn’t respond to request for comments about the tug of war or truck configurations used in the original video.

Curb Weight

Weight obviously matters when towing. What’s less obvious is Tesla sedans tend to be heavier than comparable cars because of the battery pack. The weigh and distribution of the battery weight is one reason Tesla model cars handle so beautifully. Complete specifications aren’t available for Cybertruck, but a Tesla Model X sport-utility vehicle is about 1,000 pounds heavier than a base model Ford F-150.

Driving

Most people tend to believe they are above average drivers, which, by definition, can’t be true. There is a lot of skill in maximizing car performance. Just ask a race car driver. Original tug-or-war onlookers don’t know how both trucks were operated. Electric motors have peak torque at zero rpm. Traditional internal combustion engines don’t. How the F-150 engine is revved matters to pulling results.

“Tesla should have the advantage at zero rpm,” a retired automotive engineer tells Barron’s. “Ford will have to rev the engine and pop the clutch like we did in the old days.”

Functionality

No one is going to buy a truck to pull a friend’s car backward. And no one has yet answered Barron’s question about boats. Tesla’s base warranty doesn’t cover deep water, presumably because of the battery packs. Many people with boats know launching the craft requires backing into the river, lake or ocean. Tesla hasn’t responded to multiple request for comment about warranties.

Of course, it is impossible to design a perfect comparison. The Cybertruck, for instance, seats six in its base configuration. There is more room in electric vehicles because there is no internal combustion engine taking up space. The batteries in an EV are typically in the floor. That’s one positive for EVs that consumer may not typically consider.

And aside from being wildly entertaining, the tow off is important for Tesla, Ford and General Motors (GM). The two truck encumbents will be highly motivated to demonstrate their vehicles are as good or better than Cybertruck. Both will want to relegate the futuristic pickup to niche status.

Early results show Cybertruck might have wider appeal than many predicted. Telsa achieved a win collecting more than 200,000 orders for its latest model. But with a reservation price of only $100, which is fully refundable, it isn’t clear what reservation-to-delivery conversion the EV pioneer with realized. What’s more, the top configuration—with three electric motors—won’t be available until 2022, according to Tesla’s website. Both Ford and GM should have all electric trucks by then.

Since the launch event Tesla shares are down about 5.2%. Design disappointment might be responsible, but the stock is still up about 56% over the past three months. Ford shares have risen 3.3% since the Cybertruck launch event. The S&P 500, for comparison, is up 1% since the Tesla reveal gala.

Write to Al Root at allen.root@dowjones.com