It appears that most new car previews that we do are electric vehicles (EVs), and that’s not surprising considering half of the vehicles produced by large automotive manufacturers will be EVs by 2030. Yet another EV to enter the automotive fray is one from Rivian, specifically the R1T EV pickup truck, one of two models from the EV upstart brand.
The Rivian R1T pickup truck looks promising as a truck where it will have a generous 14.5-inch ground clearance and hit 60 mph in just 3 seconds. Powering the Rivian R1T is the duty of four electric motors, one mounted at each wheel. A total of three battery configurations will eventually be offered, a 105 kWh, 135 kWh, and a range-topping 180 kWh that’s said to give the truck over 400 miles for the largest battery. Currently, the mid-range battery is offered in three trim levels, an Explore Package, Adventure Package, and Launch Edition. The smaller battery option that yields about 250 miles will be offered later along with the range-topping 400+ mile version. Power from the four electric motors is immense at about 800 horsepower and 900 lb-ft of instant torque. The R1T should also be able to wade in just over 3 feet of water.
The tech in the new Rivian R1T truck root from a large 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a centralized 15.3-inch infotainment touchscreen for handling most of your primary vehicle features and functions including climate controls, settings, and navigation.
For the down and dirty details that buyers will want out of a pickup truck, the Rivian R1T has a few tricks first featuring an 11-cubic-foot frunk (front trunk) and a 12-cubic-foot storage tunnel behind the rear seats just before the bed of the truck. There’s also a spare tire well that doubles as a 7-cubic-foot in-bed storage area.
Towing for the Rivian R1T is rated up to 11,000 pounds with a maximum payload of 1,760 pounds, quite competitive numbers that fundamentally match that of many current pickup trucks on the market. Other tricks include an onboard air compressor, which is a standard feature that can be applied for many uses when on the go.
You’ve probably seen specialized configurations of the Rivian R1T truck where it can be outfitted with a camp kitchen that is stored behind the back seats taking up the 12-cubic-foot area in the truck body and pulls out to reveal two induction cooktop burners, a small countertop, and a collapsible sink with a spray faucet fed by a four-gallon water tank. Such configurations are only the beginning of an assortment of accessories that can be fitted to the R1T truck for camping and adventurous trips making the R1T a versatile EV truck. Possibly, such versatility translates wheel into the pricing structure of the new EV truck, which starts at $67,500 and is currently be preordered on their site at Rivian.com. Dependent on the current Rivian IPO where they are seeking an $80 billion valuation along with other factors, deliveries of the Rivian R1T are delayed and set for about September of 2022, though things could change so be sure to come back to AutomotiveAddicts.com for any updates.
Note: Rivian is also set to deliver on a counterpart to the R1T, a 3-row seat R1S SUV, in addition to an EV series of vehicles, the R1 (current), R2, and R3 platforms.
