Rivian, an American electric vehicle startup that was founded in 2009 debuted with its all-new pickup truck at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. They paraded an all-electric performance machine with redefined expectations that are built from scratch at the former Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois. It can accelerate like a sports car, carry its weight quickly and can splash through mud and water with ultimate performance.
Rivian played it entirely differently. They focused on making it an adventure vehicle instead of the usual focus on things like bed strength and payload of American trucks. It’s hard not to love the four motor monster known as R1T electric adventure vehicle. Its size is 216 inches (5475 mm), and its engine produces 753-HP. There is no doubt that R1T will prove popular among all types of truck buyers due to its five-seat cab, bumper to bumper cargo storage, and several drive system options. It comes with an adaptive suspension and a sprint time of 3 seconds for 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h).
Before it is popular, buyers have to embrace the idea of an all-electric truck completely. Rivian offers an unparalleled solution by embedding the truck with some serious battery power. Its top-tier battery pack of 180 kWh gives it a range of more than 400 miles (>644 kilometers). It also comes with the amenity of fast-charging. For only 30 minutes of plug-in time, it promises the range of around 200 miles (320 Kilometers). So you don’t have to worry about a dead battery for your daily commute and of course, to a remote campsite.
The other two versions of its battery are 105 kWh and 135 kWh. The 105-kWh can give a range of 230 miles (370 kilometers), and the 135 kWh can provide a range of 300 miles (483 kilometers). It will come with a skateboard chassis with the battery mounted at the center. The skateboard design secures thermal management hardware, four motors, brakes, and suspension components. Thus, making space for the passengers and cargo above the wheels.
The quad-motor creates an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with absolute torque control as it approximately produces 197 hp to its dedicated wheel. In less than 7 seconds it crosses the mark of 100 mph. The equal distribution of torque on the four motors also helps in rock crawling. Loads up to 11,000 lbs (5000 kgs) can be easily towed.
The R1T is built specifically for all sorts of on/off-road fun. It can go deep in water up to 1 meter (3.3 feet). It provides complete height control with its air suspension system. When off-roading, it gives a ground clearance of 360mm (14 inches). On highways, it can be dropped down to 240mm (9.4 inches) by optimizing its aerodynamics, and upon your arrival, it can be lowered down to 200 mm (8 inches) to jump out of it easily. Its suspension system includes dynamic roll control and adaptive damping.
The interior of R1T is a combination of premium woods and synthetic materials giving it a luxury touch with outdoor-inspired materials. Its dashboard is packed with a touchscreen of 15.6 inches in the middle, another 12.3 inches of the screen behind the steering wheel that replaces physical dials, and the third touchscreen of 6.8 inches at the back of the center console. It will come with level-3 capable hardware that includes a camera, radar, ultrasonic, lidar, high precision GPS and high definition mapping. The R1T weighs 7,650 lbs (3,470 kgs).
Rivian’s R1T is undoubtedly the leader in lockable storage space. It swallows cargo of up to 330 liters in its frunk, 350 liters of gear in front of the rear wheels that can hold items like snowboards, skis and golf bags, and there is even storage space of 95 liters below the rear seats. An underfloor compartment of 200 liters holds a spare tire or other cargo. The payload of R1T is 1,764 lbs (800 kgs).
The production for the R1T will start in late 2020, and the prices will start at $69,000 but only with a deposit of $1,000 reservations can be made. The first variants of R1Ts will be powered by fully quipped 180 kWh battery pack and will cost a bit more.
All Images: © Rivian
h/t: Design Boom