The Rivian R1T remains a slightly undervalued electric pickup, with the Tesla Cybertruck and the Ford Lightning F-150 pickup stealing all the thunder. But it has a powerful bite and plenty of features that can take it to the finish line, ahead of its rivals.
Even the award-winning Pininfarina Battista rides on the Rivian R1T’s rather unique platform, so if it can let a supercar fly, imagine the prowess the truck may bring to the electric pickup market.
It’s also an all-American pickup, the kind that could be an asset for you in the coming years as more and more companies and people switch to clean power. Electric pickups are here to stay, and the Rivian R1T is built for longevity. It's no Cybertruck or Ford F-150 Lightning but that’s a good thing where the Rivian R1T is concerned. So here’s a look at 10 of the coolest features of this electric pickup.
10 Rivian R1T Beats Tesla, Ford, And GMC To The Market
There has been a revolution in the all-electric pickup truck bazaar in the past couple of years and Rivian claims that the R1T is the frontrunner of this change. According to Rivian, R1T has already reached customer hands while other contenders like GMC’s Hummer EV, Ford’s F-150 Lightning, and Tesla’s Cybertruck haven’t done it yet.
Apart from Rivian employees who have been testing the pickup truck, some actual buyers who had booked earlier have received the Rivian R1T electric pickup and others will get theirs shortly. That’s quite a feat in itself.
9 The Rivian R1T Electric Pickup Rides On An In-House Platform
Rivian, as a company, was set up in 2009 and originally had planned to launch a sports coupe. But the plan went on the back burner. Since then, the company spent almost ten years developing its new product, the R1T.
The result is an in-house "skateboard" platform that houses the suspension, a battery pack, and four electric motors. In a ground-breaking move, the R1T’s battery pack is fixed to its floor pan that is placed beneath the front and rear seats. The goal was to attain a low center of gravity and maximize the utility of the electric pickup.
8 The Rivian R1T Will Have Four Electric Motors
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The R1T’s got a quad-motor drive, as in one electric motor for each wheel. It offers superior driving dynamics as all four electric motors deliver instant power. Each motor independently controls torque at each wheel for the right traction control.
Features and power like this give a driver maximum confidence while driving in any kind of situation. It doesn’t matter if you are on a slippery road, the snow, or off-roading somewhere; all four wheels will independently work to provide immaculate traction for the moment.
7 It Boasts A Novel Independent Air Suspension
The Rivian R1T electric pickup's skateboard chassis is armed with an independent air suspension, similar to the McLaren 720S. It’s a standard feature in R1T that allows you to raise or lower the truck at the press of a button. It allows vertical travel of 6.5 inches ranging from 7.9 inches to 14.4 inches so that you have an appropriate clearance height for your truck, depending on terrain.
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This automatic ride-height leveling feature is ideal for optimum comfort, stability, and handling at varying driving situations, especially when the truck is doing its duties carrying or towing bulky payload. The active damping system makes adjustments every 5 milliseconds so the Rivian R1T electric pickup can do no wrong.
6 Quick Off The Line
The R1T has more than 800 horses and 900 lb-ft of torque at its disposal. This power can propel the Rivian R1T electric pickup to 60 MPH from a standstill in about 3 seconds on a mid-range 135-kWh battery pack. A performance like this puts this light-duty, all-electric pickup truck in the supercar territory.
If you go with the smallest 105-kWh battery pack, 0-60 MPH is still a fast enough 4.9 seconds while the largest 180-kWh battery pack does it in 3.2 seconds. The slight lag in the highest-power battery pack comes because of its weight.
5 The Rivian R1T Has A Promising Range
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The 135-kWh-equipped Rivian R1T electric pickup has an EPA-rated range of 314 miles. However, in its highest capacity, the “Max Pack” R1T can cover around 400 miles on a single charge with its 180-kWh battery pack. This will cost $10,000 more than the base R1T and buyers will have to wait till early 2022 for their truck’s deliveries.
The smallest 105-kWh battery unit will do 230 miles and is expected to follow later. This may not be Cybertruck territory but it surpasses Ford F-250 Lightning. Probably why Ford invested in Rivian.
4 The Rivian R1T Can Be An Off-Road Monster
This truck can do tank turns. Its four independent electric motors can turn the left wheels in the opposite direction of the right ones so that the truck can spin on its axis to perform this trick. While this may seem like a parlor trick, it translates to the Rivian R1T electric pickup having immense off-road prowess.
With an approach angle of 34 degrees, a departure angle of 29.3 degrees, and a break-over of 25.7 degrees; this truck is a massive deal for off-roading enthusiasts. The departure angle could be its weakness but the fact that it can wade in up to 39 inches of water is a big plus.
3 Plus, It Comes With Impressive Tow Ratings
The Rivian R1T electric pickup is no weakling when it comes to doing some heavy work, having an 11,000-lb towing capacity. This puts it in the range of a full-sized pickup truck, and it can haul 1,760lb in the bed as well, with room in the gear front, given the lack of a conventional engine.
That said, Rivian’s marketing puts it across as more of an adventure truck and less of a work pickup. But as is with any all-electric vehicle, especially an electric pickup, the more you pile on, the lesser the range.
2 Modern Chic And Some Unexpected Touches
The Rivian R1T electric pickup has a well-appointed cabin with a panoramic sunroof. The driver cluster is a 12-inch screen while the infotainment is 15-inches. The dash is minimal and clean but not Tesla-like, and the insides are comfortable and make you feel at home. In a modern, minimalistic way. It can do all that and with some extra touches.
A detachable speaker, a camp kitchen (extra payable option), and an extended tailgate enough to house a motorcycle are attractive touches to the Rivian R1T, and we admit, it's growing on us.
1 The Rivian R1T Electric Pickup Is A Lifestyle Adventure Truck
The Rivian R1T Explore starts at $67,500 and the Adventure edition starts at $73,000. Adding bigger battery packs adds to the cost, as does a full-size spare. The Camp Kitchen comes with the Gear Tunnel Shuttle and the Snow Peak kitchen set, for $5,000.
If you can stretch your paying ability, there’s a lot that you can do with the Rivian R1T, and it's all fun and outdoorsy. A lot is going for this electric pickup and the more you look at it, the more you want it.