Rivian R1T. Pickup from the future
The Rivian R1T is an all-electric all-wheel drive pickup introduced in September 2021 by Rivian (USA). The manufacturer plans on releasing the production pickup versions with two cabs in 2022.
Rivian is a new American brand founded by Robert Scaringe, Ph.D. and eco-mobility enthusiast, striving to prove to everyone that a powerful, off-road, work pickup or SUV can be an electric car that can give a head start to its athletic petrol counterparts. And, it seems, he has proven it.
The new Rivian R1T is a pickup introduced in September 2021, not a concept, but a production electric vehicle that will become available in 2022. This means that this is the first electric pickup in history, because Elon Musk has not yet managed to start the serial production of the Cybertruck. But its domination over the electric pickup market in solitude won’t be long, as the Cybertruck and GMC Hummer EV SUT are on the way, so we are waiting for fierce competitive battles.
Exterior
The 2022 Rivian R1T looks imposing and serious, but, overall, is standard for a work vehicle. But the pickup’s front face is a little funny, due to the oval vertical technological holes in the place of the radiator grille.
The 5.5-meter hydrocarbon R1T is bold enough to compete with the Ford Ranger and even the Ram 1500. According to official information, the electric pickup can tow more than 5 tons and carry about 700 kg of cargo. These are very impressive figures! Therefore, it becomes even interesting, because the battery should be discharged faster when transporting such weights. It is important how this task is solved, since if it is not solved, then it will be impossible to compete with petrol monsters in practice.
Powertrain
Four-wheel drive is standard, with an electric motor mounted to each wheel. In total, this allows your vehicle to develop 800 hp. Acceleration to 100 km/h occurs in only 3 seconds, which is phenomenal for a heavy pickup. With a motor on each wheel, the new Rivian R1T can perform such tricks as a ‘tank turn’, which makes the wheels on the left rotate in the opposite direction to the right, and the pickup can make a U-turn on the spot.
The standard battery, with which the production model will be sold, has a capacity of 135 kWh and provides a driving range of more than 480 km. Later, a version with a battery capable of driving up to 640 km or more will be offered.
Interior
The interior of the 2022 Rivian R1T is of high quality and quite classic in terms of function and entertainment management arrangement. There is a display in the dashboard and a monitor in the center of the front console. So far, there are no special details about the functions and options, but it is unlikely that there will be something missing, for sure, the pickup will be equipped with climate control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Wi-Fi and so on. The R1T has a large storage compartment under the front hood, a large storage compartment behind the cab, and a lockable compartment under the rear seat with a capacity of 0.3 meters.
Safety
The new Rivian R1T has not yet been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). However, the electric pickup is known to have a full set of airbags, advanced autonomous technologies, standard automatic emergency braking, standard lane departure warning system, and standard adaptive cruise control.
