The all-electric Rivian R1T is like no other truck out there. And while most buyers will likely spend the majority of their time on paved roads, Rivian makes no bones about the fact that the R1T is a serious off-road machine. So what better way to test that claim than to take it on an eight-day, absolutely grueling off-road excursion through some of America's toughest terrain?

Here goes nothing.
With a 135.8-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 217.1 inches, the R1T has a larger footprint than a midsize Ford Ranger but is still a fair bit smaller than a full-size Ford F-150. Think of it as an upper-midsize truck, kind of like a Jeep Gladiator.

When the R1T enters production in June 2021, Rivian will have three battery sizes. The largest 180-kilowatt-hour battery will provide a range of around 400 miles while the smaller 135-kWh battery should be good for about 300. There will be an even smaller base option, which I'm told will offer around 240 miles.

The battery sends juice to four electric motors, arranged in side-by-side pairs at each axle. These motors individually power the four wheels and can bust out as much as 754 horsepower and 826 pound-feet of torque. Yes, the Rivian R1T can also do tank turns, but my preproduction test truck doesn't have that software turned on just yet.
This truck is already pretty portly at 5,886 pounds. But I'm on a week-long off-road excursion with two spare wheels/tires, a floor jack, tool box, some spare parts, 5 liters of water, Maxtrax recovery boards, some Bubba Rope and enough camping gear for two people. All told, my Rivian is laden with an extra 600-ish pounds.

I've never driven an off-road vehicle with regenerative braking and it's really tough to get used to. My pre-production truck has enough regen programmed in that I can do one-pedal driving most of the time, and over the course of a week, I can count on one hand the number of times I actually dig into the mechanical brakes. Like other EVs with strong regen, lifting off the throttle will slow the Rivian to a complete stop, and this really helps to quickly scrub off speed when approaching whoops or rocks out on the trails.

My truck has the 135-kWh battery, but that 300-mile range isn't even a question out here in the desert. First, this truck isn't just pre-production, it's extremely pre-production, and Rivian says the battery isn't running at its complete capacity like it will be in customer vehicles. Also, keep in mind that off-roading is inherently awful for range. On smooth pavement without extra weight, the 300-mile range shouldn't be a problem. But in these very specific conditions with a not-quite-done truck, I'm averaging roughly 167 miles per charge
But man, never in my life have I been so concerned about conservation. I sacrifice a bit of ride quality and comfort for the sake of overall range, keeping the 34-inch Pirelli Scorpion tires at 38 psi for less rolling resistance in the hard-packed dirt, even though lower pressure would be easier on my spine. I also choose to leave the climate control turned off, simply to keep all of the available electrons focused on pushing me forward. I even put up with this during some days where the temperature crests 100 degrees Fahrenheit. By the end of the trip, let's just say I'm not the freshest of flowers.Fortunately, there are times when I can use gravity to my advantage. On a number of downhill sections, I put the truck in Neutral and allow it to coast -- free range, baby. Once the truck gets up to higher speeds I can drop it into Drive and tap the brakes to put some regenerative energy back into the battery. On one instance, I'm able to feed 19 miles worth of range back into the 135-kWh battery. On another stint, I recapture 10 miles. Going over the 17-mile-long Monitor Pass in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains only ends up costing me 8.6 miles of actual range. Sweet.

The R1T has five different ride heights with a maximum of 14.5 inches of ground clearance. That means it has an approach angle of 34.8 degrees, a departure angle of 29.3 degrees and a breakover angle of 25.7 degrees. That's better off-road geometry than a Ford F-150 Raptor or even the new Ram 1500 TRX. Heck, the breakover and departure angles are even better than the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. That in mind, even at the Level 4 height, it's rare that I actually hit any rocks or damage the underbody protection -- which, thanks to the flat-pack powertrain, is like a skateboard deck under the truck.

This skateboard platform and the lack of a traditional powertrain means the Rivian has a ridiculous amount of storage. Sure, the bed is only 4.5 feet long, but I have 11.1 cubic feet of space in the front trunk, enough for sleeping bags, a cot, pillows, three lengths of Bubba Rope, winter jackets, two packs of Muscle Milk and one 12-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper -- with room to spare. A tunnel between the rear seats and the bed can hold an additional 11.7 cubic feet of gear. This space is great for additional Maxtrax and my personal bags. What's extra cool is that, once the tunnel door on either side is flipped down, it functions as a seat or as a step to access the bed or the roof rack. This is genius, and honestly might be my favorite thing about the R1T.
If you've never had 826 lb.-ft. of instant, electric torque under your right foot, I can solidly say that you haven't lived. The R1T might not have locking differentials, a two-speed transfer case or any kind of tough-guy wizardry you'd associate with off-road prowess, but none of that matters when you've got an absolute ton of torque. I can slowly pick my line up a steep, rocky hill, never worrying about keeping momentum. The sophisticated traction control system moves the torque where it's needed most, and before I know it, the R1T hits the top of a peak while the Jeeps behind me are still switching into low gear.

Of course, that torque is only useful if you've got the traction to put it to the pavement -- or, in my case, the dirt. It's super easy to spin the tires, meaning it's also super easy to get dug in and stuck in the softer, hotter sand of Glamis, California, home to North America's largest dunes.

When that happens, I have to air the Rivian's tires down to 22 psi and remove as much weight as possible from the truck. Spares? Gone. Tool box, jack, parts and camping gear? Vamoose. The problem, though, is that the soft sand and low tire pressure kills my range -- I'm getting about 50 miles per charge in the dunes. That's thanks to the incredible power needed to get through this kind of sand, not to mention the intense heat. This isn't just a problem for EVs; gas-powered vehicles are significantly less efficient in the dunes, too.

Still, the Rivian is a total champ when the going gets tough. Taking a stab at Oldsmobile Hill, one of the steepest climbs in Glamis, I make it all 275 feet or so to the top. That's an incredible feat for any vehicle on this 27-degree, sandy climb. I've never made it to the top of Oldsmobile in a stock vehicle before
My success here is mostly thanks to the Rivian's torque, but the truck's suspension gets a lot of credit, too. The bottom of the hill is plagued with whoops, and I have to carry speed to ensure I stay on top of the sand. However, it's a balance: Go too slow and I'll likely dig myself in once I really hit the throttle, but go too fast and I might break something. In Level 4, the air suspension is programmed to have great compression, keeping the truck from bottoming out on those whoops. I'd like a little less rebound to keep the R1T from kicking up just a bit, but it's still good enough to keep on top of the sand over the initial whoops, allowing me to speed up to the top of the hill once the sand smooths out.It's worth mentioning that I'm usually a little wary of air suspensions during serious off-roading as I've seen them fail out in the wild more than once. But Rivian's done a great job here. Full disclosure, though: Attacking some whoops a little too fast results in me bending a rear control link. Rivian assures me this truck has preproduction parts that aren't fully dialed in, though. Swapping the part out takes less than two hours.

By now you're probably wondering how I managed to drive an electric truck off-road for a week and keep it charged. That's where Power Innovations comes in. Known for its ability to provide power in way-out places, Power Innovations has a semi truck that it calls Mobile Energy Command. Here, I'm able to charge at speeds up to 130 kW, which is almost three times as fast as most public charging stations. On average, I'm able to regain 80% of the Rivian's battery capacity in about 30 minutes. But because batteries take longer to charge the fuller they are, it's the last 20% that takes some time. Getting the full 100% takes over an hour.
Another cool thing: The Rivian R1T can be tow charged. You'll never be out in the desert wheeling alone, right? If the truck runs out of juice, you can pull it behind another vehicle and pump some energy back into the battery.

Rivian notes there's still some work to be done before the R1T hits the road next year, and my truck is not without its preproduction foibles. (Ask my co-pilot about when her seat heater randomly turned on in the middle of a 100-degree day.) But this thing easily survived eight days of intense off-roading, through tough dirt and dunes. Even when running at 38 psi over rocks, the stock Pirelli Scorpion tires never let me down, and I never once got a flat.

The Rivian R1T has some mighty strong bones. And if it's this good through the toughest terrain, the fully fleshed-out production model should be nothing short of a game-changer.

Electric automaker Rivian will make its hands-free driver assistance system standard in every vehicle it builds, including its first two vehicles — the RT1 pickup truck and R1S SUV — that are coming to market in 2021.

Details about the system, which is branded as Driver+, was just one of numerous new bits of information released Wednesday on its website, including prices and specs on its R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV.

Rivian said the driver assistance system will automatically steer, adjust speed and change lanes on command. The capabilities of the system that Rivian describes suggests it is a Level 2 system as designated by SAE International. Level 2 means the system can perform two or more parts of the driving task under supervision of the driver. To support this level of driving, the system will be powered by two redundant compute platforms, 12 ultrasonic sensors, 10 exterior cameras, five radars and high-precision GPS. This essentially gives the vehicle 360-camera and radar visibility. It’s a robust suite of hardware that exceeds what Tesla uses for its driver assistance system. The hardware suite is similar to GM’s hands-free Super Cruise system, with the exception that Rivian appears to have more cameras.

Rivian is also placing a driver-monitoring system that includes a cabin-facing camera in its vehicles to ensure that drivers keep their eyes on the road when the system is engaged. Initially, the hands-free system will only be available on select highways and will then expand over time — improvements achieved via over-the-air software updates — to include a broader geographic area and more road types. This is similar to GM’s approach with its hands-free Super Cruise system, which was initially limited to certain divided highways and eventually expanded.

While there are a number of automakers with Level 2 systems, they vary in capability. GM’s hands-free Super Cruise and Tesla’s Autopilot systems are considered some of the most capable and easy to use, per a recent Consumer Reports evaluation of driver assistance systems. However, Tesla’s system scored lower overall because it lacks a driver monitoring system that makes sure the driver is alert and paying attention to the road.

Like any modern startup carmaker, Rivian plans to sell direct to customers bypassing a traditional dealership model. That creates the question of where and how vehicles will be serviced. Speaking in an interview with Automotive News, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says the company will use a combination of purpose-built service centers and mobile service at a customer's home or business.

Scaringe says Rivian will set up 41 physical service locations, where repairs and maintenance to the R1T electric pickup, the R1S electric SUV, and the company's Amazon delivery van can be carried out. Of course, as EVs, the Rivians will require less maintenance than gasoline-powered vehicles. They should also need fewer repairs. And over-the-air updates to the trucks' various software systems are also expected to be an important part of the overall service picture.

Deliveries of the R1T and the R1S are set to begin next summer, so the company has about nine months to get its service plan in place. Rivian has said the R1T pickup will be priced from around $69,000 while the R1S SUV is set to start at $72,000 or so. The in-service date for the Amazon delivery van, meanwhile, has not been announced, although Rivian has said that the online retail giant has ordered 100,000 of the electric vans.

Rivian has released updated pricing for the R1T electric pickup and R1S electric SUV coming next year.

They are cheaper, but they are still a little more expensive than Tesla Cybertruck – though it is getting closer after electric vehicle incentives.



When Rivian first unveiled the R1T and R1S in 2019, it announced that the vehicles will start at $69,000 before incentives, but after Tesla announced the Cybertruck with similar specs for much cheaper, the company said it will lower its price.

Now the automaker has released the production specs and pricing for the two electric vehicles as it is about to open orders and its configurators for reservation holders next week.

Rivian has confirmed that the R1T will now starts at $67,500 for the base “Explore” version, which is coming in 2022, while the Launch Edition is going to start at $75,000.

Here are the features of 3 versions of the Rivian R1T that the company has released today:
All these vehicles are going to be available with Rivian’s mid-tier battery pack, which the company claims enables a range of over 300 miles.

When Rivian first unveiled its lineup, it said that its vehicles are going to be offered with 105 kWh, 135 kWh, and 180 kWh battery packs enabling “230+ miles, 300+ miles, and 400+ miles”.
Now the automaker says that the lower range and higher range versions will be offered later.

Rivian R1T Launch Edition

The first Electric Adventure Vehicles on the road will be our Launch Edition — a special release of the R1T and R1S available in 2021. For preorder holders interested in Launch Edition, it’s important to visit the configurator early to reserve one since supply will be limited.

Signed with special interior badging with an exclusive Launch Green color option, Launch Edition is equipped with our 300+ mile pack and premium Adventure Package (more details on Adventure Package below). With Launch Edition, you’re also able to select upgraded wheels and tires at no additional cost.

U.S. deliveries for R1T Launch Edition start in June 2021, followed by R1S Launch Edition in August 2021. Canadian deliveries for both vehicles will begin in November 2021.

Rivian R1T Adventure Package

The Adventure Package — which is included in Launch Edition — comes standard with our Off-Road Upgrade featuring a reinforced underbody shield and on-board air compressor. In the R1T, the Adventure Package adds functionality to the bed by including a powered tonneau cover and our Gear Guard remote monitoring system.

The Adventure Package features our premium interior with heated and cooled perforated vegan leather seats, natural-grained ash wood throughout the cabin and our immersive Rivian Elevation 360° audio system with removable Bluetooth speaker.

R1T and R1S deliveries with the Adventure Package that are not part of Launch Edition will begin in January 2022.

Rivian R1T Explore Package

With the Explore Package, a sport interior features matte black finishes throughout the cabin with heated, performance-stitched vegan leather seating. A surround sound audio system is also included. In the R1T, there’s a manual tonneau cover that stores easily in the Gear Tunnel. The panels are also designed to lock together to double as a camp table.

R1T and R1S deliveries with the Explore Package will begin in January 2022.

Electrek’s Take

This is a good adjustment from Rivian.

The versions that they are unveiling today are comparable to the mid-range version of the Tesla Cybertruck.

It is closer in price than previously expected (~$80,000), but it is stil about $10,000 more expensive after the federal tax credit.

However, we still don’t know all the details about the Tesla Cybertruck nor the Rivian for that matter since they are claiming “over 300 miles of range”.

I anticipate that the two vehicles will end up more competitive after everything is on the table.

But even if there’s still a price different between the closest versions of the Cybertruck and R1T spec-wise, I think that there will still be space for both electric trucks on the market because they are so different.

The Rivian R1T truck is hitting the production line later this Summer. We've seen many prototypes in all kinds of places, in many colors and wraps, but never in a different body style. In a slew of photos released by Rivian, one appears to show an extended cab model, versus the crew cab model that everyone is familiar with. There is no official confirmation from Rivian.

Member Wildabeest from the Rivian Owners Club forum saw the photo containing the extended cab truck and posted it. Anyone can see the photo right now on the Rivian Stories site under Cold Weather Testing. Click on any of the images and a gallery containing the photo appears.

Some forum members argued that the strange angle of the photo makes the rear window and door look smaller but that doesn't seem to be the case. The rear window and door clearly look smaller when compared to the front window and door.

It's hard to tell if the wheelbase is smaller because of the angle of the photo. Extended cab body styles tend to have shorter wheelbases. Also, I wish the bed of the truck came out in the photo because extended cab trucks usually have longer beds.

If the truck wrapped in white camouflage is an extended cab body style, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. It wouldn't make sense for Rivian to developed just one body style for the R1T truck. Extended and single cab versions are very likely.

Or could this truck be one of the smaller trucks that Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe talked about in a recent interview with MotorTrend:

Electric truck maker Rivian is kicking off a national tour this summer to start getting its preorder holders behind the wheel. Customers will be able to take a drive, learn about some major features and see the truck’s attention to detail firsthand. Rivian says it will release the tour dates “in the coming weeks.”

When designing the R1T, Rivian said it focused on making sure it was large enough to comfortably fit five people and their stuff but not so large that it would be hard to park or fit in a garage. The company said this balance led to dimensions falling between a mid-size and full-size truck. “We aimed for a sweet spot where the vehicle delivers equally across a range of competing attributes including interior space, bed dimensions, enclosed storage volume, vehicle dynamics and ease of everyday use,” the company said.


Rivian said its R1T is 217.1-inches long and 87.1-inches wide with the mirrors out. A standard cab Ford F-150 is 209-inches long and a super cab is 243 inches, so the Rivian does indeed split the difference. Rivian said its truck is 72.1-inches high in the lowest suspension setting and 78.3-inches high in the max offroad setting.

The company said the front trunk is 54.8-inches wide and 22.7-inches deep and is “a clean, lockable space large enough to fit a half-dozen full grocery bags or two full-sized coolers.” The compartment opens and closes with the app, key fob, in-vehicle controls, or an exterior button under the lightbar. LED lights turn on automatically and there’s a 12-volt outlet. A removable platform on the floor reveals another storage compartment.

The front trunk is 54.8 inches wide and 22.7 inches deep. RIVIAN

The R1T has a gear tunnel that runs the width of the truck right behind the rear seats. It’s 65 inches across and Rivian said it’s for stowing “slushy snowboards and sandy beach blankets to keep the mess out of the cab.” The space is watertight and lined with an easy-to-clean material. The doors serve as a seat or a step for accessing the roof, and can be opened automatically using the app, in-vehicle controls, or buttons on the bed rail. There’s more storage in the door panels.

The Gear Tunnel is for storing wet, messy stuff.

Rivian said the truck’s bed was designed to fit a “wide range of gear and cargo while also keeping it compact to minimize rear overhang and overall vehicle length, important both for off-road driving and maneuvering in tight spaces.”

The bed length extends to 83.6 inches with the tailgate down and measures 54 inches with it up. The bed will hold the proverbial 4 x 8 sheet of plywood flat. A panel eliminates the gap when the tailgate is down, creating a continuously flat surface front to back.

The bed is made from reinforced, compression-molded structural composite and Rivian said it is resistant to corrosion and wear. There are two LED lights, one on each side, that turn on automatically when the tailgate opens. You can do that with the app, fob, in-vehicle controls, or a button on the bed rail. There are also forged steel tie-downs in each corner and four more tie downs on the rails that double as mounting points for cargo crossbars.

On the bed wall near the tailgate are two 15-amp, 110-volt plugs. Underneath the bed is another lockable storage space. It’s large enough for the full-size spare, is weather- and dust-proof, and has a drain plug at the bottom so you can use it as a cooler.

Rivian will offer two lockable tonneau covers, one power and one manual, turning the bed into an extra 29 cubic feet of weatherproof storage space. There’s also an in-bed air compressor.

Rivian says the R1T has a trailer hitch behind a cover that you access by removing two screws. The 2-inch Class V receiver is rated for a 1155-lb tongue weight. The R1T can tow 11,000 pounds, Rivian said.

We’ll have more details as Rivian provides them.

Rivian seems set to begin ramping the production of its R1T pickup truck as it heads towards its intended summer deliveries. Recently, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe gave the public a sneak peek at what seems to be the R1T’s production.

Over the weekend, Scaringe shared a photo of numerous R1T body panels lined up neatly in rows, ready for assembly. Rivian informed Teslarati that the R1T assembly lines are ready for production. Now, the company is finishing up with employee training builds. Rivian also stated that customer deliveries would begin by this summer.

“The lines are in; we’re completing employee training builds. We begin customer deliveries this summer,” Rivian stated in an email.

Previously, Rivian informed Teslarati that it has already started contacting reservation holders with updates about their delivery time. “Our focus is on providing a seamless ownership experience, from purchase to delivery and beyond,” said a Rivian comms person.

Rivian is hiring Field Specialists to ensure touchless deliveries and help new owners familiarize themselves with their electric R1T pickup truck. A Rivian forum member also learned from the company’s customer service portal that vehicles will be delivered with 80% to 90% of charge. Furthermore, Rivian recently submitted a resolution to the Normal, Il Town Council that included a proposal for a 60,000 sq. ft charging canopy for vehicles fresh from the production line.

The charging canopy and Rivian’s proposal for two additional buildings in its 510-acre property in Normal reveal how much the EV automaker plans to expand and grow after R1T deliveries start. Recent Rivian developments suggest that the EV automaker is thinking of every detail to ensure deliveries are smooth.

Rivian has released details about the cabin and occupant-friendly features for its upcoming R1T electric pickup. We already know the most important interior detail, that it comes in "Forest Edge," a wonderful green that hearkens back to the cabin of my parents' rusty old 1972 Malibu or, more recently, my buddy Dave's 1999 Lexus LS 400. Nevertheless, there are a few additional items worth going over.

We've seen the bed, trunk and towing solutions, but what about stuff that you need to keep a bit closer at hand? Rivian says there will be a 14x11-inch storage area under the center display for a small day pack or duffel bag. Other in-cabin nooks include sunglasses-sized pull-out drawers under the front seats and a 33-inch-wide bin under the rear seats.

There are eight cupholders in all, two retractable units on each row's center armrest, and one in each door big enough to house a 40-ounce water bottle. Additionally, the driver's side door has a detachable 1000-lumen flashlight, while the passenger side door can be optioned with a 130-piece emergency gear "field kit" that includes items such as a poncho, rescue blanket, and folding shovel.

In high-spec Adventure Package-equipped cars, front seats will have heat and ventilation, as well as eight-way adjustability including lumbar support. Using a phone app to unlock the car will automatically set the seat, steering wheel, and side mirrors to that particular driver's settings. Climate control preferences like temperature and fan speed are also remembered, and drivers can adjust exactly where the air blows by positioning an icon on the main touchscreen.

Meanwhile, Rivian says the rear was designed to fit three full-size car seats, and has ISOFIX anchors in all three positions. Larger rear passengers can control climate in dual zones via a 6.5-inch touchscreen mounted on the back of the center console. Available vegan upholstery and recycled material headliner boost its green bona-fides.

Audio comes from an 18-speaker, 1,400-watt Meridian Elevation audio system that Rivian says was "specifically developed around the shape and materials in the R1T cabin." In keeping with the theme of detachable gear, a bluetooth Camp Speaker comes in Adventure Package-equipped R1Ts. In addition to portable tunes, it doubles as a lantern and USB-C charging port.

All Rivians will have 4G Wi-Fi hotspot capability and a plethora of charging options. The center console can simultaneously charge two phones wirelessly, but the cabin also features six USB-C ports, a 12V outlet under the 16-inch center screen, and a 110V outlet in the center console.

Lastly, there's a panoramic roof made of tempered glass that is said to block 99.9 percent of UV light, or what Rivian describes as SPF 96,173.

The thoughtful touches help Rivian stand out in the crowded and much-hyped electric pickup competitive set. Hopefully it will drive as nice as it looks.