The 2021 Rivian R1T electric pickup truck has been revealed, and it sports a massive 180 kWh battery pack and eccentric styling. What stood out to me first was the opaque headlamp design. That’s a significant deviation from the crystal-like designs that most trucks have, but I like it!
This electric vehicle startup is breaking into the automotive market, which is a difficult feat. However, with many established automakers dragging their feet on vehicle electrification, this may present an opportunity to get ahead of their game, and performance wise — The Rivian R1T already is.
Like Tesla’s electric cars, the R1T electric truck is (probably) the fastest accelerator of its kind on the market. It also outperforms the vast majority of gasoline and Diesel-powered pickup trucks (if not all of them) with a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 3.0 seconds — That’s top-of-the-line supercar performance.
The pickup truck has a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds and a range of 400 miles per charge, thanks in part to its 180 kWh battery pack. Whether it can still drive 400 miles while towing that much weight is another question. The amount of weight a vehicle is towing will have a significant impact on its driving range per charge, therefore increased weight can result in considerably shorter range.
For comparison, a 2018 Ford F150 has a towing capacity ranging from 5,000 pounds to 13,200 pounds depending on configuration. The Chevy Silverado has similar towing specs as well.
The combination of its (typical, but on-par) towing capacity and its strong acceleration makes it useful for both work and a fun choice for recreational activities. In addition to that, it has quad-motor AWD (something that only electric cars have because electric motors are compact and don’t require complex plumbing) and a wading depth of 3 feet.
Video credit: Rivian on YouTube.
