Can the Rivian R1T Convert Traditional Pickup Truck Owners?
For generations, pickup truck owners have shown fierce brand loyalty to the models they know and drive every day. Some owners learn from their parents, others pass their views down, but you normally don’t find a Chevy driver changing to Ford or vice versa. How can the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck become the model truck owners want to drive?
The 2022 Rivian R1T challenges your brand loyalty
This new electric pickup truck presents itself in a way that can get even the staunchest truck owner excited. The Ram hat on your head might soon become one bearing the Rivian name after seeing the R1T. The initial reaction to what you find on this truck is astounding. The initial walkaround reminds you this truck rides on 34-inch all-terrain tires, doesn’t have a differential getting in the way of the overall ground clearance, and has plenty of storage for some serious truck fun in the wilderness.
What is the top speed of the Rivian R1T?
This electric pickup truck can reach a top speed of 125 mph with the larger battery pack. That’s some serious speed for a truck. Because it’s an EV, you’ll also enjoy reaching 60 mph in about three seconds which is incredible.
What features does this electric pickup truck offer?
Explore Package (base model)
- Four electric motors
- 135-kWh battery pack (314 miles of driving range)
- AWD
- Gear Tunnel behind the rear doors
- Manual tonneau cover
- Vegan leather upholstery
- Heated front seats
- Panoramic Moonroof
- In-bed air compressor with a 20-foot hose
Adventure Model
- Power tonneau cover
- Gear Guard
- Meridian premium audio system
- Natural-grain ash-wood interior trim
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Recycled microfiber headliner
- Chilewich floormats
A two-motor version with a smaller battery arrives for the 2024 model year.
Some of the options you’ll find include:
- Larger battery pack (400 miles of driving range)
- Reinforced underbody protection
- Two front tow hooks
- All-weather floormats
- Off-road recovery kit
- Full-size spare tire
- Rivian Camp Kitchen
- 1,440-watt 2-burner induction cooktop
- Rattle-free 30-piece cook set
- 3-person tent
What is the fastest 2022 truck in the world?
If the answer weren’t the Rivian R1T, we wouldn’t be talking about it. Car and Driver tested this electric pickup truck and put it against the Ram TRX with 702 horsepower, and the R1T came out on top. The Ram TRX reaches 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, which isn’t bad, but it doesn’t compare to the electric pickup truck Rivian offers. The 0.4-second differential appears for the quarter-mile sprint as well. The R1T reaches the end in 11.9 seconds at 110 mph.
How much power does this electric pickup truck offer?
If you think the 702 horsepower for the Ram TRX is impressive, check out what the Rivian R1T brings. The four electric motors give this truck more than 800 horsepower and 900 lb.-ft. of torque. This is some serious power from a silent truck that runs on electricity. The R1T can tow up to 11,000 pounds, putting it in the ballpark with other half-ton trucks.
How much does the Rivian R1T cost?
The R1T Explore starts pricing at $79,500, which might be higher than you might want to go for a truck. The Explore model shows up at $89,500 and can cost as much as $95,000 with several options. Comparatively, the Ford F-150 Lightning begins at $39,974.
What’s the downside to this electric pickup truck?
Currently, the Rivian R15 only has a 4.5-foot bed. That’s the smallest bed in the truck market, making it hard to consider this truck for real work. Put the tailgate down, and you’ve got a bed that is 83.6 inches long, but that’s not enough to fit your 8-foot sheets of drywall or plywood inside.
Will the 2022 Rivian R1T turn some true loyalists to its brand?
The R1T is quick, powerful, and filled with cool features, and it’s an electric truck. These qualities might be enough to change some shoppers looking for an alternative to a luxury vehicle, but probably not your typical truck owners. Those consumers will look at the short bed and the high price and know they can’t use it for everyday work. The R1T can be a lot of fun, but it’s not quite ready to be a work truck yet.
Next, check out six things you could be doing that can ruin your car, or watch the Rivian R1T review in the video below:
This article was updated on 8/15/2022.