Rivian R1T Electric Pickup Trounces the Ram 1500 TRX in a Drag Race
This is it: the first drag race between the 2022 Rivian R1T and the world’s current fastest truck–the Ram 1500 TRX. The Ram, with its supercharge Hellcat V8, is one of the most capable vehicles to roll out of Detroit. But the Rivian R1T electric pickup represents something else entirely. It is not only the world’s first electric truck, but the first quad-motor electric vehicle. And it looks like the world has a new fastest truck.
2021 Ram 1500 TRX: the fastest truck in the world–until now
The Ram 1500 TRX first hit the market in 2021. But the company had been searching for a way to use SRT’s supercharged 700+ horsepower Hellcat V8 in a pickup since the first TRX concept truck in 2016.
The production Ram TRX features full time 4WD and an electric rear locking differential. Even on its 35-inch off-road tires, it can put more power to the ground than its RWD Charger Hellcat cousins and reach 60 mph almost as quickly.
When MotorTrend’s reviewers tested the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, they realized they had their hands on the world’s new fastest truck. For over a decade, the 2008 Toyota Tundra TRD Supercharged had maintained that honor with its 4.4-second 0-60 mph time. But with its best 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds, the Ram dethroned the old Tundra.
On its fastest run, the Ram finished the 1/4-mile in just 12.7 seconds at 106.3 mpg. Then it continued on into history as the official world’s quickest truck. Ram likely expected to enjoy this honor for some time, but then Rivian released the 2022 R1T.
The 2022 Rivian R1T electrick pickup is faster than the TRX.
Rivian is an electric vehicle startup company. It has been quietly fine-tuning its electric pickup for eight years. In late 2021, it began manufacturing custom trucks at its factory in Normal, Illinois.
Its September launch made the Rivian R1T the world’s first electric pickup to go into production. But the Rivian is distinct from other EVs in more ways than one. The technology-forward drivetrain features one motor for each wheel. Its the first electric vehicle to do so.
Theoretically, Rivian’s four motors could produce over 800 horsepower. But another important piece of Rivian technology is its traction-control software. Whether on-road or off, the Rivian senses wheel spin and puts just as much power to each wheel as possible. According to MotorTrend, this instantaneous “torque-vectoring” enables the truck to corner likes a sports sedan.
MotorTrend tested the Rivian R1T’s acceleration on both its factory street tires and off-road tires. On off-road tires the electric truck accelerated to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and through the 1/4-mile in 11.7 seconds at 111.2 mph. On street tires it did a 3.1 second 0-60 and a 11.6 second quarter-mile at 110.8 mpg.
TFL Truck drag raced the Ram 1500 TRX vs the Rivian R1T electric pickup
When the TFL Truck team landed a Rivian R1T loaner, the reviewers immediately pitted it against their Ram 1500 TRX.
Roman Mica is the publisher of TFL Car/Truck. He is very familiar with the Ram 1500 TRX, so he slid behind the wheel to drag race the new Rivian. His son, Tomas Mica, is a photographer and editor for TFL Car, so Tommy drove the Rivian.
When the drag race took on the tone of a friendly family rivalry, both drivers tried to prepare their trucks. Tomas lowered the Rivian’s air suspension to its lowest street setting. They completed warmup runs and timed both trucks at 0-60 before the main event.
Check out the Ram 1500 TRX vs Rivian R1T drag race below:
