We love fast pickup trucks. From the supercharged SVT Ford F-150 Lightning to the desert-race-ready Ram 1500 TRX. But the world’s fastest truck caught us by surprise. MotorTrend conducts controlled zero to 60 MPH tests whenever it reviews a vehicle. Of all the pickup trucks MotorTrend has ever tested, the fastest of all time is a brand-new 2022 model: The Rivian R1T electric truck.

The 2022 Rivian R1T is the first electric pickup and the world’s fastest truck

Rivian is an electric vehicle startup. It shocked the world by bringing the first electric truck to market, beating Ford, GM, and Tesla. That truck is the Rivian R1T. The company plans to follow it with the Rivian R1S SUV next spring.

The quick Rivian truck achieved several firsts. It is the first mass-produced electric vehicle with four separate electric engines. This Quad-Motor drive delivers the maximum amount of torque to each tire. In addition, Rivian’s algorithm can modulate the amount of power going to each motor based on which tires are slipping. This “torque-vectoring” technology is handy off-road. On-road, it catapults the Rivian R1T into sports sedan levels of performance. This new technology made it the world’s fastest truck.

Now that the Rivian release date is nearly here, several media outlets are finally testing the electric pickup. MotorTrend took the opportunity to complete the first electric transcontinental overland expedition. Luckily for us speed addicts, the team also tested the Rivian R1T’s 0-60 MPH time.

MotorTrend tested the Rivian R1T’s 0-60 MPH time, found it’s the world’s fastest truck

MotorTrend has been testing cars since 1949. According to MotorTrend, the team has arrived at a consistent 0-60 MPH test method. 

MotorTrend conducts most of its acceleration tests at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Its testers never use the sticky launch surface engineered for competition drag racing. In addition, they make sure to try every car with all possible combinations of launch control and other speed equipment. 

During tests, MotorTrend controls for variables. On a windy day, the team tests in both directions and averages the results. MotorTrend also does not test cars in wet weather.

Finally, they calculate every test by subtracting one foot of “rollout.” This results in times similar to drag-strips equipped with a light tree. MotorTrend used these test methods to determine the world’s fastest truck.

The Rivian R1T’s 0-60 MPH time is 3.1 seconds

Rivian lent MotorTrend two near-production trucks. The two vehicles were mechanically identical but with different tires. Both had two front motors making a combined 415 horsepower and 413 lb-ft. Both trucks also had two rear motors producing a combined 420 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque. The result is an electric vehicle rated at 835 horsepower and 908 lb-ft of torque. And unlike an internal combustion truck, all the Rivian’s torque is available from zero RPM.

MotorTrend completed a series of test runs with each Rivian truck. The R1Ts have no dedicated launch control. Therefore, MotorTrend put up its quickest times by activating Sport mode, stomping the brake, putting the throttle all the way down, then releasing the brake.

The 2022 Rivian R1T on all-terrain tires and 20-inch rims achieved a best 0-60 MPH time of 3.2 seconds. The same truck on 21-inch rims and all-season road tires shaved off 0.1 seconds. It accelerated to 60 MPH in 3.1 seconds, then continued through a quarter-mile in just 11.6 seconds @ 110.8 MPH.

The Ram 1500 TRX is the previous world’s fastest truck. The Rivian truck shaved a full second off the Ram 1500 TRX’s MotorTrend-tested 0-60 time (4.1 seconds). If the future is electric, the future will be fast.

Want to know more about the Rivian R1T electric truck? Dig into our other reviews:

Learn about Rivian’s quad-motor technology.

Read the first Rivian review.

Watch the Rivian off-road in Moab.

See the Rivian R1T’s interior.

Or get the scoop on the Rivian company’s IPO.