2022 Rivian R1T Auction Craze Begins, Jump in Front of the Line

Fast forward to today, the R1T pickup truck is no longer a prototype. Rivian has set a goal of building over 20,000 cars in 2022, albeit their initial target was considerably more ambitious. With all the hype created around the brand, it's natural to expect a strong reaction from the market.

As of now, waiting times are up to 18 months or more, as people are keen to get their hands on what seems to be an exciting new product. But this kind of craze is bound to have some less than pleasant effects, too.

Some people are already trying to flip their units for a profit, as we've seen with Bronco models last year, for instance. A Launch Green model was sold earlier this month at an auction, for a total of $138,000. The original owner had paid $76,075 for it ($1,075 destination fee included), so he made a nice profit for sure.

Meanwhile, someone else is trying to sell an El Cap Granite R1T for a hefty $149,900. This type of market behavior is becoming more and more common each year, as scarcity of parts has disturbed the balance between demand and supply.

Online auction platforms are most likely going to be flooded with Rivians over the next few months, and Bring a Trailer is no exception. This Rivian Blue R1T was purchased new by the seller in March, so it doesn't come as a surprise that it only has 600 miles (965 miles) on its odometer.

The American automaker calls the R1T the world's first electric adventure vehicle, which may or may not be just a clever marketing naming strategy. The quad-motor pickup truck should be capable of providing a combined output of 835 horsepower and 908 lb-ft (1,231 Nm) of torque.

If you manage to be sensible with the throttle, you might be able to squeeze 314 miles (505 km) out of the batteries. The seller has included a few videos of the truck, and this thing is fast, to say the least. It shouldn't be long now until we get to see some sort of direct quarter-mile comparison between it and its Tesla counterpart.

This R1T is sitting on 20" All-Terrain wheels, the smallest ones you can get, and they're wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion 275/65 tires. With that in mind, you should be able to enjoy both on and off-road terrains, as advertised.

The truck is currently located in San Marcos, California, and the owner paid $76,575 (destination fee included) for it. The auction is still 6 days away from being over, and right now the highest bid stands at $100,000!

Given the way people are reacting to the vehicle, we might see an R1T going for double that amount anytime within the next few months! We haven't tested Rivian's creation yet, but as soon as we get our hands on one we'll be sure to report back with our impression of it.