American company Rivian is one of the first novel automakers that aims to compete with Tesla and its EV legacy not by directly producing competing models but rather by taking their business model and implementing it into the world of off-road-oriented pickup trucks and SUVs.
They are also one of the few EV startups (alongside Lucid, for example) that succeeded in bringing to life their vision – and the carmaker currently manufactures the R1T mid-size premium pickup truck and the all-electric R1S full-size off-road SUV. And, with their bespoke exterior design, bold off-road capabilities, and reliable EV ranges, both have created quite a buzz among zero-emission vehicle fans.
Just recently, the quad-motor Rivian R1S became the first series-production EV that fulfilled the promise of conquering Moab's legendary Rubicon Trail – another statement of its clever engineering and design. They are also diligently working on software patching things up when stuff goes wrong, as they also resolved the notorious vampire drain issues faced by R1 models.
Additionally, the company reportedly confirmed that it began working on a next-gen 800-volt architecture – which is not coming as an upgrade for the R1S and R1T. That sounds like bad news, but the silver lining is that R2-series vehicles will get the newer, better tech, thus dramatically improving charging speeds and reducing wiring needs. For example, the Porsche Taycan and Hyundai Ioniq 6 have 800V architectures and can charge up to 350 kW at DC stations.
Naturally, that means a lot of eyes will be on the company's upcoming R2 series, as it will logically come with faster charging speeds, optimized batteries, more ingenious accessories, and lighter components thanks to the 800V platform currently in development. And that attention is also valid across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, of course.
Case in point, the Halo oto channel on YouTube provides fresh automotive info that is corroborated with their virtual designs; now there are so many new CGI takes on the Rivian R2T we are wondering if the resident pixel master had any time for respite during the creation process. We're kidding, indeed, but the rapid succession of variants is genuinely staggering as we are used to seeing just one design idea at a time in every unofficial presentation video.
Well, this one features around six different versions of the possible looks for the upcoming Rivian R2T pickup truck – which is claimed to be smaller and much more affordable by the rumor mill. There is also a possible explanation for the great zeal – so far, there are no official teasers or even any spy shots with development prototypes. As such, the actual design of the R2-series vehicles is truly anyone's guess. So, do you fancy any of these LED-heavy variants or not?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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