Photo: Apocalypse Manufacturing on Facebook | Edited
All-electric vehicles are notoriously hard to tune because there's not much that you can really do. The person performing the upgrades should be a well-versed technician or even an engineer who knows their way around high-voltage electrical systems and permanent-magnet motors. But SoFlo Customs seems to have found a way to enhance an already capable pickup truck – a Rivian R1T metamorphosed into the Apocalypse Nirvana.
A quad-motor large-pack Rivian R1T would set you back $87,000 before taxes and fees. Since the truck doesn't qualify for the EV tax credit because of its higher-than-$80,000 MSRP, you're looking at a cost of around $93,000 unless you live in Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, or Oregon.
In stock form, the all-electric pickup truck puts out 835 hp and gets an EPA-estimated range of 328 miles out of its 133-kWh usable battery. The vehicle can ride on 20-, 21-, or 22-inch wheels, depending on the preferred spec. The range will be lower if you go with anything other than the 21-inch rim and the Rivian-specific Pirelli tires.
However, if you haven't owned an EV before, remember that the EPA figure isn't the average range you'll take advantage of while driving. That's the maximum go the R1T can offer on a full charge, meaning you would have to charge the battery to 100% and then drive until it's depleted (and somehow find yourself near a charger so you can plug in immediately).
Photo: MisAdventure Lab on YouTube
A completely stock quad-motor large-pack Rivian R1T
Nobody will do that because continuously using the high-voltage energy storage unit in such a way will decrease its lifespan considerably. Plus, it's not practical.
As such, in a real-life scenario, you should be looking at a range of about 230-240 miles available for one single drive. It may sound bad, but do keep in mind that sitting behind the steering wheel for more than two hours at a time is not recommended.
Experts say that we should stop every 120 minutes to take a breather. So, you can schedule these 10- or 15-minute breaks near a DC fast charger. You get to move around for a bit and refresh, and the truck can snatch some electrons. Everyone's happy afterward.
Upgrades people, upgrades!
But if a "normal-looking" 835-hp truck isn't enough for you, SoFlo Customs' Apocalypse 6x6 division built something absurdly cool – a "doomsday machine." Called "Nirvana" (almost an anagram of "Rivian"), the vehicle can sprint to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds thanks to a claimed 165-hp bump in power output. It costs $159,000, which is $72,000 more than the MSRP of a quad-motor large-pack R1T.
But take it all in with a pinch of salt.
Photo: Apocalypse Manufacturing on Facebook
It's not exactly clear how the shop managed to squeeze an extra 165 hp out of the Bosch drive units, but they might be too confident with the numbers or just confused. In another post on social media, Apocalypse 6x6 claims the Nirvana has 850 hp. It's possible that the shop added larger wheels, an upper windshield light bar, and a body kit on the vehicle and called it a day. There aren't many details available when writing.
They even claim that the R1T can offer hands-free driving, which is not entirely true. Driver+ is not as advanced as Ford's BlueCruise or GM's Super Cruise. It's certainly capable of controlling the vehicle on a couple of pre-mapped highways with clear road markings, but not too many people use it because it's simply not that good or widely available yet.
It's also why Rivian offers its customers the chance to enjoy lower premiums if they keep Driver+ on. It wants to eventually transform it into an FSD-like software and charge around $10,000 for it.
Moreover, the young auto brand recently removed the cabin camera that was supposed to analyze the driver's behavior and make sure they're paying attention while the self-driving system is on.
Achieving nirvana
It's not the first time we're stumbling upon this interesting project. Just last month, we were telling you about the "Spartan" treatment being applied to an R1T. That truck has now evolved into the Nirvana.
Photo: Apocalypse Manufacturing on Facebook
Florida-based Apocalypse 6x6 is known for turning everyday trucks, well… 6x6 vehicles! Their offering currently includes six gas-powered units: the Hellfire, the Sinister 6, the Super Truck, the Warlord, the Juggernaut, and the Darkhorse. These vehicles cost between $155,000 and $250,000, depending on the chosen spec. They're based on the Jeep Wrangler, the Ram TRX, and the Ford Bronco and come with multiple powertrain options.
It's their first time transforming an all-electric pickup truck, so that may be why conflicting numbers are being reported online.
But, hey, it's a lifted Rivian R1T that looks pretty menacing. It could become popular, especially since it sports beefier 38-inch tires and some cool-looking 22-inch wheels. Improved ground clearance is great for off-roading and protecting the pricey battery pack.
The company claims it can do 350 miles on a single charge, but that figure is not feasible with those chonky wheels. The contact surface is larger and it requests more power from the motors, while also impacting the vehicle's aerodynamics because they are wider than the fenders.
But I'll admit that it does look intriguing in that matte green that seems to resemble a trunk liner carpet. But it's not a soft-touch material that can be seen in the footage below. It's a special type of polycarbonate that's used to protect what's underneath it.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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