The world of electric pickups still has the spotlight on the Tesla Cybertruck, with deliveries of the model that looks like it came from a dystopian movie started at the end of last year. However, there was a time when the Rivian R1T got all the attention in this segment.
Production of the battery-electric workhorse kicked off in Illinois back in 2021, three years after a study previewed it. Offered in a crew cab body style, the R1T shares most of its components with the R1S, which is its crossover variant, and it comes with several powertrain configurations.
Well, several might be too big a word, as it is actually available with three of them. These are called the Dual-Motor AWD, Performance Dual-Motor AWD, and Quad-Motor AWD. Even if you stick with the least exciting version, your R1T will still hit 60 mph (97 kph) in 4.5 seconds, aided by its 533 hp (541 ps/398 kW) and 610 lb-ft (827 Nm) torque bi-motor setup.
This variant of the R1T has an estimated driving range of 270-410 miles (435-660 km), and if you want more, then you should upgrade to the mid-spec. The Performance Dual-Motor AWD can travel between 352 and 410 miles (566-660 km) under the EPA's standards, and courtesy of its boosted output and torque, it is even quicker. It has 665 hp (675 ps/496 kW) and 829 lb-ft (1,124 Nm) on tap and takes 3.5 seconds to sprint to sixty mph.
As for the range-topper, it drops the acceleration time to three seconds flat and has 835 hp (847 ps/623 kW) and 908 lb-ft (1,231 Nm) of torque available via the right pedal. The EPA-estimated driving range of this model is 328 miles (528 km), and besides the extra oomph and yellow badging and brake calipers that set it apart from the lesser variants, it also comes with additional driving modes, like Rally, Drift, and Rock Crawl.
It is obvious that the Rivian R1T is a very fast machine in a straight line, especially if you opt for the top-of-the-line powertrain that really brings out the beast within it. Thus, it is not uncommon to see various examples putting their money where their mouths are and taking on all kinds of other rides down the quarter mile.
Case in point, this blue example was recently filmed doing its thing against a Jaguar F-Type and a BMW X5 M, presumably at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But did it manage to go across the finish line first, or were the ICE-powered models quicker on that day? Only one way to find out, and that's by watching the sub-2-minute video posted by Wheels Plus on YouTube and embedded below. That said, enjoy!
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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