Rivian R1T Electric Pickup Truck Unveiled as the Monster Ford and Chevy Fear

Even if we’re yet to see the exciting new cars to be shown at the Los Angeles Auto, we already have our favorite: the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck.

Built by a little known car company – as in there’s no Rivian car driving on the road at the moment – the R1T is set to steal the show at the Los Angeles Convention Center with its simply stunning looks and incredible performance sheet.

With a launch date yet to be revealed, the pickup was already shown at an event at the Griffith Observatory on Monday as a revolution in motoring.

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

The R1T will draw its power from one of three different battery packs: the entry level 105 kWh, the midrange 135 kWh and the top of the line 180 kWh.

Making use of that power are four electric motors, located one on each wheel and each developing, according to the carmaker, a little under 200 horsepower. Combined, four motors add up to over 750 hp on the top version.

That’s enough to make the truck jump from naught to sixty mph in just three seconds, on its way to a top speed of 125 mph (200 kph).

The range of the electric pickup varies from 230 miles on the entry level and can reach over 400 miles on the premium version.

BODY AND STORAGE

The R1T is built on a skateboard platform, meaning all of the car’s elements - battery pack, drive units, suspension, braking and thermal system – are housed at maximum the height of the wheel. This translates into tons of interior space for the passenger, and also allows Rivian to fit on it whatever body styles it will see fit in the future.

The R1T is a pickup truck, and Rivian has gone above and beyond in trying to make it a hit on the market dominated by Ford or Chevrolet, as there’s literally no part of the car that doesn’t have some storage space.

At the front, there’s a 330-liter frunk, bigger than anything the competition has to throw at it.

On the side, just under the rear doors, there are two small hatches that open to reveal a hole in the car, going from side to side. Rivian calls this a Gear Tunnel, and it designed it to store gear of any size, up to 350-liters of it.

With the hatches of the Gear Tunnel open, owners can easily access the bed of the pickup by using them as steps. The bed is 1,400 mm long and has a width of 1,385 mm. Underneath it lies a 200-liter sealed bin and integrated locking cables for securing bicycle frames and other gear.

And then there’s, of course, the roof, on which telescoping racks can be attached. These racks have been designed to hold tents, travel containers and bike or ski racks.

The Rivian R1T has been designed as a highly automated car, being fitted with camera, lidar, radar, ultrasonic and a high precision GPS.

Rivian announced it is already taking preorders for the R1T, for a refundable deposit of $1,000. The price for the car, after Federal Tax credit, is set at $61,500 for the entry level.

The first production units – Rivian does not say when production will begin - will be fitted with the 180 kWh and 135 kWh batteries, while the entry level will follow in about a year.

But for now, enjoy the photo gallery above.