Photo: Electric Rivilution via Rivian Forums
A bizarre accident that happened at a farm led to the demise of a Rivian R1T after the truck rolled over unexpectedly. The owner was fine, but they warned other Rivian drivers that the pickup was prone to rolling over.
Rivian was the first carmaker to bring an electric pickup truck to market, beating the established players like Ford and GM, not to mention Tesla. The Rivian R1T truck was not only the first but also genuinely good, as appreciated by critics in the media, the teardown veteran Sandy Munro and those who bought it. Many R1T owners swear by their truck and praise its capabilities, even when driving in snow and other difficult conditions.
But an interesting story shared on the Rivian Automotive Fans Facebook (private) group claims the R1T truck has an inherent problem that makes it easy to roll over. The owner wrote in a post that he was casually driving his electric truck in a field at their parents’ farm, no monkey business involved, when it suddenly rolled over and landed on its side. According to his post, this happened so suddenly that he hadn’t even put the seatbelts on. Thankfully, the airbags did their jobs and kept him safe. The owner wanted to warn other Rivian R1T drivers that “these trucks will roll easier than you’d expect them to.”
The story was also shared on Rivian Forums, where other R1T owners dismissed the claims. Some pointed out that the R1T is “the most friendly 835-horsepower vehicle he’s ever driven.” The rollover probably happened while the unlucky owner tried to push the truck to its limits, as suggested by the flat field where it happened. It’s easy to have the wheels dug in when power-sliding in the mud, and that’s guaranteed to cause a rollover. Nevertheless, the R1T’s owner didn’t admit it and said they got in touch with Rivian, with two engineers investigating the accident.
Pictures taken in the aftermath of the crash show the truck damaged on both sides, which indicates that it did a ¾ roll. It needs a certain speed to do that, which is why we don’t believe the “casual driving” claim. It also implies the truck was upside down at some point, although the roof appears to have held impressively well. The truck is now listed for sale on IAAI, with an actual cash value of $96,503. This is close to the price of a new truck, so we guess it doesn’t look like a great deal, considering its state.
Although the drivetrain and especially the battery might be in good order, there are costly body repairs that need to be done if anyone intends to put this truck back on the road. Of course, it might just end up as a parts donor. It’s a shame, considering it was brand new when the accident happened. According to the IAAI listing, it only has 1 mile on the odometer. It’s harsh to wait two years to get delivery of the truck and then total it during the first mile driven.
But an interesting story shared on the Rivian Automotive Fans Facebook (private) group claims the R1T truck has an inherent problem that makes it easy to roll over. The owner wrote in a post that he was casually driving his electric truck in a field at their parents’ farm, no monkey business involved, when it suddenly rolled over and landed on its side. According to his post, this happened so suddenly that he hadn’t even put the seatbelts on. Thankfully, the airbags did their jobs and kept him safe. The owner wanted to warn other Rivian R1T drivers that “these trucks will roll easier than you’d expect them to.”
The story was also shared on Rivian Forums, where other R1T owners dismissed the claims. Some pointed out that the R1T is “the most friendly 835-horsepower vehicle he’s ever driven.” The rollover probably happened while the unlucky owner tried to push the truck to its limits, as suggested by the flat field where it happened. It’s easy to have the wheels dug in when power-sliding in the mud, and that’s guaranteed to cause a rollover. Nevertheless, the R1T’s owner didn’t admit it and said they got in touch with Rivian, with two engineers investigating the accident.
Pictures taken in the aftermath of the crash show the truck damaged on both sides, which indicates that it did a ¾ roll. It needs a certain speed to do that, which is why we don’t believe the “casual driving” claim. It also implies the truck was upside down at some point, although the roof appears to have held impressively well. The truck is now listed for sale on IAAI, with an actual cash value of $96,503. This is close to the price of a new truck, so we guess it doesn’t look like a great deal, considering its state.
Although the drivetrain and especially the battery might be in good order, there are costly body repairs that need to be done if anyone intends to put this truck back on the road. Of course, it might just end up as a parts donor. It’s a shame, considering it was brand new when the accident happened. According to the IAAI listing, it only has 1 mile on the odometer. It’s harsh to wait two years to get delivery of the truck and then total it during the first mile driven.
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