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Rivian R1T Shows Off Its Professional Skills, It's a Real Ranch Workhorse When Needed

Rivian is a new contender in the electric vehicle market that has a unique proposition – adventure before anything else. To prove this claim, the guys at The Fast Lane Truck put the R1T to hard work and loaded it full of wood logs. Can it survive the ordeal?
Rivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorse 14 photos
Photo: The Fast Lane Truck via Youtube
Rivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorseRivian R1T shows it's a real ranch workhorse
Electric vehicles are still considered too fragile to be relied upon in any difficult situation, with many of them not even rated for towing. Heck, a lot of people believe it’s impossible to survive a blizzard in an EV. Well, things are changing fast and Rivian has embarked on a journey to prove EVs are useful even as adventure vehicles. Taking it a step further, can these silent trucks survive a day of hard work? After all, this is the main reason sane people buy pickup trucks in the first place.

To see what gives, the guys from The Fast Lane Truck YouTube channel have put the electric pickup to the test in a real-world ranch. Of course, they are well aware the Rivian R1T was not designed to be a workhorse, but more as a lifestyle truck made for off-road adventure. And yet, it has a cargo bed and a bunch of 120-volt plugs that can power various tools, so, why not?

The cargo bed was a pleasant surprise for the people at the ranch, actually, as it extends in a unique way. With the tailgate closed, the R1T has a 4.5 ft (1.37 m) long usable bed, but that extends to 7 ft (2,14 m), allowing it to carry long objects like wood logs and plywood. The hooks are also useful for tying down the cargo, so the R1T is at least as useful as a regular contractor truck in this regard.

After verifying the R1T has all the power and convenience needed, the FLT guys went on to torture the truck in the forest. Not before the bed was protected with plywood, though. It turned out the truck is better than expected at doing a truck’s work. Its traction is great and the four electric motors do a great job at moving in slippery conditions, while also taking care of the smooth braking downhill.

The gear tunnel is also extremely useful for storing the tools when the bed is filled with logs, so Rivian got this part spot on. One thing that needs rethinking is the spare wheel placed under the cargo bed, though. We imagine with all the logs piled up it will be an ordeal to unload the cargo just to get the spare wheel out.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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