The Rivian R1T Is "the Coolest Pickup Truck Ever Made,” Says Doug DeMuro

For starters, we’re not dealing with a two-motor affair like the F-150 Lightning. Every model features an e-motor for each wheel, a setup that enables the jaw-dropping tank turn we’ve covered in a previous write-up.

Bridging the gap between the mid- and full-size truck segments, the R1T is EPA-rated 314 miles (505 kilometers) of driving range with the standard battery that Rivian calls Large pack. The Max pack goes more than 400 miles (644 kilometers) on a single charge although that's an internally projected range pending the Environmental Protection Agency’s blessing.

With more than 800 horsepower and 900 pound-feet (1,220 Nm) of torque on tap, it comes as no surprise the R1T hits 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in just around three seconds while towing capacity is officially rated at 11,000 pounds (4,990 kilograms). On paper, there is no mistaking the California-based company has delivered a tremendously nice pickup.

But numbers on a specifications sheet don’t tell the whole story. Getting up close and personal with the R1T is a different experience, as you’ll find out from the featured video review of “the coolest pickup truck ever made.”

Doug DeMuro highlights that he’s spent the last decade being skeptical of Rivian’s truck, but as expected, the car vlogger changed his attitude 180 degrees. He’s also much obliged to go through every quirk imaginable for our entertainment over the course of 40 minutes. Obviously enough, the verdict is extremely positive: “in this price point, this thing’s unbeatable.”

The 44:20 timestamp shows the updated Dougscore leaderboard with the R1T at the very top. With 73 points under its belt, the all-electric truck scores higher than the Ram 1500 TRX (68 points) and F-150 Raptor (65).