Rivian may be manufacturing only two battery-electric vehicles for the time being, but the startup has big plans for the future. We recently learned that not only does it intend to show us the first smaller and more affordable R2-series EV, but it also wants to launch another line of vehicles: the R3 series! So, could an R1T advertisement at this year's Super Bowl work? Let's see.
A Los Angeles-based video editor with a solid background in music assembled a team of skilled people and created a rather intriguing video that puts Rivian's first pickup truck in the spotlight. Nick Dean, Mitchell Mullins, Rob Giani, and the crew envisioned sort of a post-apocalyptic scenario where a few people are left to deal with the city ruins, the dust from the nearby deserted area, the destroyed constructions, and a scorched land.
However, in that sea of hopelessness, there's an all-electric machine that somehow still seems to be working. The protagonist found the custom carabiner-like key fob while metal detecting outside the city and pondered what to do with it. He eventually decided to bring the R1T back to life.
That scene happens fast, but it's actually the most important piece of the video puzzle. The EV appears to have its own dedicated spot right under a device that seems to concentrate whatever is left of the sunlight to charge the pickup truck's high-voltage battery.
The R1T doesn't have a solar roof like the Fisker Ocean One, but that doesn't mean it couldn't take advantage of such a technology. The 135-kWh large-pack energy storage unit can be charged to full in about two months if a 200-watt solar panel is lying around. The Irvine-based startup also fixed the dreaded vampire drain. Conserving energy shouldn't be a problem.
Next, the guy jumps behind the steering wheel and puts the pedal to the metal. He goes through the city ruins and returns to the deserted, lifeless area that surrounds what used to be a thriving urban settlement.
Photo: Nick Dean on Vimeo
While there's clearly a call to adventure and to retain that freedom-loving spirit in spite of the desolate surroundings, the underlying idea is that the Rivian R1T will work even when there's no supply chain and professionals to keep everything in motion. You won't need a gas pump if there's some sunlight left to harvest.
It's possible that Rivian owners aren't thinking about the end of the world when they're ordering an R1T, but this video shows you can keep the zero-emission mobility lifestyle even when the world has gone through the unthinkable. We may not consider EVs the ideal dystopian ride, but they could work. Extracting and refining oil is a lot more complicated than just using sun rays to create electricity.
Now, should this video run at the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII? No. It's too long. Companies paid between $6 and $7 million for a 30-second ad. It would cost Rivian a minimum of $30 million. That's unfeasible for a startup, even though it has over $8 billion available to spend.
But compressing the entire visual story into a 30-second ad could work! The Cybertruck got a ton of free press because of how it looks and performs, and thanks to Elon Musk. Rivian could put a dent into its success story by showing what its R1T is capable of even when the world around us crumbles.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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