It’s kinda hard to boast about the green, environmentally friendly nature of cycling if we’re also driving a big ol’ gas guzzling truck or SUV to the trail head or group ride. But electric and hybrid options for that class of vehicle have been basically non-existent. Until now. Or, at least, until 2020. That’s when Rivian goes into production with their full-electric, massively capable R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV. Here’s the details…
The Rivian R1T crew cab pickup is built on a “skateboard” frame, which puts the largest, most powerful (their claims) rechargeable battery pack for a vehicle directly into the center of the chassis. On each corner is a separate 200hp electric motor for each wheel, which together will rocket this thing from 0 to 60 in a claimed 3 seconds. Not bad for a vehicle that can take you and four friends plus bikes and gear up to 440 miles on a single charge.
The truck’s bed may be compact, but there’s a slick pass-through compartment directly behind the cab, whose doors fold down to become seats. And since there’s no huge internal combustion engine taking up space in the front, a 330L “trunk” sits under the hood for more storage.
Generous ground clearance and a 3-foot wading depth means you can take it just about anywhere. The locking tailgate cover and storage compartment doors means your gear will be safe when you get there, too. Inside the bed, the tailgate floor lifts up to reveal a full size spare tire, too. And there are three 110V power outlets back there, too!
Inside you’ll find sustainably harvested wood with a posh but durable set of materials surrounding you…and the massive central digital touch screen. On it, you can show multiple data points about your trip and the vehicle, or go full screen with maps. Off road, they’re working on maps that’ll show not just your route, but also terrain and elevation data to give you a better picture of what’s coming up.
Rivian R1S electric SUV
If your needs lean more toward people transport than gear, opt for the 7-passenger Rivian R1S SUV. It shares the same platform, motor and battery system, but covers the rear and adds more seating. There’s storage behind the back row, plus the hood/trunk up front. Power and other performance ratings are basically the same as for the truck.
Both vehicles have a 400+ mile range with the largest battery pack option. Rivian says that’s good enough to go from San Francisco to Yosemite and back on a single full charge. They also have a 3,500kg (~7,700lbs) towing capacity and 800kg (~1,760lbs) payload. Which means there are very few compromises for going all electric.
The Rivians will use a combination of Lidar, Radar, Cameras, GPS and Ultrasonic sensors to enable their vehicles to drive autonomously on the highway.
Why in the world are we writing about this? Well, we love bikes. But we also love bad ass adventure vehicles. That’s why you might soon see our #vanlife series morph into a more all-encompassing “adventure vehicle” series. We thought this was a good start.
Rivian Pricing & Availability
Want one? They’re taking pre-orders now with a fully refundable $1,000 deposit. Production starts in 2020, and top level models with the largest battery pack and electronics packages will be made first. Base price for the R1T truck is $61,500 and R1S SUV is $62,500…and they’ll go up from there. Depending on model and options, range can vary from a claimed 260+ miles up to 440+ miles per charge.
