While at Overland Expo West, I stumbled upon the Rivian’s upcoming electric truck, the R1T. A walkaround was about to be presented to a gathering group so it was good timing. This was my first time seeing the Rivian truck in person, and this particular version was decked out in overland gear. It’s impressive looking with clean lines, big tires and some cool features geared for the overland enthusiast. The company has been around since 2009, with a focus on building adventure vehicles with zero emissions.
According the presenter, the truck can have up to a 400 mile range, from a 180 kW lithium ion battery pack. This particular model from what I gathered was a 135 kW battery. The electric off-road truck uses a CCS charge port and connector, which should allow the truck to be fast charged at a growing number of networks, charged via a 110 AC outlet, or even charged from DC power, such as a solar array.
There’s 4 electric motors, one per wheel that together create 760 horsepower combined, yet provide independent power to each wheel. When going downhill, there’s a regenerative system that slows the vehicle down while generating more juice for the battery. Rivian’s R1T electric truck is capable of towing 11,000 lbs and a 1,700 lb payload capacity.
Up front is a lidar system and the particular vehicle being showcased had a level 2 autonomous driving system.
The interior has very durable and usable materials. Very easy to clean, and comfortable materials where you touch things within the vehicle.
Rivian Truck Overland Gear
At the event, the R1T was set to off-road mode, using air suspension to achieve 14 inches of ground clearance across the undercarriage.
In the large frunk (front trunk) is 330 liters of storage, and an outlet which was powering a 12V cooler box.
Inside the door lives a removable electric flashlight powered by a single lithium ion cell. It’s the same type of cell that the vehicle battery pack is made of, which is comprised of 7,776 individual cells for the 135 kW battery.
Rivian Roof Rack
The R1T looks to have a cool roof rack, and the same rack system was present on the bed of this truck, supporting a full roof rack tent. All the normal off-the-shelf products designed to mount on roof racks will engage with Rivian’s racks.
Gear Tunnel
One of the unique features on the Rivian, is the pass-thru gear tunnel which runs through both sides of the vehicle behind the rear door, creating a large storage area. The doors on each side also act as steps, so you can access the roof rack system.
Rivian Slide-out Kitchen
The R1T at this event had an integrated, slide-out kitchen that’s completely powered by the vehicle’s battery system. Some of the features includes storage for utensils, pots & pans, an electric induction stove, a quick heat water pot and a fold-out table.
We’re looking forward to seeing more from Rivian as it gets closer to rolling out on the streets.