Rivian R1T 2020, new electric pickup

The new electric R1T pickup from Rivian Automotive Technology Startup Rivian is ready for public premiere at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. We offer our readers a review of the electric Rivian pickup R1T 2019-2020 – news, photos and videos, price and full specifications of the first-born young company, Rivian Technical, then the second model will debut – a large 7-seater Rivian R1 electric crossover, that is.

The start of sales of the new electric Rivian pickup in the US market is scheduled for the end of 2020 at a price of $69,000 (some sources claim that the price will be even lower – from $61,500). Interestingly, the Rivian Automotive company plans to bring its electric innovations to the European market, but later, at the end of 2021.

Rivian Automotive was founded in 2009 by Robert Scaringe with money from investors from the Middle East. Today, the company employs over 650 employees working at the company's headquarters in the suburbs of Detroit, and 4 technical centers located in America (Plymouth, Michigan, San Jose, California). Production of electric Rivian cars will be carried out first at an old Mitsubishi facility in Illinois, acquired by Rivian Automotive for $16 million. For the production of electric vehicles for the European market, the platform has not yet been selected, but are created through an advanced technical center in the UK (Chersey, Surrey). Therefore, we can assume that this is in Britain and Rivian will produce electric cars for Europe.

I mean, the exterior design of the new electric Rivian Pickup R1T is somewhat different from the conventional combustion engine pickups currently in production, but it's not conspicuous. The novelty looks like a modern and one might even say stylish, but not cruel. The American electric pickup truck even more closely resembles Honda's Ridgeline's Japanese pickup truck. By the way, the Honda Ridgelin pickup truck with a monocoque body is built on the Honda Pilot platform, with a completely independent architecture of the front and rear suspension. While mass-based pickup trucks in the US market with a powerful frame and dependent rear suspension with a continuous axle (Chevrolet Colorado and Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge RAM and the new Ram 1500, Ford Ranger and Ford F-150, GMC Sierra, Nissan Titan, Toyota Tacoma and Tundra Toyota.

At the heart of the Rivian R1T pickup truck is a modern modular bogie, called the “skateboard”, a battery located under the cabin floor (reinforced carbon fiber and Kevlar battery), independent front and rear suspension, supplemented by air struts and adaptive shock absorbers, as well as four electric motors (according to each axle has two motors, each with a power of 147 kW (200 hp)). The total power of the engines depends on the settings, the battery capacity (105 kW, 135 kW and 180 kW / h), and is equal to 300, or 562,522 kW (407 HP more, respectively, more and more 709 HP 764 HP). The top speed of all versions is limited to 200 km/h.

• Thus, the basic version of the Rivian R1T truck with 105 kWh of batteries and electric motors with a total power (300 kW 560 Nm) is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.9 seconds, and from 0 to 160 mph in 12.5 seconds. The power reserve is about 370 km.
• Electric cars with more capacious 135 kWh batteries are equipped with electric motors, total power (kW 562 1120 Nm) and capable of shooting from 0 to 100 km / h in just 3.0 seconds, and from 0 to 160 km / h in less than 7.0 sec. On one charge, the electric car can travel about 480 km.
• The version of the Rivian R1T pickup truck with the most capacious 180 kW / h battery, equipped with engines with output (522 kW and 1120 Nm) and gaining the first hundred in 3.2 seconds, accelerates to 160 km in less than 8.0 seconds, and can travel on one charge more than 640 km.

It's a shame, but without a fly in the ointment in the sweet song, the electric novelty, unfortunately, has not done. When asked what the need is for owners to charge the battery in an electric pickup truck from a regular household outlet, reporters to hear the answer failed (apparently a very long time ago). Through the same charging terminal up to 160 kW!!! in 30 minutes, the battery is capable of receiving a charge sufficient to cover 320 km. I wonder if the charging station is included with the car… or do I have to buy it?

• • The external dimensions of the body of the Rivian R1T 2019-2020 electric pickup truck are long 5475 mm, 2015 mm, width 1815 mm, height 3450 mm wheelbase.
• • Thanks to the pneumatic support in the suspension, the pickup's ground clearance is variable and can vary from less than 200 mm (parking mode) to 360 mm (off-road mode). There are two more intermediate modes: 240mm (Aero mode for highway driving) and 280mm (Standard mode).

• • The electric pickup has excellent geometric characteristics of the body: the approach angle is 34 degrees, the ramp angle is 26 degrees, the exit angle is 30 degrees. At the same time, the electric car is able to overcome deep fords up to 1000 mm.

• The car is designed to carry 800 kg of cargo and tow a trailer with a gross weight of up to 5000 kg.
• Platform loading width 1385 mm in length and 1400 mm (the length of the platform can be increased up to 2100 mm due to the rear wall (when lowered, it continues the flat surface of the floor of the loading platform).

The new Rivian R1T electric pickup truck stands out against the background of conventional pickup trucks with a conventional internal combustion engine not only with advanced technical stuffing, but also with many other original details. Full LED headlights, LED chandeliers, position lights, retractable door handles and harmonious body contours don't count.

Product front 330-litre trunk, 95-litre storage compartment under the rear seats, special 350-litre box tunnel (gear tunnel) across the entire width of the body behind the rear seat, sealed 200-litre space under the floor of the loading platform that can accommodate a full-size spare tire or any other cargo, as well as 3 sockets with a voltage of 110 volts in a special block on the wall of the cargo platform.

The interior of the new electric truck is designed for a comfortable arrangement of 5 people. Only high-quality materials (genuine leather, wood and polished aluminum) were used in the interior decoration. In terms of equipment, we have a typical premium digital instrument panel, a huge color touch screen multimedia system, driver and front passenger seats, electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, panoramic glass roof, LED lighting not only in the interior, but also a trunk, a cargo tunnel and an overpass, a perfect autopilot for driving on suburban routes (cameras, sensors, radars and lidars are able to provide fully autonomous control of an electric trolley, even the driver does not need to keep driving).