The production of the all-new Rivian R1T slowly ramps-up (180 were produced by the end of October), and the first units start to be available for media.
Here we can watch Edmunds' independent, instrumented test drive review and see whether the Rivian R1T is really as good as promised to be.
Let's start with the numbers. The Rivian R1T achieved a range of 317 miles (510 km) during the test, which is a few miles more than the 314 miles (505 km) EPA and equal to the previous test of a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
The energy consumption was the highest measured on an EV so far, at about 48 kWh per 100 miles (480 Wh/mile or 298 Wh/km), but it's not a surprise for this type of vehicle.
The truck, despite its weight of about 7,150 lbs (3,243 kg) - which is significantly more than conventional light-duty pickups - turns out to be very quick. The 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) time was about 3.5 seconds (in Sport Mode, without rollout, and using all-season tires), quite a bit slower than the advertised best of 3 seconds.
The 1/4 mile time was 11.9 seconds at 109 mph (175 km/h) trap speed. 60-0 mph braking test resulted in 117 ft (35.7 m) distance.
On the skidpad (200 ft diameter), Rivian R1T was able to achieve 0.87 of lateral G.
Overall, the Rivian R1T does not feel heavy, but rather quite agile with a very positive driving experience. However, while the ride quality is considered good for a pickup truck, it's not up to the standard of the RAM 1500. Additionally, excess road noise creeping into the cabin was noted too.
The general quality of the interior is pretty good. Edmunds notes only a few small issues with some trim details and wireless charging pad for a phone. The infotainment still needs some refinement.
Because the truck is narrow, three people seating in the rear might be a bit of a squeeze, according to the review.
An interesting finding was the demonstration of changing the suspension height to the max setting, which failed due to an overheated air compressor. We guess it's just a temporary issue that simply requires a cool down period (time and other reviews will tell us whether this is a common issue).
Overall, the Rivian R1T is a very interesting premium vehicle, a trailblazer in the electric pickup segment and a solid first attempt from Rivian.
Gallery: 2022 Rivian R1T: First Drive Review
Rivian R1T specs:
- Range:
EPA: 314 miles (505 km) (see details here)
400+ miles (644+ km) version (January 2022)
250+ mile (402+ km) affordable version to follow - undisclosed battery capacity - around 135 kWh
2170-type cylindrical cells (7,776), supplied by Samsung SDI - 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 3.0 seconds
- quad motor, all-wheel drive
- on-board charger: 11.5 kW (AC Level 2); up to 25 miles of range per hour of charge
- DC fast charging: up to 140 miles of range in 20 minutes
- wading depth: 3+ ft (more than 0.91 m)
- towing capacity: up to 11,000 lbs (4990 kg)
See also
