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Rivian R1T: Towing, Charging, Off-Road Impressions After One Week

What are the pros and cons of living with the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck?

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Steven Loveday

By: Steven Loveday

Jan 24, 2022 at 12:59pm ET

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Our friends over at The Fast Lane Studios have spent plenty of time covering the all-new Rivian R1T. This comes as no surprise since it's the first electric pickup truck on our shores, and it has been an instant hit among owners and reviewers. In this latest, lengthy video, the publication delivers an in-depth summary of what it was like living with the Rivian electric pickup truck for a week.

While you're likely familiar with The Fast Lane Car and The Fast Lane Truck, this particular video debuted on the publication's relatively new YouTube channel, TFLEV. TFL Studios says the channel was previously called TFLshorts, but they transitioned it to an EV-only channel.

We must admit that we hope to spend a week or more with the Rivian R1T in the future. In addition, we wouldn't mind getting away from this snow and cold weather by joining the guys at TFL on vacation in a warm and sunny location.

At any rate, in the opening of the video, Roman and Tommy talk about the fact that they've owned and tested a number of EVs, including most Tesla models, along with compliance cars and some of the latest electric entrants to the US market.

TFL is also very well-versed when it comes to pickup trucks, since they've been covering them extensively for years. However, their coverage of the R1T has been on a level beyond their coverage of most other EVs – as well as most other vehicles in general – and arguably well beyond any competing publications' efforts.

Gallery: 2022 Rivian R1T: First Drive Review

2022 Rivian R1T

2022 Rivian R1T 2022 Rivian R1T rear 2022 Rivian R1T fording a river

Over the course of six days, TFL put the R1T through the paces in just about every situation imaginable, which amounted to a ton of footage and various videos. The video above takes all the other videos into account and focuses on the topics that most prospective owners are probably most interested in: charging, towing, and off-road capability.

With any electric vehicle, range and charging are very important topics. However, when it comes to an electric pickup truck, we can say these topics are even more important, especially if you plan to use the truck for towing, hauling, road trips, and off-roading.

Many prospective EV owners note that their primary concern is range anxiety, as well as the availability of charging infrastructure and how much time it takes to charge. While these are valid concerns, most of today's latest EVs have plenty of range, and they charge rather quickly. Moreover, public fast-charging infrastructure is growing quickly. That said, if you're going to invest $70,000 or more on a new electric pickup truck, you'd better do your homework.

TFL says that in putting together and implementing its testing process, it hoped to learn whether the R1T, which is a "lifestyle adventure truck," is truly successful as a work truck. We know the Rivian can tow a heavy load, it's incredible in off-road conditions, and it's quite luxurious inside. However, what we don't yet know is how this electric pickup truck fares over a long period of hardcore testing.

This video was basically a time for Tommy and Roman to sit down and summarize everything they learned about the R1T, which they've shared in a host of other videos. It's like the culmination of all of their testing and observations all baked into one final recap.

Obviously, there's way too much information in the ~45-minute video to summarize here in text. TFL performed very thorough tests of the truck's towing and hauling capabilities, they talk about how much range it has in the real world, not only during "normal" driving, but also when it's loaded up and pushed. They explain exactly how quickly the R1T charged, and the list goes on and on.

What do you think?

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Needless to say, TFL is thoroughly impressed with the R1T, though, just like any vehicle, it's not perfect. However, considering that this is Rivian's first effort in a very difficult segment, the startup automaker deserves all the praise it's getting, and arguably much more.

Check Out More Rivian R1T Coverage:

Watch Rivian R1T Hard At Work And Fully Loaded: Can It Survive?

All Your Rivian R1T Questions Answered In This Lengthy Video

Carve out some time to listen to Roman and Tommy's highly informative discussion about the Rivian R1T. Then, head down to our comment section and share your takeaways. What does Rivian's future look like to you?

Source: TFLEV (YouTube)

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