LA MOTOR SHOW: Rivian electric ute and SUV confirmed for Oz Emerging American EV-maker reveals its Australian expansion plan

Start-up American electric manufacturer Rivian has flagged a bold expansion plan to right-hand drive markets including Australia following its public launch in Los Angeles this week. The little-known Michigan-based firm revelled in the spotlight at this week’s LA motor show, debuting two all-new battery-powered production models that have been nine years in the making. The headline machine is the R1T pick-up, an all-electric dual-cab utility to rival the likes of the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado and RAM Trucks, and it will be sold alongside the closely related R1S seven-seat SUV touted as a direct Range Rover rival.

Rivian R1T is an all-electric ute

Rivian’s chief communications officer, Ken Schuman, revealed that both are intended for release in Australia, Japan and the UK (all right-hand drive markets). “The goal is to continue to expand; I don’t have any dates for today but we do plan to be in your market in due time,” Schuman said. The Rivian R1T/R1S pairing will reach showrooms in the US, Canada and Mexico in late 2020, followed by Europe and China in 2021. Australia will follow shortly thereafter.

Rivian R1S on show in Los Angeles

Rivian stakeholders say the factory will have a capacity of 250,000 vehicles annually, though the initial plan is for “tens of thousands of vehicles for the first few years”. “We’re focussed on a brand-new segment called the electric adventure vehicles,” said Schuman. “We want to disprove a bunch of myths: that electric vehicles can’t go off-road, that electric vehicles can’t deliver performance, that electric vehicles aren’t made to get dirty. That’s what these vehicles are born around, that’s their ethos. “It’s really been built with this adventure segment in mind and opening what we feel is a whole new segment.”

One of the keys to the RT1 ute’s appeal is a massive tunnel positioned between the cabin and tray -- ideal for snowboard and surfboard storage -- along with a dearth of regular floor mats through the cabin, because “they’re not made to get dirty and they’re hard to clean”. At its top battery level, the R1T boasts a range of about 645km. It will also be possible to charge 320km of range in 30 minutes using a DC fast-charger. Towing is also well facilitated courtesy of a five-tonne rating, while off-roading capability is assured thanks to the RT1’s four-wheel drive system, which comprises an individual electric motor on each wheel.

“We’re bringing a level of performance on- and off-road that’s never been seen before,” Schuman said. “You can raise yourself up to [360mm] worth of ground clearance. It’s got multiple levels of propulsion so if you’re on the street and you want fast performance, you lower your car; when you’re ready to go off-road you raise it up and you get the best of both world. “We’ll go to 60mph [97km/h] in under three seconds, we’ll go 100mph [160km/h] in under seven seconds. You’ll have sports car performance in an off-road vehicle.”