In May, Crain's told the story of R.J. Scaringe, the 35-year-old founder of Rivian Automotive, which picked up a mothballed Illinois car factory on the cheap in January 2017 with the goal of rolling out a line of electric-powered vehicles—first a pickup truck and then an SUV.

Scaringe's suburban Detroit-based company is now unveiling its all-electric pickup truck, fresh off the assembly line at the old Mitsubishi Motors plant in downstate Normal. And Jake Lingeman, road test editor at Crain's sister publication Autoweek, has just published his review:

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It’s been 9 years since CEO R.J. Scaringe formulated the idea for an adventure-ready, all-electric pickup truck. This week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Rivian will debut its first car, the R1T.

“We’re launching Rivian with two vehicles that reimagine the pickup and SUV segments,” said Rivian founder and CEO Scaringe. “I started Rivian to deliver products that the world didn’t already have — to redefine expectations through the application of technology and innovation. Starting with a clean sheet, we have spent years developing the technology to deliver the ideal vehicle for active customers. This means having great driving dynamics on any surface on- or off-road, providing cargo solutions to easily store any type of gear, whether it’s a surf board or a fishing rod and, very importantly, being capable of driving long distances on a single charge.”

Starting with that charge, the best-equipped version of the R1T will get 400-plus miles on a single charge with a 180kWh battery pack. It will also be offered with 105kWh and 135kWh. Those get 230 and 300-plus miles, respectively. Rivian didn’t announce the battery cell supplier yet, but the big pack has more than 10,000 of them. On a DC fast charger it gets about 80 percent charged in 50 minutes, and can add 100 miles of range in 20 minutes.

The Rivian R1T will get a tech-foward cabin with touchscreens and stain-resistant materials.

The R1T is built on what Rivian calls the skateboard platform. The battery packs, drive units, suspension, braking and thermal system are all packaged below the top of the wheels, leaving all of the space above for passengers and cargo. The battery packs are part of the structure as well, helping stiffen the chassis, and they receive “ballistic levels” of protection. It can ford 1 meter of water, by the way.

The slick looking R1T is meant to be invitational and aspirational. The front end is dominated by the futuristic looking LED headlights. They’re two 3D “stadium-style” ovals connected by a light bar that also shows the state of charge when the truck is plugged in. All of the edges of the truck are beveled, and the bed is covered by a mechanical tonneau cover for wind cheating. It also has cargo racks that fit either on the bed edges or roof, depending on where you need the extra space. There’s a little bit of Honda Ridgeline in the styling, but once these Rivians hit the streets they will be noticed. It also reminds me a little bit of the autonomous semitrucks in “Logan,” the last Wolverine movie.

The Rivian R1T can carry 1,763 pounds of payload in the bed.

Power is impressive. The big battery will make about 700 hp and 826 lb-ft. With a motor at each wheel the Rivian R1T it can sprint to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, 100 mph in less than 8 seconds. The R1T’s powertrain will also have several levels of regenerative braking, the most aggressive of which will make it a one-foot-driving affair. It has a 26-degree breakover angle, 30-degree departure and 34-degree approach. Scaringe says it can climb a 45-degree angle and tow 10,700 pounds.

Those are all killer numbers, but the usability of the Rivian really looks to be impressive. So we have the 11.6 cubic feet of storage in the front trunk, 3.3 under the seats and there’s the 55-inch long bed. The coolest part, though, is the ski/snowboard storage between the rear seats and the bed. A little door pops out and folds down on both sides to that compartment. And those doors can also be used at seats for say, putting on your wetsuit or pulling on boots.

The R1T will get a full suite of active safety features with radar and lidar, over-the-air updates and level 3 autonomous driving for the commute home from the mountain.

Deliveries will begin in late 2020, when both the 180kWh and 135kWh will be available. A base variant will follow within 12 months, according to Rivian. Pricing starts at $61,500 after the federal tax rebate, and the company is also accepting refundable deposits of $1,000.