



We'll set aside the wild-for-a-pickup styling to tell you some of the vital stats of this all-electric pickup truck. It starts with a staggering 400-plus mile range from a 180 kWh battery pack. That's a massive amount of range with a gigantic battery pack. The other number with shock value is its three second 0-60 mph time. It's a strange world we're living in when a truck somehow manages to turn in acceleration times akin to



Back to the design, because this truck looks like no other truck we've seen before. We should discuss those vertical pill-shaped headlights first, because you're either going to love or hate them. They certainly give the front end a unique look, but it's jarring upon first setting our eyes upon them. Splitting those LED headlights is an LED light strip running the full width of the front. This light does a neat trick when you're plugged in; it turns green and shows you the truck's state of charge by lighting up the portion of the strip corresponding to that value. Along the sides of the truck, it looks a bit more traditional. But wraparound to the rear and you're met with something different again. A full-width tail light matches the front of the truck, and you get a normal truck bed. Skid plates are attached front and rear because Rivian wants this truck to be truly capable off the pavement. All of this off-road ability comes thanks to what Rivian calls its "skateboard" platform.



Rivian stayed quiet the past few years for an electric vehicle startup company, but things are changing. Its R1T truck makes its world debut today at the L.A. Auto Show , and man does it make an entrance.We'll set aside the wild-for-a-pickup styling to tell you some of the vital stats of this all-electric pickup truck. It starts with a staggering 400-plus mile range from a 180 kWh battery pack. That's a massive amount of range with a gigantic battery pack. The other number with shock value is its three second 0-60 mph time. It's a strange world we're living in when a truck somehow manages to turn in acceleration times akin to supercars . Charging from empty to 80 percent takes 50 minutes on a DC fast charger, according to Rivian. And this being a truck, it also has an 11,000-pound towing capacity. How far you're able to drive with that much weight hanging out the back is another question entirely.Back to the design, because this truck looks like no other truck we've seen before. We should discuss those vertical pill-shaped headlights first, because you're either going to love or hate them. They certainly give the front end a unique look, but it's jarring upon first setting our eyes upon them. Splitting those LED headlights is an LED light strip running the full width of the front. This light does a neat trick when you're plugged in; it turns green and shows you the truck's state of charge by lighting up the portion of the strip corresponding to that value. Along the sides of the truck, it looks a bit more traditional. But wraparound to the rear and you're met with something different again. A full-width tail light matches the front of the truck, and you get a normal truck bed. Skid plates are attached front and rear because Rivian wants this truck to be truly capable off the pavement. All of this off-road ability comes thanks to what Rivian calls its "skateboard" platform.





For those who remember,



We got to peek inside and check out the Rivian's interior at the launch event, and it's luxurious for a truck. Rivian is trying to place its truck on the luxury side of things, though, so this makes sense. There are screens aplenty and all the materials have an upscale feel and look to them. Function and having the ability to effectively clean surfaces were the two main priorities for Rivian here. Seats, doors, the dash, carpeting and flooring are all designed to be wiped down easily and even resist staining in the first place.



USB and USB Type-C ports are literally everywhere you look around the interior. Rivian even hid some in the back of the front headrests for rear seat passengers to use. You can plug in if you're sitting on the tailgate too because there are four USB ports plus a 110V outlet for a fridge to keep your beverages cold. Part of the beauty of having an electric truck is the ability to use it as a generator to power literally anything you want when camping. Want to microwave something real quick? Just plug it in and start cooking. Utility is one of the biggest things Rivian stressed in its press briefing.



For those who remember, GM actually used the "skateboard" moniker for its ill-conceived fuel-cell platform at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show , but the idea here isn't a whole lot different. Rivian spent years developing this electric-vehicle-specific chassis to underpin all of its vehicles, which for now only include its truck and soon-to-be revealed SUV. It's made out of aluminum and high-strength steels and is capable of fitting the 180 kWh battery pack we mentioned earlier — Rivian won't reveal its battery supplier yet. Making it go are four (!) electric motors, one at each wheel combining to produce 800 horsepower. This allows for the extreme acceleration, but also for pretty sweet off-road capability, since Rivian can control torque at each wheel independently. Because the battery pack is placed under the floor, it has the lowest center of gravity of any truck on the market. Weight distribution is also a sports car-like 52/48 split front to rear. Ride quality for the truck looks promising — it uses a multi-link rear and double A-arm front suspension design, and Rivian claims it will handle well. Helping it do that both on road and off is an air suspension at all four corners. It's capable of raising the vehicle over five inches from its road driving height when you want the extra ground clearance or are heading into the trails. (Ground clearance) The R1T, being electric, affords it extreme wading ability at a full meter of water. There's no intake so you can basically just drive it in deep until it starts to float away.We got to peek inside and check out the Rivian's interior at the launch event, and it's luxurious for a truck. Rivian is trying to place its truck on the luxury side of things, though, so this makes sense. There are screens aplenty and all the materials have an upscale feel and look to them. Function and having the ability to effectively clean surfaces were the two main priorities for Rivian here. Seats, doors, the dash, carpeting and flooring are all designed to be wiped down easily and even resist staining in the first place.USB and USB Type-C ports are literally everywhere you look around the interior. Rivian even hid some in the back of the front headrests for rear seat passengers to use. You can plug in if you're sitting on the tailgate too because there are four USB ports plus a 110V outlet for a fridge to keep your beverages cold. Part of the beauty of having an electric truck is the ability to use it as a generator to power literally anything you want when camping. Want to microwave something real quick? Just plug it in and start cooking. Utility is one of the biggest things Rivian stressed in its press briefing.