[karan561]

Last month when i was in the US, i had the Rivian R1T with me in California. Had the opportunity to film a video of the same;

https://youtu.be/XaLkP4sOfSU

^ This video covers a walkaround, driving experience & a discussion about its Indian entry.

For folk who prefer text may read on;

To those who dont know about this brand well this is an American car company developing vehicles to explore the outdoors and the R1T is their 1st product. Speaking of 1sts this is the 1st electric Pickup Truck ever, also with 835 HP, 1230 NM of torque & 0 - 60 mph time of 3 Secs flat its the fastest Pick Up Truck in the World.

The car which I had with me was the launch edition finished in the shade of LA Silver (Named after the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, the first public debut of the R1T.)



Front;



The Rivian looks extremely futuristic & sci-fi from the front. Design is simple & clean but dominated by the LED bar which is a very bold yet distinctive design element. Overall dimensions seem to be slightly larger than say the Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux but smaller than the Ford F-150. The 2 integrated tow hooks on the front bumper are the biggest indicator of its true off-road capabilities & the Outdoorsy image.

Side;



Coming to the side the Truck looks very athletic from this angle and not muscular to be honest however this is all good because the real life proportions are very manageable as it has a good blend of presence and practicality. Gets flush door handles which contribute in making the Rivian look very clean from the side.



^ Thick 275/65 R20 A/T Tyres.

The front part of the side profile also gets the place where you'd plug in the charger;



Aprox 300 miles of range on a full charge;



Rear;



Just like the front the rear also gets a LED bar which is dominating the tailgate area.



Lots of storage and electric operation of this loading zone enhances the modernity of this Truck.

Design & Functionality;

Rivian brand has kept its image of an expedition vehicle & the target audience are such too. This continues with elements such as the keys, which is designed like a biner (trekking & hiking enthusiasts will be able to relate to this design).



It gets a Frunk;



& A Open Transmission tunnel storage compartment which has many accessories you can customise with (more on the website);



Interior;



The inside of this truck is well laid out and feels well put together. The material blend is also a very interesting mix of leather, metal and wood.



The screens are again the command centre and definitely some Tesla influence here & the same goes with the steering operation and the gear selector stalks. The front gets a portable bluetooth speaker which can come out and be carried around, which is very cool. The car records video whenever it detects motion around it. Rear Seats are also well laid out and they have some 7 inch screens mounted infront to get some control of the cabin features. Overall I found the Cabin to be really spacious but unfortunately the reviews (American magazines) I've read online think otherwise because for them amount of space is equivalent to more cup holders



Negatives in the Interior;

- The sunroof is large and panoramic but its fixed and not openable.
- The A/C was not very efficient, this I experienced while driving the Nexon EV Max as well (Odd comparison but that was the last EV I drove)
- Doesnt offer Android Auto/Car Play.
- Lack Of Buttons.

Driving Experience;



The highlight of this truck is the acceleration. Rivian claims the R1T can do the 0-60 spring in 3 seconds flat and by the feel of it it sounds believable. Now the important thing to note is the 3 secs. time is for the truck when its on normal street tyres, where as I drove the launch edition which comes standard with A/T tyres, but still the pick up, grip on tarmac is exceptional. With no wheel spin at all the truck keeps accelerating to crazy speeds.
The question is how is the Rivian so quick, the answer is easy but lengthy. The R1T gets a total of 4 permanent magnet motors, one for each wheel with a combined output of 835 HP & producing stupendous amounts of torque 1230 NM to be precise and all at 0 RPM. Usually and IC engined car will have a redline around 6000-7000 rpm, but in this the torque seems to stay relentless upto the motors spinning limit which is 18,500 rpm.



Simply put, i have never driven anything like the Rivian before. Negative thing about the driving experience is the Brake Regenerative Feature even in the standard mode is too strong and really takes away the momentum of the truck, this I particularly disliked.



Its important to note that the R1T gets a skateboard layout for the batteries which allows a completely flat underbody enabling great handling for this heavy truck. This truck also gets chassis controller which constantly monitors driver inputs, road conditions, driving mode selection, and the various sensors that keep tabs on wheel position, vehicle load & more. Its got an independent suspension all around and gets Adjustable air springs which can raise or lower the chassis by up to 165mm on the fly. When maxed, this provides 381mm of clearance( In Off Road Mode).



This video / review was filmed at the Angles crest highway which is a famous mountain road with a fair share of twists and challenging bends. The way this truck handled on these roads was itself magical. A lot of suspension trickery is in common with the Mclaren 720S (lot of ex Mclaren engineers are now with Rivian) making this handle like a proper Sports Truck. Body Roll too was limited (do note we have a long travel suspension as in Off road Mode can give clearance as high has 15" i.e. aprox. 381mm). Coming back to the acceleration, there's no launch control so the best feel/time was in Sport mode by pressing hard on the brake, flooring the accelerator and releasing the brake. Overall the Truck felt Effortlessly powerful & incredibly comfortable too. Do Note, In Conserve (Eco) Mode the R1T becomes FWD, where as In Sport Mode the R1T is almost rear biased AWD.

Final Thoughts & Indian Entry ?

Rivian had launched this truck for around $84k by now they have increased prices and it costs well over 90k and its already back ordered due to the low production capacity I have seen a few examples of the originals launch edition selling for 20 - 30% higher than the original sticker price even in the used car market hence that says a lot about how much love this brand has received so far.



The question is will we ever see it in India, well if not the pick up truck, then I personally believe the soon to launch R1S should definitely be considered for an eventual launch in India & Rivian should really capitalise Tesla's ignorance to enter the Indian market. But considering the low production capacities (currently manufactured at Mitsubishi's old plant @ Normal, Illinois) this brand may not see our shores anytime soon.

P.S. My views are based on the driving the Rivian for about 320 kms

[drjaygoyal]

Looks amazing. Thank you for the post.

90k in USA will be almost 1.3-1.4 cr in India when we include taxes etc. That’s a bummer. Product is dead even before it is launched.

I am not with Tesla on giving differential tax structures for certain companies. I believe that we tax too much in general and that’s why the Indian car enthusiast has to make do with B grade products from Maruti.

While this has helped innovation amongst Indian companies, We have protected them long enough.

High time we open up the market to some healthy competition. Tax rates must go down especially on high end products. Our Indian companies don’t even have products in that segment.

[midazolam]

Amazing review and write up.
Have been watching videos and reading up about this since a long time when it was first conceptualised. How I wish to see such trucks/cars in India. However if and when launched, would be obviously very expensive and out of reach of most.

[Nilesh5417]

Lucky you - not many would have laid their hands on this!

I like the exteriors, the fact that it has crazy power / torque to pull you through any situation but the interiors with those screens somehow leave me wanting for something that gives a feeling of being rugged. It is all too sanitized for my liking.

I have a few observations / questions though. No buttons - how does that work when you are actually off-roading? Could get so fiddly.

Are there any reviews of how it holds up against your mechanical / ICE trucks when put to some serious off road duties? This thing virtually runs on sensors / electronics / gizmos and what if it breaks down? Somehow I can not imagine plugging this thing to my smartphone and wishing away the errors. Maybe we are used to seeing people having built knowledge of ICE vehicles over decades and carrying their own toolkits, fixing their own cars. Which will be a scene that is at least few decades away for these EVs - after which, maybe it would just seem normal.

[PrideRed]

Among the newer EV companies, I like the Rivian especially after seeing what they have done with R1. Excellent review of a super truck and very few cars look stunning in silver shade, this is one!

[AdhikR]

Great write up. It's amazing how the entry barriers to the auto industry have collapsed with EVs. An upstart like Rivian can make such a compelling vehicle and (hopefully) eventually produce and market it at scale.

[chennai-indian]

Saw the Rivian manufacturing plant in Michigan when I was there a couple of months back. It was a smallish plant so not sure how they will ramp up their capacity. The truck looks good.

[rijo_tj]

Have been following this company ever since i saw the reviews for the same done and posted by MKBHD 4-5 months back.

Just a question and this came to me while i saw the position of the charging unit at the front left end. What is usually done (repair wise) to the charging module if the EV in question gets into an accident and the area around the charging port is damaged ? Is it repairable or would you have to completely replace it ?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by drjaygoyal

Looks amazing. Thank you for the post.

Thanks drjaygoyal.

90k in USA will be almost 1.3-1.4 cr in India when we include taxes etc. That’s a bummer. Product is dead even before it is launched.

I dont think so ! Even if it were to be launched @ INR 1.4 cr. the R1S (SUV which is similarly priced) would sell well. IF you compare with other SUV's in the similar price bracket this will be a better buy & its even faster than something like the Lamborghini Urus or a Astom Martini DBX. I Dont see how it will be failing at all.

Originally Posted by midazolam

Amazing review and write up.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

Lucky you - not many would have laid their hands on this!

I Agree I was in the US for almost 2 weeks and I managed to spot only 3 Rivian's, hence its a very exclusive product currently.

I have a few observations / questions though. No buttons - how does that work when you are actually off-roading? Could get so fiddly.

No buttons, no locking diffs etc. In fact all power / torque available at 0 rpm, suspension in highest mode (381mm clearance), traction control trickery, bash proof underbody & that's all you have.

Are there any reviews of how it holds up against your mechanical / ICE trucks when put to some serious off road duties?

Enough data & reviews available online where the truck has been put to test in plenty of off road scenarios & performed better than expected.

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Among the newer EV companies, I like the Rivian especially after seeing what they have done with R1.

Me too.

Excellent review of a super truck

Thanks PrideRed.

Originally Posted by AdhikR

Great write up

Thanks AdhikR.

Originally Posted by chennai-indian

Saw the Rivian manufacturing plant in Michigan when I was there a couple of months back. It was a smallish plant so not sure how they will ramp up their capacity. The truck looks good.

Good to know, do share pictures (whatever you were allowed to click) if possible.

Originally Posted by rijo_tj

Just a question and this came to me while i saw the position of the charging unit at the front left end. What is usually done (repair wise) to the charging module if the EV in question gets into an accident and the area around the charging port is damaged ? Is it repairable or would you have to completely replace it ?

Good question. I personally think that if the charging port is damaged (In an accident) its best to replace it with a new one.

[SKC-auto]

If anyone wants to know why this truck is so superior than any ICE trucks, watch the below video.

https://youtu.be/XeTDwFchFdw

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by karan561

Overall I found the Cabin to be really spacious but unfortunately the reviews (American magazines) I've read online think otherwise because for them amount of space is equivalent to more cup holders

Its either the lack of cup holders or a legit lack of space for an American frame. I doubt if they would have got either wrong, being a American automobile company.

I like these EV trucks. The question is whether they can be a true replacement for a gas or diesel truck that Americans love and use (or abuse) in the bush. By that I mean, can this thing really tow and if it can, what is your real world range. The new Ford Lightning appears to have chickened out when asked to do some real towing, with the range dropping to less than half. As a lifestyle product, which I believe will be the target audience for Rivian, they have a winner.

Thanks for sharing.

[fiat_tarun]

Lucky you ! I have been following Rivian for a while now ever since I heard they were funded by Ford and Amazon. There was so much hype around Rivian, it had a blockbuster IPO being valued at $86 billion (higher than Ford), without even delivering a single product. Of course it fell some ~80% after that once better sense prevailed.

The product looks really good though and I expect them to do quite well once they get past their initial troubles. I read that they tried to increase the prices for even the pre-bookings which was reversed after heavy pushback and cancellations.

Ford and Rivian were also to co-develop a EV which has now been scrapped with Ford fully focusing on the F150 Lightning

Rivian need to do a lot to sort out and stabilise the US market first, so India won't even be a thought at the moment.

A nice off road review by a popular tech youtuber. Also do check out the camp kitchen accessory that is too cool !

https://youtu.be/KGqexebCcUo

https://youtu.be/bTjViMJ3o1Y

[karan561]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I like these EV trucks. The question is whether they can be a true replacement for a gas or diesel truck that Americans love and use (or abuse) in the bush. By that I mean, can this thing really tow and if it can, what is your real world range

The R1T can haul upto 11,000 lbs i.e 5 M.T. which IMO is a pretty decent number. Obviously the range may drop accordingly.
Another reason it might be a good (read that as "Stable") tow truck is because the R1T itself weighs approx 3.2 M.T. making it a stable tow platform for its trailer.

Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Lucky you !

[brraj]

I am game for such kind of practical trucks
- 0-100 = 3sec
- Ground clearance = 381mm
- tyre size of 275/65 R20 A/T Tyres
- Offroad capability
- Range should have been a bit more..

BMW, Merc, AUDI should learn a lot from this truck.

This is made for indian roads.