[scottf200]

This company has been working on this for several years. It looks quite impressive. At the bottom of this post is the Silverado truck and Ford truck yearly sales. I suspect there is room for a BEV truck and the prices of ICE trucks go pretty high (60-70s) already.

http://products.rivian.com/

https://electrek.co/2018/11/26/rivian-r1t-all-electric-pickup-specs/amp/

The startup was founded by CEO RJ Scaringe, a MIT graduate, and it has been in stealth mode since its inception in 2009 up until last year when they took over a shuttered Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois. https://electrek.co/2017/01/09/rivian-automotive-electric-vehicle-startup-mitsubishi-plant-illinois/

https://insideevs.com/rivian-r1t-electric-pickup-truck-world-debut/

The all-new Rivian R1T electric pickup truck will be in a class of its own.

Several years ago, Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe initiated a plan to bring a vehicle lineup to market that has never been executed before. After years of research, planning, and development, the R1T electric pickup truck will be unveiled as the first entrant in the realization of Scaringe’s dream.

Many have long-awaited Rivian’s launch and assumed the vehicle would be easily comparable to today’s trucks — aside from the fact that it’s100-percent electric — but that’s not really the case. In fact, Rivian has gone so far as to create its own unofficial vehicle class in which its R1T fits perfectly: Electric Adventure Vehicles.

Scaringe begins:

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 storing 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.
​

Mark Vinnels, Executive Director of Engineering and Programs shares:

The beauty and elegance of our quad-motor setup isn’t just about brute power, this architecture provides instantaneous torque with extremely precise control at each wheel, which is completely game-changing from a dynamics perspective both on- and off-road.
​

The R1T features a rugged, premium interior that covers all bases. It’s durable, comfortable, and highly functional, with surfaces that are nice to look at and easy to clean. VP of Vehicle Design Jeff Hammoud explains:

Although the exterior of the vehicle is what first attracts you, the interior is where you spend the most of your time, so we really focused on creating a transformational space inside our vehicles. The biggest challenge was creating an interior design that delivered a premium experience, while still being comfortable as a space that is heavily used. To do this, we looked outside the automotive industry and took inspiration from contemporary furniture, as well as hiking and outdoor gear, to drive the design.
​

Rivian just provided us with this pricing update:

Pricing starts at $61,500 after Federal Tax credit. Deliveries of the R1T begin in late 2020. Fully-equipped vehicles with the highest performance level and largest battery pack will enter production first. Our 180 kWh pack (400+ miles range) and 135 kWh pack will be available at launch, with the base variant (230+ miles range) to follow within 12 months of the start of production.
Rivian is now accepting preorders for a refundable deposit of $1,000. More information is available at www.rivian.com
​

Below is a more detailed look at specifications as provided by Rivian:

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmn-VGBSo8U

Chevrolet Silverado – US – By Year

Year	Total
2004	65,779
2005	705,981
2006	636,069
2007	618,257
2008	465,065
2009	316,544
2010	370,135
2011	415,130
2012	450,609
2013	480,414
2014	529,755
2015	600,544
2016	574,876
2017	585,864
2018	424,403

Ford F Series – US – By Year

Year	Total
2004	95,392
2005	901,463
2006	796,039
2007	691,589
2008	515,513
2009	413,625
2010	528,349
2011	584,917
2012	692,589
2013	764,402
2014	753,851
2015	780,354
2016	820,799
2017	896,764
2018	749,456

RivianOwnersForum.com - The Largest Rivian R1T And R1S Forum, Community And Owner's Club

 

[KenC]

$69k for the base model, pre-tax credit, with a 105kWh battery would seem to be a good price.

 

[Shivetya]

I like that they have followed Tesla's lead in minimizing the number of buttons to manage the features of the car. Now what remains to be seen is the UI and speed of which it operates. As for the video, the trouble these days is knowing what is CGI and what is not. Too many shots made it appear it was all done in CGI but even if not at this point it does not matter as you won't know what is being actually driven. Late 2020 is far enough off however to declare they haven't really put much into the manufacturing side of the equation, likely not even to have the stamps yet.

Nice to see, hope they can deliver. I see they took over the former Mitsubishi Motors plant in Normal Illinois. Who is their battery supplier, the one article I read was typical EV fluff


Funny how their driver at quick glance looked like Elon

 

[scottf200]

...Late 2020 is far enough off however to declare they haven't really put much into the manufacturing side of the equation, likely not even to have the stamps yet. ...

See bold below from wiki (follow their refs). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivian

InsideEVS:

Rivian has development centers in Plymouth, MI, San Jose, CA, Irvine, CA, and London, UK. In addition to our development locations, the company has a modern, 2.6 million square foot manufacturing plant in Normal, IL. Core to delivering Rivian’s vision is a team of 600 passionate people working in close collaboration to deliver a set of products that electrify adventure.

Deliveries of the R1T begin in late 2020 and the R1S begin at the start of 2021.

Wiki:

Facilities -- Rivian acquired a manufacturing plant near Normal, Illinois in the former Mitsubishi Motors plant in January 2017.[13][14] As of 2017, the company planned for this plant to be the primary North American location for its manufacturing. The plant has a floor area of 2.4 million square feet. The company received a $1 million grant and a five-year tax abatement from Normal contingent on meeting employment targets and investing $40.5 million over five years.[1] Rivian also received $49.5 million in tax credits from the state government; these credits are also contingent upon meeting employment targets and investing at least $175 million into the site by 2024.[15][2] Ahead of production, Rivian currently employs more than 50 people at the Normal facility.[5]

Rivian acquired the Mitsubishi plant and its contents for $16 million. The company says the plant is in excellent condition and has a functioning paint shop, robotics, stamping machines, and other production equipment.

Rivian's strategy in acquiring the plant has been likened to Tesla's acquisition of the NUMMI plant in California.[15][2]

Several videos here:

Watch Rivian R1T Electric Pickup Truck Do Some Proper Off-Roading
https://insideevs.com/watch-rivian-r1t-electric-truck-off-roading/

 

[obermd]

And GM continues to produce oil burners...

 

[Steverino]

Great news, sounds like they may beat everyone to market with a truck EV. I like the styling, no 100 lbs. of chrome rails and fencing, no overdone macho. YMMV

 

[KenC]

Probably Samsung or Panasonic, since they seem to be using batteries, 18650s or 2170s, similar to Tesla, rather than the battery packs from places like LG Chem.

I like that they have followed Tesla's lead in minimizing the number of buttons to manage the features of the car. Now what remains to be seen is the UI and speed of which it operates. As for the video, the trouble these days is knowing what is CGI and what is not. Too many shots made it appear it was all done in CGI but even if not at this point it does not matter as you won't know what is being actually driven. Late 2020 is far enough off however to declare they haven't really put much into the manufacturing side of the equation, likely not even to have the stamps yet.

Nice to see, hope they can deliver. I see they took over the former Mitsubishi Motors plant in Normal Illinois. Who is their battery supplier, the one article I read was typical EV fluff


Funny how their driver at quick glance looked like Elon

 

[Tacoma]

Super interesting post, those vehicle performance numbers are really good. I really like the idea that some of these start ups are reclaiming shuttered auto factories to use for manufacturing (I hear there are some GM ones becoming available soon). Once again this illustrates the possibility of a disruptive tech in another sector (trucks) which doesn't get much mention or discussion. And illustrating that EV is a drive train, not a chassis. I have my doubts that GM can get out of its own way.

 

[flyingsherpa]

Anyone know how their drivetrain is set up? They say 4 motors, but from the pics it doesn't look like wheel motors. And they talk about a gearbox of some sort. I'm guessing that, for each axle, they have 2 motors going into one gearbox of some sort... I don't know much about fancy gearboxes, but perhaps they have it set up so one motor can drive both wheels (compensate for failed motor) and/or both motors combined into one wheel (provide ton of power to wheel that has traction)? Curious if this would really be better than Tesla's D setup, which seems less complicated.

Edit: Other descriptions sound like the gearboxes are separate (4 total)... so a simple reduction gearbox near each wheel, which would be the most obvious way to do this. But that doesn't make sense with other descriptions they have, where they say they can do 300+kW into a gearbox, which is only possible with multiple motors going into one gearbox (motors are 147kW each). Hmmm.

Edit2: Maybe that "input into gearbox" is just the sum of all 4 independent gearbox inputs. So 300kW means the base version can really only pull 75kW per motor (half their true power) if you want max AWD performance (assume it could do all 300 to rear to max both rear motors for normal traction acceleration). The 562kW version would allow 140kW x 4, which is close to motor's max power, so this might be it, just seems an odd way to spec it.

 

[Jmaj]

Anybody plunked down their $1000 yet?

 

[rhodomel]

DO WE REALLY NEED A PICKUP TRUCK THAT CAN GO 0-100 mph in 7 seconds????? WHAT FOR?

I would load pickup trucks with plywood, refrigerator, washing machines, hitch a trailer and I would want to go 0-100 mph in 7 seconds! Yeah, that's really a good way to use the truck. HA HA HA HA HA!

 

[scottf200]

DO WE REALLY NEED A PICKUP TRUCK THAT CAN GO 0-100 mph in 7 seconds????? WHAT FOR?

I would load pickup trucks with plywood, refrigerator, washing machines, hitch a trailer and I would want to go 0-100 mph in 7 seconds! Yeah, that's really a good way to use the truck. HA HA HA HA HA!

I think you are misrepresenting this. It is a multi-purpose truck. Do you know how many variations of the Silverado, F150, and Ram there are? One article I read a while back showed 50+ variations each.

Did you see all the off road videos and capabilities? Angle of approach and departure are a couple of examples.

Fast variations and they sell fast too---
The F150 Raptor has *6* engine variations -- https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/models/f150-raptor/

Interesting article....
Title: Why Don't Other Car Companies Make a Ford Raptor?
https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/why-dont-other-car-companies-make-ford-raptor-259875

I remember when the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor first went on sale in 2010. I thought it was the most ridiculous, absurd, unnecessarily capable, far-too-brawny thing I had ever seen. I also really wanted one.And apparently I wasn't alone, because Ford dealers have barely been able to keep them in stock over the last six years. And Ford sensed incredibly high demand early on, shifting production to primarily crew cabs and adding a giant 6.2-liter V8 in order to satisfy buyer demands for more space and more power. Over the past six years, few vehicles have been such a breakaway success in such a niche market.

If you aren't convinced of the Raptor's success by the fact that there are waiting lists for the new model, or by the fact that you see the outgoing version everywhere -- the Raptor is routinely the only full-size truck I see on the roads in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New York City -- consider a piece I wrote a few months ago about their values: Demand for a new Raptor is so high that it's pushing up the price of used Raptors to the point where 3- or 4-year-old Raptors cost only a few thousand dollars less than they did when they were new.

And, to me, that begs the question: Why hasn't anyone else done this?

To be clear, they've tried. Chrysler came out with an off-roady version of the RAM 1500 pickup, called the RAM 1500 Rebel -- but while the Raptor features completely different styling, with crazy flared fenders, along with a series of serious off-road modifications, the Rebel seems like little more than an adventuresome option package. Chevy and GMC are still sitting this one out. And the closest thing Toyota has come to a Raptor competitor is the Tacoma TRD Pro, which -- while very cool -- is still a midsize truck, with midsize truck capabilities and midsize truck sizing. To me, the dimensions of a full-size truck are required to properly execute the brawn that would be a Raptor competitor.

Off road info --

Rivian Additional specs info:

Other trucks:
https://www.off-road.com/blog/2017/...t-pickup-truck-approach-angles-on-the-market/

 

[Sabuu]

Not to hijack the thread, but they're also supposed to release info (via Live Stream it appears) regarding an SUV model here in less than 10 minutes, too. Should be interesting to see.

 

[Blastphemy]

Here's the SUV:

http://products.rivian.com/suv/

Quite ironic that it looks like a Hummer! lol.

 

[scottf200]

Here's the SUV: http://products.rivian.com/suv/
Quite ironic that it looks like a Hummer! lol.

Looks like they 'squared' off the back to make it more comfortable for the 3rd row passengers. In my X, while I fit in the 3rd row my should touches the side (certainly for aerodynamics).

Appears Rivian's SUV has less towing capacity than the truck. Will be OK if the SUV is for pulling a camper tho (vs horse/work trailer).
3500 kg / _7716 lbs -- SUV (R1S)
5500 kg / 11023 lbs -- truck (R1T)

Quote: "In general, a truck or other vehicle that advertises it can tow 7,200 pounds (3,250 kilos) is adequate for towing most trailers under 24 feet. These are a few examples of popular camper models and how much they weigh: 3,715 pounds without gear and water – 2015 Jayco Jayflight 19RD (19 feet box length)" -- Via: https://camperreport.com/camper-weight/


I wonder if the SUV (R1S) is geared differently because they estimate at 10 mile addition in range.

 

[scottf200]

Title: Rivian R1T first impressions and hidden features
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4rcTOU8cBk

Wouldn't be surprised to see 220v as an option too (USB type C on top)

Air compressor -- air mattress, quad-runner tires, etc.

 

[scottf200]

High def pictures of truck (R1T) -- https://media.rivian.com/photo_gallery/r1t/
High def pictures of SUV (R1S) -- https://media.rivian.com/photo_gallery/r1s/

 

[JuneBug]

I like the concept, but hate those tic-tac headlights! The front end looks like an old Japanese cartoon character from the '60's.

 

[Shivetya]

I am already at the point that 250+ is the minimum requirement for an EV because as soon as the weather grows cold or goes to rainy **** range drops and your always leashed to that nearest charger.

 

[obermd]

DO WE REALLY NEED A PICKUP TRUCK THAT CAN GO 0-100 mph in 7 seconds????? WHAT FOR?

I would load pickup trucks with plywood, refrigerator, washing machines, hitch a trailer and I would want to go 0-100 mph in 7 seconds! Yeah, that's really a good way to use the truck. HA HA HA HA HA!

Actually, yes. If you're towing the extra acceleration power will allow you to accelerate at a more normal rate.