For an electric segment, we need to switch the topic from Tesla to another company called Rivian Automotive. For almost a decade, the company founded by an MIT graduate have been working without being exposed to the public, until finally, they bought a former Mitsubishi factory last year.
The company has invested millions of dollars to transform the factory into a qualified production facility in the future, and now they are ready to introduce the first car they will work on Rivian R1T, a dashing porous pickup that relies purely on electrical energy.
As a pickup, R1T is ready to transport five people easily, take on cargo up to 800 kg, or pull a trailer weighing up to 5 tons. These claims are also accompanied by highly qualified specifications, especially for an electric-engine pickup.
Rivian pinned an electric motor on each R1T wheel, each with a power output of 147 kW. Bursts of total power range from 300 – 562 kW (depending on the input to the gearbox), while the maximum torque reaches 1,120 Nm. All of that is enough to take it at a maximum speed of 200 km / h and accelerate from 0-100 km / h in just 3 seconds.
The battery is placed in the same position as where the majority of other electric cars, namely at the bottom of the car. But since this pickup has reached almost 5.5 meters in length, the battery capacity that it can carry is very large.
There are three variants that Rivian will offer: 105 kWh, 135 kWh, and 180 kWh, each with an estimated distance of up to 370+ km, 480+ km and 640+ km. This battery supports fast charging with a power of 160 kW, while the default charger itself has 11 kW of power.
Apart from impressive specifications, R1T is also rich in features. The combination of radar, lidar, ultrasonic sensors, and GPS enables a Level 3 automatic steering system on the highway. Level 3 means the driver is welcome to take his hand off the steering wheel and not stare at the road while the car is running on its own.
The utility aspects are also taken care of by Rivian. Right between the rear door and the rear wheel of the R1T, there is a hidden pit that extends from the left side to the right of the car, enough to store various items such as a stroller, golf bag and so on, with a total volume of 350 liters.
This pit can also be used as a foothold when raising items to the R1T tank, or when the driver wants to tie his shoes. The tub itself is quite long at 1.4 meters, and underneath there is still an extra pit to store spare tires. Under the hood, since this is an electric car, there is a luggage space with a capacity of 330 liters.
The realization of this car is still quite long. Rivian plans to market it by the end of 2020, and the first to come is the most popular variant with a battery capacity of 180 kWh and 135 kWh. The official price is set at $ 69,000 for the cheapest variant (105 kWh).
Rivian R1T
