Rivian aims to deliver the world’s best electric trucks and SUVs. Its vehicles range up to 400 miles and can tow 11,000 pounds.
Rivian received backing from Ford and Cox Automotive. Its models are supported by a bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and a battery pack limited warranty for eight years or 175,000 miles.
Getting Started
The Rivian R1T and R1S aren’t your typical pickup trucks or SUVs. For one, they’re electric. And for another, they’re capable off-roaders with a max DC fast charging rate of 220 kW that nicely complements their EPA-estimated range of up to 410 miles.
The automotive market is excited about electric vehicles, including the Rivian R1S for sale, as buyers seek eco-friendly and innovative options for their transportation needs.
Rivian has a unique business model that forgoes dealerships and sells directly to customers. That means prospective buyers can contact a company representative via a website or phone number to learn technical details about the two vehicles, get pre-order information, apply for financing, and learn more about available federal and state purchase incentives. Once a potential customer has placed a refundable deposit on an R1T or R1S, they’ll be assigned a Rivian Guide who will work with them throughout the order and delivery process.
Rivian’s prospects remain murky, even though the company posted better-than-expected results in Q3 and raised its full-year production guidance. The EV startup’s revenue has been growing, but it’s still losing money at an alarming pace as it burns through cash to fund ramp-up efforts. Until that changes, Rivian stock should be considered a high-risk investment.
Range
In the early days of the Rivian R1T, speculators paid hefty premiums to be among the first to get one and flipped them for big profits. Now that they’ve been on the market for over a year and production is ramping up, prices are dropping, and used models can be found in the low of a thousand dollars range.
Rivian’s electric SUVs and pickup trucks are designed to be the ultimate adventure vehicles, with plenty of ground clearance, an impressive maximum water fording depth, and a capacity to tow up to 11,000 pounds. They also offer an upper-class outdoorsy interior with a honking 16.0-inch touchscreen, power-adjustable seats, and finely stitched leather.
The company’s Rivian R1S SUV boasts a dual-motor drivetrain with 835 horsepower and 829 lb-ft of torque, enough to get you from zero to 60 in about three seconds flat. Rivian’s quad-motor setup also enables some cool torque vectoring, which can shift power from the front to the back of the vehicle to maintain control on slippery surfaces.
Rivian’s R1T pickup truck can also be configured with a dual-motor drivetrain that produces a staggering 1,500 lb-ft of torque for up to 450 miles of range. The larger battery in the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV may eventually top these numbers. Still, Rivian has already claimed the title of longest-range electric pickup on the market with its current model, and it’s not likely to give up that crown soon.
Chargers
The Rivian R1T is the only electric pickup on the market that offers a max DC fast charge rate of 220 kW. It also has off-road chops and a spacious gear tunnel, making it one of the most capable vehicles.
Each vehicle has a portable charging cable that works in most standard outlets. You can use it to boost your battery while driving or plug into our ever-growing public Rivian chargers network.
Rivian aims to offer a comprehensive charging system that lets drivers reach their destination without worry. The company says it’s working toward this goal by building its charging infrastructure and partnering with existing providers to expand the Rivian.
In a proposal to Verra, one of the world’s leading carbon credit certifiers, Rivian says it “retains all environmental attributes from its charging networks.” It seeks to earn credits that could be sold to offset other parties’ emissions. Several carbon market experts have questioned whether the proposal passes one of the fundamental tests for reliable carbon offsets, known as additionality.
One of them, the MIT Technology Review editor, has raised questions about including residential chargers in the project. He has questioned whether Rivian is already inserting language claiming ownership of the chargers’ “environmental attributes” into customer contracts and other documents.
Service
Rivian’s 2022 R1T is the only truck on the market that snagged MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year award and made an epic cross-continental trip. It’s the first all-electric pickup to offer such a wide range of capabilities, with its impressive ability to tow and haul, blaze down mountain roads, and easily tackle off-road trails.
The R1T is also incredibly versatile, with 104 cubic feet of storage (second and third-row seats fold completely flat). The clever Gear Tunnel can be outfitted with a camp kitchen or anything else you can dream up. And it’s fully connected, with the vehicle software and mobile app working together to help you get where you’re going safely and efficiently.
A new Performance dual-motor option offers 700hp and a zero to 60 time of 3.5 seconds for an extra thousand dollars. The 2023 model includes over-the-air updates like Gear Tunnel and Camp modes for even more convenience and capability.
Rivian Automotive still has to prove it can scale up production and hit its profitability targets. After third-quarter earnings on Nov. 7, several firms lowered their price targets for the company’s shares, though Goldman Sachs lifted its target to 25, up from 23. Still, Rivian’s quarterly cash burn is significant, and it has yet to hit the mass production rates that would reduce costs.
