Electric vehicle startup brand Rivian looks set to become the first automaker to bring a battery-powered pickup truck to the marketplace with its R1T, which the company promises it will begin delivering to paying customers in January 2022.
That puts the R1T’s Canadian launch weeks – if not months – ahead of the Ford F-150 Lightning scheduled to reach showrooms next spring. It also points to Rivian getting its truck into owners’ garages about a year sooner than the Tesla Cybertruck, which that company says won’t go into production until the end of 2022.
According to Rivian.com, the R1T’s Canadian starting MSRP is $90,000 in an entry-grade Explore trim level, while an uplevel Adventure package will come in at $97,250. Both prices include a standard battery pack that Rivian estimates will provide 480 km of driving range. For another $14,000, you can add a larger “max pack” battery and its promised 640 km.
The R1T’s starting price is double the limit for the federal government’s electric vehicle purchase incentive program, which stipulates an MSRP of $45,000 or less for vehicles with six seats or fewer.
Rivian’s pricing is also higher than the $68,000 tag Ford has attached to the F-150 Lightning. Rivian says the R1T will tow nearly 5,000 kg (11,000 lbs), which edges out the Lightning’s roughly 4,500-kg (10,000 lbs) limit. Ford has invested hundreds of millions in Rivian as part of what the companies call a strategic, long-term partnership. However, the F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T are not related structurally or mechanically.
The R1T’s standard wheels are 21-inchers, but 20- and 22-inch wheels are extra-cost options. A spare tire is an extra-cost option too, with the price dependent on which wheel style/size you choose.
Among the Explore trim’s standard features are heated seats and steering wheel, vegan leather upholstery, an air compressor, recycled floor mats, and driver lumbar adjustment.
Upgrade to the Adventure trim level and Rivian adds ventilated seats, a Meridian sound system, fancier upholstery, front passenger-seat lumbar, and yellow interior accents.
Rivian says its R1S SUV is also set to reach the market at the beginning of 2022.
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