by Baron Wilton
posted on April 15, 2022
Adventure thrills with a silent soundtrack
The road to electric trucks has been one filled with excitement, a decade of anticipation, and shattered bulletproof windows. From the company that has given us electric Amazon vans, we now have the world’s first electric truck, or as Rivian calls it, “Electric Adventure Vehicle.” Rivian began delivering the R1T to customers earlier this year, and Turo host Ryan has listed the first one on the marketplace!
The R1T set an incredible benchmark as it has received great praise from hard-to-impress truck enthusiasts. The truck’s rugged capabilities are only bolstered by an all-wheel drive electric drivetrain, and its interior boasts high-quality, luxurious materials wrapped in vegan leather worthy of its $70k+ price tag (before potential tax incentives). The R1T, and its nearly identical SUV sibling — the R1S, are a true embodiment of the advancement of EV technology and are a must-drive for those looking for a memorable adventure. “The Rivian is a beast of a car and I am excited to get to share it with people and use it for all of my weekend adventures,” says Ryan.
With the recent surge of gas prices and a continuously growing list of attractive EV options, it is hard not to get excited about the future — and present — of alternative fuel vehicles. The R1T may be the first electric truck on the streets, but that road is about to get crowded with the upcoming launch of the Ford F-150 Lightning, electric Chevrolet Silverado, Hummer EV, and the long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck. To stand out, Rivian aims to appeal to those looking for a premium driving experience that doesn’t stop when the traditional road ends. As Ryan points out, “not only does it drive well on the freeway but the quad motors make you feel like you can take it anywhere.” After years of testing in the manufacturing facility, Rivian engineers brought the R1T to life on a 13,000-mile trek from Patagonia to Los Angeles, through the most extreme and mundane of conditions. So it’s no surprise that the truck puts up some serious off-road numbers with its eight driving modes, but keep in mind off-roading is prohibited with cars booked on Turo.
The R1T also proves to be a competitive road-warrior on the streets, sprinting from 0-60 mph in a mind-blowing three seconds. With the help of its quad-motor system independently powering each wheel for optimal torque and drive-line precision, the R1T is refreshingly agile while producing truly incredible power — 835 hp and 908 ft lbs. of torque. To compare, the Tesla Model X can only beat those numbers in its Plaid trim, which leverages a tri-motor drivetrain and costs nearly double that of the R1T. Its speedy acceleration makes the Rivian the quickest pickup truck available, surpassing the Ram 1500 TRX.
Every R1T also comes standard with Rivian’s Driver+ self-driving technology aimed to rival Tesla’s $12k Autopilot feature. Unlike Autopilot, Rivian does not offer smart summon or self-driving capabilities. But, it does deliver adaptive cruise control, assisted lane changing, and autonomous emergency braking that matches even the best of hands-free technology you can find outside of Tesla, namely GM’s Super Cruise and Ford’s BlueCruise. Rivian’s Driver+ technology suite is also set to improve in the coming years with over-air updates, which is becoming commonplace amongst new cars.
“The Rivian isn’t as much of a truck as it is a tool for adventuring. There’s enough storage in the trunk for two sets of golf clubs, space in the Gear Tunnel for five sets of skis, AND the truck bed can fit a week’s worth of camping gear,” mentions Ryan.
What truly makes the R1T special is its unprecedented capability for the journey ahead. Its innovative Gear Tunnel cuts through the width of the truck and acts as secure storage for your cargo. As an additional option, it can even house a modular Camp Kitchen, which comes fully equipped with camping essentials including a four-gallon water tank, collapsible sink, two-burner cooktop, cutlery, a kettle and coffee grinder, and proper lighting. As Ryan points out, “on top of all of that, they threw a convenient flashlight in the door and a really good sounding speaker in the center console.” Although Ryan opted for the extra storage space over the kitchen in his R1T, you can add on a bike rack, camping tent, or gear rack as Extras, making Ryan’s truck an excellent travel companion to experience the great outdoors all year long.
While the R1T is parked, you can take advantage of DC fast charging stations between destinations and achieve up to 140 miles of range in 20 minutes. Level 1 or 2 charging is also available while you are at home or at nearby shopping centers, restaurants, or office buildings. Rivian is constructing their own proprietary network of charging stations similar to that of Tesla’s Superchargers. However, in the meantime, Ryan’s R1T comes ready to plug into any non-Tesla charging station and can reach 314 miles of range on a single charge.
Ryan’s R1T in San Francisco is the first to hit the Turo marketplace, though more are quickly popping up around the country. Although it faces fierce competition from Tesla enthusiasts on the electric side and traditional American truck lovers on the gas-powered side, the R1T is truly in a league of its own. As of today, no other vehicle can deliver incredible all-weather performance, an extensively luxurious interior, and practical modularity in a single package. For this to be accomplished in an EV with competitive range and cutting-edge features is a significant feat for the automotive industry, and we can’t wait to see more of these out on the streets.
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Baron Wilton
Baron is a walking encyclopedia of car facts. His favorite sport is behind the wheel of his Jaguar F-Type, which he drives more in the canyons of SoCal than on the streets.
