Rivian: The Adventure Vehicles That Actually go on Adventures
Image - Car and Driver
The state of California has a very diverse car culture, more than most people realize. Over 860 million miles are driven by people every day across the state, with more than 31 million cars registered in the state, according to the city's Department of Transportation and Department of Motor Vehicles (LADOT Public Road Data 2022, Table 4, p.16, CADMV). Of these 31 million cars, only around 3.5% or 1.1 million of them are electric vehicles. Now, you’ve probably got an image of a Tesla in your mind, but in this article we want to focus on SUVs and trucks. Hummer EV? Nope. Lucid Gravity? Still nope. Hyundai Ioniq 5? Nope, nope, and nope. Think boxy… think oval headlights… think… adventurous. That’s right–it’s time for a review of Rivian.
The American electric vehicle manufacturer, Rivian, was first founded in 2009 by RJ Scaringe with the goal of creating autonomous and fully electric vehicles. Today, Rivian makes amazing SUVs and Trucks for the most adventurous of drivers.
To start, let’s talk about Rivians vehicle lineup and selection.
Rivian R1S
The R1S is Rivian’s SUV model, first delivered to customers in late 2022. With three rows and seating for up to seven people, the R1S is perfect for large families or for solo car-campers, allowing you to fold both rear rows of seats down and make space for a full mattress or extended cargo and storage. The R1S also comes with Rivian’s suite of off-road capabilities and functions, including full traction and stability control of the car, adjustable air suspension for high ground clearance, and a built-in air compressor. The R1S starts at $76,990 for the Dual Standard trim, giving the car two separate motors and an estimated range of 270 miles on a single charge.
Rivian R1T
The R1T is Rivian’s Truck model and was first delivered about a year before the R1S in late 2021. The R1T is perfect for people who need the most amount of cargo/utility space, while also keeping the amazing off-road functionality and interior design that Rivian has to offer. While the technical amount of space in the bed of the truck isn’t the largest, it still gets many jobs done. Coming in at around 29 cubic feet of cargo volume (54in Tailgate up L, 83.6in Tailgate down L, 51in W, 18in H), and an additional full-size spare tire compartment underneath the bed, the R1T is truly a game changer. This truck also has a trick up its sleeve that many people may not notice at first: being a fully electric truck, the space between the rear cabin and rear wheels that is normally taken up by a car’s driveshaft is replaced with what Rivian calls the Gear Tunnel! This 65 inch tunnel is the perfect place for your skis, golf clubs, hiking poles, and other items of that nature and length. The R1T starts at $72,990 for the Dual Standard trim and approximately 270 miles of range.
As you’ve seen, the R1S and R1T have their own unique features that make each of them special. Now, let’s talk about some of their similarities!
Both vehicles offer an exceptional driving experience. From simple daily driving on a bustling city street to drifting through sand in the Mojave Desert or wading through water and mud in a rainforest, to even camping completely off the grid in Death Valley, the Rivian’s got you covered.
Images - Rivian, Car and Driver
Next, let’s go over the different trims that are offered on both vehicles: Dual Standard, Dual, Tri, and Quad. Each of the trim names represents how many motors the vehicle has: Dual for two, Tri for three, and Quad for four. Each of these trims have their own benefits, including changes to range, power, performance, and visual features. All can be seen in the overview below (specific specs may vary between vehicles).
Dual Standard
Range - 270mi
Power - 533hp
0-60 - 4.5 seconds
Dual
Range - 329mi - 410mi (Max Battery Pack)
Power - 533hp - 665hp
0-60 - 3.4 seconds
Tri
Range - 371mi
Power - 850hp
0-60 - 2.9 seconds
The Quad-Motor trim comes with four of Rivian’s in-house motors, giving the driver a maximum of 1,025 horsepower and allowing it to go from 0-60mph in just 2.5 seconds, which is astonishing for a vehicle that weighs three and a half tons or 7,000 pounds. This trim, along with the Tri motor, also includes all 9 of Rivian’s preset Drive Modes: All Purpose, All Terrain, Snow, Sport, Soft Sand, Rally, Drift, Rock Crawl, and Conserve. Each of these drive modes changes how the car handles, performs, and feels for the driver. This includes adjustments to how the pedals feel, how smooth the ride quality is, how much regenerative braking force is used, turning traction control on or off, and even the height of the car, which goes all the way up to 14.9in of ground clearance.
Rivians are truly the perfect cars for the most adventurous of drivers. With a best-in-class suite of features and tools paired with a stylish, modern design, Rivian delivers the best of both worlds for all types of drivers. The R1T is ideal for utility and storage use cases, while the R1S is perfect for large families or someone just looking for some extra space in their trunk. Regardless, Rivians are easily adaptable and extremely fun cars to drive. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to find a local Rivian store and take a hands-on look at what their vehicles have to offer.