We first became aware of the Rivian brand, an American start-up, while watching The Long Way Up, the latest motorcycle adventure from Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. It was an endeavor to motorcycle from Ushuaia in the southern frozen tip of Argentina, through South and Central America, all the way up to Los Angeles. Sounds a simple enough idea, until the boys decided they wanted to do it on prototype electric Harley-Davidson bikes. Not only that, they also wanted their support vehicles to be fully electric. The bar was officially raised.
Rivian's pioneering R1T utility truck
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Stepping up to provide a solution to the team’s sizable problem was Rivian who offered them the world’s first prototype of their R1T truck. Putting its name, development and investment at significant risk, the Rivian out-performed all expectations, cementing itself as a bullet-proof workhorse across an enormous range of landscapes and environments. From frozen roads to moon-like desert landscapes and dizzying altitudes, the Rivian got the Long Way Up team out of trouble on more than one occasion. Rivian even installed fast-charging points along the entire route for the expedition. That shows significant commitment to the EV revolution.
After proving its on and off-road credentials in surely the most trying conditions on the planet across 13,000 miles, through 13 countries, Rivian can now offer up to R1T to the paying public. And we’re lucky enough to see it up close at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard.
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As for vital statistics, the R1T can deliver between 260 and 400+ miles of range depending on the battery pack and motor that you select. Capable of driving through 3+ feet of water or rock crawling at a 100% grade, the Rivian can traverse a myriad of terrains with 14.9 inches of ground clearance.
With quad-motor all-wheel-drive the truck can tow weights up to 4990kg. The front axle is powered by a 420PS (314kW) unit with 560Nm of torque while the rear axle delivers 426PS (317kW) and 671Nm of torque. Together, they put down a total of 846PS (632kW) and 1231Nm of torque, accelerating the Rivian and whatever kit you want to stow in it from 0-60 in as little as 3 seconds.
Frankly, if Ewan and Charley can rely on it while navigating the high peaks of the Andes Mountains, we’re pretty confident the R1T will be just fine for a run to the shops or for tackling the pot-holed driveway to the countryside escape.
Photography by Joe Harding
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