Many have called automotive startup Rivian the "Tesla of trucks" because the company is developing high-performance electric trucks and SUVs that are really easy on the eyes.
This week, at the L.A. Auto Show, the company unveiled two new all-electric vehicles: the R1T electric pickup truck and the all-electric R1S SUV. Both are targeted to enter production at the company's facility in Normal, Ill., in 2020.
The initial vehicles will have a 180 kilowatt-hour battery pack with a range of 410 miles. A smaller 135 kilowatt-hour battery pack will also be available out of the gate, and a 105 kilowatt-hour option with a range of 250 miles will be available a year later.
According to the company, the truck will have enough power to climb 45-degree slopes and tow more than 11,000 pounds.
The SUV, which can seat seven, will start at $72,500, while the pickup, which can seat five, will be slightly cheaper at $69,000.
The vehicles have two body-mounted motors per axle that precisely control each wheel. The body mounted motors also mean that it has no engine, so where the engine once was is now a storage compartment or front trunk. The truck also has a cool storage cubby that runs the width of the truck and is located between the seats and the bed.
The truck will go from zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds, zero to 100 in less than seven seconds, and top out at 125 mph.
Now, what remains to be seen is whether or not Rivian will be more like Tesla, and we'll actually see the cars on the road, or Faraday, which is having a rougher go of it. Hopefully the team can pull it off without having to put in 80 to 100-hour work weeks.
