- the epa has announced that the rivian r1t, the first model from the california-based startup, will have a 314-mile range in the launch edition trim with the 135.0-kwh battery.
- the epa also provided numbers for the r1s suv, which is due at some point in 2022 and will be able to travel an extra two miles with the same battery and motor setup.
- the rivian r1t will go up against the ford f-150 lightning and gmc hummer ev, both expected to go on sale within the next several months.
the launch of the eagerly awaited electric rivian r1t pickup truck slowly edges closer. the california-based startup originally announced the intention to deliver the r1t to customers in july, but that date was pushed to september as the company ironed out the final kinks. well, september is here, and now one of the most important prerequisites to customer sales has been fulfilled for the rivian r1t. the epa has officially released range estimates for both the truck and its suv counterpart, the r1s, which is due out in 2022.
while multiple battery sizes are expected to be available down the line, the epa's official estimates are only for the launch edition models, which come with a 135.0-kwh battery pack delivering electricity to four motors. this setup, according to the epa, will be good for a 314-mile range, and the $73,000 launch edition r1t returns an estimated 74 mpge in the city, 66 mpge on the highway, and 70 mpge combined. the r1s, which uses the same battery and motor setup, can travel slightly further on a charge at 316 miles. however, it's a smidge less efficient, returning one mpge less on the city, highway, and combined ratings from the epa. rivian has said that a larger battery pack with an approximately 400-mile range will arrive later.
if rivian r1t deliveries actually get underway this month, it will become the first electric pickup truck available to the public. it’ll soon face steep competition in the ford f-150 lightning, gmc hummer ev, and, maybe eventually, the tesla cybertruck. currently these rivals don’t have official epa figures and only have range estimates from the manufacturers themselves. the lightning, which will be significantly cheaper than the rivian in its base trim but can easily be priced to a similar amount, is supposed to go 300 miles with the biggest battery pack.
the gmc meanwhile, which will start above the rivian and go well into the $100,000 zone, is expected to achieve a 350-mile range from its colossal 200.0-kwh battery. tesla claims that the top-spec tri motor version of the cybertruck, which will cost around the same as the rivian, will go 500 miles on a charge, but the truck also appears to have been delayed until late 2022 at the earliest. with the ford not arriving until spring 2022 and the gmc expected by the end of 2021, the rivian should beat all of its competitors to market if the nascent ev maker can get cars in the hands of customers this month.