NFR Rivian R1T Driven Yesterday

Robert Engleheart · Nov 24, 2023

My son-in-law bought one for a parts and delivery vehicle for his business, brought it home last night and I got to drive it for a quick trip. About 5 miles through residential and business district including a quick hop on and off freeway. I was impressed with the fit and finish inside and out, top quality. Lots of storage: frunk in front, lockable under bed compartment that’s generous and a unique space between rear sears and bed that’s accessible from outside or behind the seats. Very controlled, firm but comfortable ride, noise and vibration absent, felt smaller than it is. Freeway entrance was a decreasing radius and control and ride was impressive, doesn’t feel like a truck; no body roll and steering is quick and positive. Absolutely quiet and the power is unbelievable, instant and impressive. Has the Quad motor option, 800+ hp. Been getting 300+ miles range, mostly highway at 75-80+ and several hundred to 1K+ lbs load. Rated as a 3/4 ton IIRC and to tow 11,000 lbs; your range will be decreased.
I really liked it.
For those interested, here’s a C&D review.

2024 Rivian R1T Review, Pricing, and Specs

The 2024 Rivian R1T is the quickest pickup we’ve ever tested, but it's no mere show pony, offering impressive off-road chops as well.

www.caranddriver.com

Driftless Dan · Nov 24, 2023

So it can go over 300 miles on one charge, going 75-80 MPH, with a half-ton load on back?

What is the range with the 11K lbs in tow?

Josh · Nov 24, 2023

Driftless Dan said:
What is the range with the 11K lbs in tow?

Here's How Far A Rivian R1T Can Tow 10,000 Lbs In Freezing Temperatures | Carscoops

And it turns out that the combination seems to really confuse the onboard range estimate

www.carscoops.com

Dustin Chromers · Nov 24, 2023

This is getting closer to viable for me as a truck owner and user of it as a truck.

Divad · Nov 24, 2023

Electric vehicles wear through tires 30% faster. Thank you for killing the salmon.

Roper · Nov 24, 2023

Divad said:
Electric vehicles wear through tires 30% faster. Thank you for killing the salmon.

Why is that, asking for a friend…?

Brute · Nov 24, 2023

Saw one up close on the Rubicon Trail this last August…surprised it made it this far…of course a Jeep JKU was in front with straps & winch…but still an achievement

RCF · Nov 24, 2023

Roper said:
Why is that, asking for a friend…?

Info from Consumer Reports:

EV Owners Surprised By Rapid Tire Wear

Compared to traditional combustion vehicles, some EV owners report their tires wearing quickly.

www.sciencefriday.com

Quick read of summary or listen to podcast and learn more...

Josh · Nov 24, 2023

RCF said:
Quick read of summary or listen to podcast and learn more...

Im neither here nor there on electric cars overall. But this seems more like a user problem. Sort of like saying “drills strip out 30% more screws than screwdrivers!”

Roper · Nov 24, 2023

So use wise it‘s just like prevalent gas trucks, crew cab with a dinky pickup bed. I guess most folks have no need for a larger bed, but I do so this is useless for me. I just need to keep my 2008 F150 running to haul all my stuff around.

RCF said:
Info from Consumer Reports:

EV Owners Surprised By Rapid Tire Wear

Compared to traditional combustion vehicles, some EV owners report their tires wearing quickly.

www.sciencefriday.com

Quick read of summary or listen to podcast and learn more...

this makes me wonder how EV’s perform in inclement weather and snow…

RCF · Nov 24, 2023

Roper said:
So use wise it‘s just like prevalent gas trucks, crew cab with a dinky pickup bed. I guess most folks have no need for a larger bed, but I do so this is useless for me. I just need to keep my 2008 F150 running to haul all my stuff around.

this makes me wonder how EV’s perform in inclement weather and snow…

In my mind there is no wondering how they will perform in inclement weather and snow/ice. The only wondering I would have is when could I use the truck again in the PNW since we may go weeks or months with inclement weather...

Divad · Nov 24, 2023

Josh said:
Im neither here nor there on electric cars overall. But this seems more like a user problem. Sort of like saying “drills strip out 30% more screws than screwdrivers!”

Um the weight of an ev…unless you are considering the “user problem” that of vehicle selection, one cannot drive differently to reduce mass.

Heavier vehicle = tires wear faster. Rivian weighs 3,000 more lbs than a Tacoma.

Chucker · Nov 24, 2023

There’s a yellow one in my neighborhood. It looks like this…

Jake Watrous · Nov 24, 2023

I really like those Rivian trucks, and thought hard about buying one, but in my experience electric trucks have a major liability: Charging stations aren’t designed or placed with trucks in mind—especially those towing trailers.

I did some exploration with a borrowed Lightning and found that in my area nearly all of the charging stations would fail to accommodate a full size pickup, and every single one of them would require dropping a towed trailer elsewhere in the parking lot first.

Infrastructure needs to catch up. Right now is basically be limited to charging at home from my solar system.

wanderingrichard · Nov 24, 2023

Historically the same issues we had when building out the gasoline infrastructure.

If you think there's issues with putting an R1S or a Lightning into a charging station, think about what the fleet of Volvo EV dump trucks goes through... ( lemme look that up and I'll post it here)

Volvo FMX Electric

Volvo FMX Electric. A robust and reliable truck for supporting building infrastructure with minimal disturbance in noise and emissions.

www.volvotrucks.com

Ok, electrek doesn't have that article anymore, but basically they had to use 2 480 VDC chargers per unit to get a end of the day charge.

SurfnFish · Nov 24, 2023

pretty much the Hummer of EV's..niche market

Josh · Nov 24, 2023

Divad said:
Um the weight of an ev…unless you are considering the “user problem” that of vehicle selection, one cannot drive differently to reduce mass.

Heavier vehicle = tires wear faster. Rivian weighs 3,000 more lbs than a Tacoma.

The user problem is acceleration wear due to torque.

Buzzy · Nov 24, 2023

@Robert Engleheart - I bet that torque was impressive and put a grin on your face!

Divad · Nov 24, 2023

Josh said:
The user problem is acceleration wear due to torque.

From Emissions Analytics, for every 1,000lbs extra tire wear is increased by 20%, ceteris paribus.

I'd say user acceleration is captured in outlier data in the standard deviation but not the motivator behind the statistic. "The Tyre Collective" has some good info on this if anybody wants to read it.