The phrase "game changer" gets used a lot, and oftentimes it comes wrapped up with a lot of hyperbole. But the 2022 Rivian R1T is indeed a game changer. It's the first vehicle from this American startup automaker, and it's also the first fully electric pickup truck to hit the market, beating both the Ford F-150 Lightning and Tesla Cybertruck to public streets.
As you might imagine, the R1T is no ordinary pickup. For one, this all-electric machine has four motors, one for each wheel. And its performance specs are impressive. It's built to tow as much as 11,000 pounds. And when it is empty, it can accelerate to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds or cruise more than 300 miles on a full charge. Want to go off-road? There's plenty of clearance to avoid rocks and ruts thanks to short body overhangs, a smooth underbody, and a height-adjustable suspension that allows you to raise the body of the truck when desired.
Sizewise, the R1T is a bit of a tweener. It's not as big as your average 1500 series full-size crew-cab truck, but it's bigger than any crew-cab truck you'll see in the midsize segment. It also comes in just one body configuration with a 4.5-foot cargo bed. That's short even compared to the beds of midsize trucks, but there are some cool storage features you don't get in a traditional truck such as a large front trunk and a so-called gear tunnel. This is a log-shaped enclosed cargo area located between the cargo bed and rear seats that should work well for storing long and thin items such as strollers or golf bags.
The R1T is Rivian's first vehicle to market, and it will soon be followed by the R1S, which is the SUV version of the R1T pickup. There's a lot riding on the R1T's success, and thankfully Rivian has nailed it. Whether you're shopping for a pickup, an EV or both, the R1T is well worth considering. Read our test team's Expert Rating to learn more about its performance, utility, Edmunds-tested real-world range and more.
The 2022 Rivian R1T is available in two main trim levels: Explore and Adventure. (Rivian also offered a limited-edition Launch Edition version of the Adventure package for early reservation holders.). There are also two battery pack sizes available for the way the truck is currently configured. There's the 135-kWh Large pack, with an EPA-estimated 314 miles of range (317 miles in Edmunds' real-world range test), and the 180-kWh Max pack. The EPA hadn't published a range estimate for the Max battery at the time of our review, but Rivian says it will provide upward of 400 miles of range.
2022 Rivian R1T
2022 Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 is one of the most popular vehicles on the road, truck or not. It's also a key rival to the R1T by way of the new fully electric Ford F-150 Lightning. We like the F-150 Lightning's large availability of features and easy-to-use in-car tech. Its base price is also less than the Rivian's, though higher trims are closely matched.
The Ram 1500 is unavailable with an electric powertrain, but it excels quite well as a regular pickup truck. It's spacious and comfortable, and it features good in-car tech. It's less expensive than the R1T, too, though you need to step up to higher trim levels to match the Rivian feature-for-feature. Read Edmunds' long-term road test of the Ram 1500.
Until the arrival of the Cybertruck, the Model X is the closest you'll get to size and performance in Tesla's lineup. It offers more passenger space than the Rivian, but it can't match the latter's utility. The Tesla has more EPA-estimated range than the Rivian, but expect to pay more for that range and space.
What's a Rivian? We're not surprised at the question, because not only has this fledgling U.S. automaker not yet brought any product to market, it hasn't made much noise about what it's been up to. But the automaker's getting close, with its first effort — the fully electric 2022 Rivian R1T pickup truck — set to launch in just a few months.
Well, nothing. But that's because the Rivian rolls around on a skateboard platform that contains the suspension, the four motors and the battery pack. Each motor is rated at 147 kilowatts, and total combined output can be as high as 562 kW, which equates to 753 horsepower. The cool part about having four motors is that it allows supremely accurate traction control and torque vectoring using nothing but software control. In theory, it means there are no differentials to lock or unlock either.
Electric vehicles are expected to present a more stylish and tech-forward interior than their internal combustion engine counterparts, and the R1T certainly follows that trend. Inset within open-pore wood trim (sustainably sourced, according to Rivian) are two fairly large digital displays: one in front of the driver, where a normal instrument pod would live, and the second in the center of the dash. Though we haven't had a chance to sit in the R1T yet, we prefer the idea of a dual-screen setup to the single screen found in Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y. The rest of the interior looks solid and well-made, although time will tell if the materials can withstand the adventurous use the R1T is designed to deliver.
We've not yet driven the R1T, so it's hard to comment about the ergonomics of its interior layout and the usefulness of its unique infotainment system. Few such details have been released, but Rivian has outlined a fully connected system that will readily enable over-the-air software updates. Tesla owners tend to love this functionality, but it can also lead to sloppy development practices.
The R1T is unusual in its use of space. At just 55 inches long, its truck bed is stubbier than most. But it has a front trunk under the hood because, well, there's no engine under there. And the bed offers an underfloor trunk of its own that's suitable for a full-size spare. But the weirdest and coolest part may be something Rivian calls a gear tunnel, which is a lockable space behind the cab and under the bed that can hold golf bags and snowboards. Accessible from either side of the truck, its doors open in such a way that they also function as bed steps.
Edmunds saysThe release of the 2022 Rivian R1T pickup is quickly approaching, and the way Rivian has flown under the radar until the vehicle is production-ready gives us confidence that it might pull this off. The truck looks good, its touted performance seems achievable, and Rivian has time to refine the product before it begins deliveries. Until then, watch this space for more updates and an eventual first drive of the Rivian R1T.
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2022 Rivian R1T:
The least-expensive 2022 Rivian R1T is the 2022 Rivian R1T Explore 4dr Crew Cab AWD SB (electric DD). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $67,500.
Other versions include:
