Rivian Automotive revealed the Rivian R1T on Monday with the promise that the SUV variant would be announced later in the week. Sure enough, they delivered. And it looks just as impressive as its pickup truck stablemate.
A cursory glance at the above picture shows the obvious resemblance to the R1T. The unconventional LED lighting setup is all there, as is everything else. Fortunately, Rivian decided to release pictures of an R1S in a very lovely green, a contrast to the stark silver shots of the R1T.
Now for some specs: 0-60 time of 3 seconds with the mid range 135 kWh battery pack. And the ability to tow up to about 7,700 pounds. The R1S also boasts an extra 100 pounds in payload capacity over the R1T, for a total of about 1,800 pounds. All wheel traction is made possible by four motors, one for each wheel. It has seating for seven passengers and fold flat functionality for the second and third rows. The liftgate will also have a fold out tailgate, which is a feature most commonly found in the Land Rover lineup. Rivian says the 180 kWh battery pack will allow the R1S to go over 410 miles on a single charge, which is slightly more than the pickup variant.
| Make/Model | Length (inches) | Width (inches) | Wheelbase (inches) | Height (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Lincoln Navigator/Navigator L | 210/221.9 | 83.6 | 122.5/131.6 | 76.1/76.4 |
| 2018 Cadillac Escalade /ESV | 203.9/224.3 | 80.5 | 116/130 | 74/74.4 |
| Rivian R1S | 198.4 | 79.3 | 121 | 71.7 |
| 2018 Ford Explorer | 197.1 | 78.9 | 112.6 | 70.4 |
In terms of dimensions, the Rivian isn’t too far off from the regular wheelbase variants of the three row body-on-frame luxury SUV’s from Lincoln and Cadillac. The 2018 Ford Explorer is there for reference because the 2020 Ford Explorer will probably occupy the same footprint as its predecessor, which means the new Lincoln Aviator will also be similarly sized.
The Rivian also boasts an interior that can likely go up against pretty much anyone in the segment. The company says the R1S will start at about $72,500 before incentives. For comparison, a 2019 Lincoln Navigator has a starting MSRP of $73,205 while the Escalade comes in at $75,195.
If the R1S actually sees the light of day, it will most definitely shake up the three row luxury SUV segment. Every automaker who currently fields a traditional ICE entry is officially put on notice. And if they haven’t already begun to develop battery electric variants of their current offerings, they’re in trouble.
Sources:
“Rivian launches all-electric SUV with over 410 miles of range” – electrek
Related Reading:
Industry News: The Rivian R1T Will Probably Be The First Fully Electric American Pickup
A very interesting concept. What will be even more interesting is if Rivian can get their designs into production. Tesla did it, so it is not impossible.
Something tells me that the folks in Normal, Illinois will be very, very busy soon.
I don’ t know how that will play out in some other cities right now, like Lordstown, Detroit-Hamtramck, or Oshawa, but it gives hope, albeit not near term.
I am not sure about the USA, but in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, there is a huge demand for electric cars. The big makers seem to be dragging their feet. It is great to see startups fill the void.
There does seem to be demand for EVs, and as SUVs seem to be preferred over sedans, this may give all-hallowed Tesla a run for its money.
The plant it is slated to use is the old Normal IL plant, formerly Mitsubishi, and that is why I reference it may give hope to the other plants slated for closure. An unallocated plant is liable to be repurposed for something that sells, and converting to EV production may be a way forward for the plants, even if not with the current owner.
I wish Rivian much success.
The pickup didn’t really wow me, but this one does. A 400 mile range is getting very close to a figure that will make an electric work for many, many more people. This will be very, very interesting to watch.
The styling is very nicely done. It has a very Lincoln-like vibe to it, so much more classic and subdued than Cadillac’s design direction.
Agree that it looks a little like a cross between a Land Rover and a Lincoln, but that front end is not aesthetically appealing to me. It looks like four sets of eyes in a face dissolving into a face.
Butterface.
I can’t handle that front end at all.
The copy of the 1963 Plymouth parking light/turn signals on the front don’t help at all….
Tesla seems to be doing okay selling sedans (which supposedly nobody wants) and something that’s maybe a little like a CUV if you squint right.
That seems to imply that a manufacturer of electric vehicles who makes more popular body styles (pickup and SUV) should be just fine.
I’m curious to see how this will play out. Will the have the success of Tesla? Or crash and burn like Fisker?
Keep in mind Fisker took the same method of propulsion as the Chevy Volt, which was an electric drive powered by a set of batteries AND an internal combustion engine should the range be needed. Neither the underfunded Fisker (which only died when the battery sources went away) nor the Volt have set the world on fire. The Bolt, a fully battery powered vehicle, is doing well, as are the Tesla models. I don’t think Fisker and Tesla had much in common, and the Fisker, being more exotic in design while hedging the ICE/EV bet on propulsion, lost that war.
From electrek 10/03/2018: GM delivered 3,949 Bolt EVs during the last three months versus 6,710 units during the same period last year. That’s a 41.1% decrease in sales in the U.S., the biggest market for GM’s flagship all-electric vehicle.
Not so good in this country. Perhaps related, I paid $1.999 for a gallon of gas today(in Texas).
Gas is averaging $3.62 a gallon in Los Angeles County this week. We are a different car market.
Regular gas here 91 just snuck below $2 per litre x3.7 for a US gallon or 4.5 for our old measurement, yours is incredibly cheap.
Gas in Van Buren Arkansas is $1.999 a gallon as of Monday. I saw $1.95 in Clinton Missouri last Saturday.
I never took Fisker very seriously. There’s a decided Malcom Bricklin huckster vibe about him.
Very nice. I’m quite impressed. Unlike other EV startups, these folks stayed under the radar and did their homework.
Space utilization is superb, better than any comparable ICE SUV, thanks to the space-saving underfloor battery pack and the very small motors.
The big questions will be having the financing to build it as well as how to sell it. Dealers or the Tesla route?
I love it!
And, because nothing is ever juuuust right for me…c’mon, gimme a chopped version (like a K5 Blazer) that will fit in my garage!
This does look impressive, and I hope they can make it work. Just from the “more choices are better” standpoint, if nothing else. They made a wise decision sticking with conventional doors rather than Tesla’s gull-wings on the Model X, I’d say.
A detailed article in Autoblog quotes engineering director Mark Vinnels on the evolution of that unique headlight design, which he said the company “spent a ton of time thinking about.”
“We wanted a face,” he said. “We’re a new brand. Nobody knows who Rivian is. What we want is something that people recognize. Maybe when you leave today, you should pretty much be able to sketch it based on the simplicity and elegance of it. I have to say it’s not something we fell upon easily. We had a lot of hard work, a lot of different designs, even when we were a full-size model of this, we hadn’t focused on that design. In fact it was one of the designers who was working on advanced vehicles, a vehicle we were looking at for 2025, 2026, who sketched this, and we loved it. And we said let’s try it on this model.”
The front of a car can be a key part of establishing the brand. See BMW, Mercedes, and some of the more memorable Pontiacs and Buicks. They’re smart to have put some thought into this. I like it.
I find the Rivian front styling quite handsome, especially when the vertical headlamps are lit (or for that matter, the horizontal “charging” light). I said it already on the earlier Rivian thread but I say it again here: the front end styling is spectacular – an easily recognizable face, despite not having a grille. Much better than a non-functional black plastic fake grille that apes the look of your brand’s ICE offerings. The rest of the R1S looks about halfway between a Ford Flex and a Range Rover to my eyes; I’m not a big fan of the former, but I prefer the blocky styling here to the needless swoopy Tesla Model X. Inside, there’s the same roomy and sensible interior as the pickup, sensible doors too, plus an adult-sized 3rd row and decent space behind it. I like.
I dunno. Didn’t work for the Edsel.
I’m impressed by these Rivians, they’re very attractive and well thought out. I think their mostly conservative styling and architecture will appeal to wealthy Americans now driving Range Rovers, Navigators and premium pickups, who might find Tesla just a little too far out.
The Autoblog article I quoted from above says they only paid $16 million for the Mitsu factory in Illinois, and they’ve raised commitments for $450 million so far, from investors including Sumitomo, a London bank and a Saudi company. Founder R.J. Scaringe (photo below) has a master’s and a doctorate from MIT, where he worked on the research team at the Sloan Automotive Laboratory. The engineering director comes from McLaren and before that Lotus.
A serious effort and an impressive debut. I’m excited!
I’ll make a wild prediction: FCA acquires Rivian for many billions around 2023 when Rivian is ready for volume, Tesla’s pickup is a hit and FCA realizes they’ve been too late developing their own electric Rams and Jeeps.
I’m optimistic about this in a way that I haven’t been about the other “Tesla killers”.
I’ve always had a “lottery list” of new and old cars I’d buy if I ever hit it big.
The Rivian pickup is the very first electric vehicle I’ve ever put on that list.
I’m impressed!
This looks great. I think it will pick up more conquest buyers from Range Rover, Lincoln, GM, and the German luxury troika than Tesla will with its Model X. The squared-off styling yields not only the rugged appearance favored by SUV buyers, but also a roomy 3rd row seat, more space behind it, and what looks like a much larger front trunk than Tesla’s (but where is the steering rack going? Or is it drive-by-wire?). Add excellent range, real off-road chops, and a new blank-slate brand that won’t have to live down the image left behind from like-branded 20 year old land yachts, and I think we have a potential winner here.
I say potential because all sorts of things could still stymie it at this stage. Will it be reliable? Will it feel well-constructed and not like a kit car? Will they get the basic stuff (like comfortable seats) right? Will the company be able to build them fast enough to meet demand if it hits? Can they get an adequate service infrastructure in place? Tesla built a huge battery factory; does Rivian have a source too? I still think the large supercharger network may prove to be Tesla’s biggest advantage over everyone else, upstarts and established manufacturers alike, although the impressive range Rivian is promising should help alleviate that shortcoming.
Also, someone tell them that Renault beat them to the diamond logo
Lots of excitement around for unproven claims of a yet to be produced vehicle with an ugly face.
Now, if someone were to make an electric SUV, that was not priced at 73 grand, I would be in.
Gasoline SUV’s often cost this much or even more.
Even if this isn’t successful, it paints a pretty clear picture of the future. The same product that has been a proven success for 3 decades now, but with all the EV advantages. Someone is going to be first to market with a “good” one of these (i.e., with careful mitigation of the EV disadvantages) and they’re going to make so much money they won’t know what to do with it.
Holy smokes! Who even heard of Rivian before a few days ago? In stealth mode since 2009 and suddenly they burst onto the stage with what appear to be two very solidly engineered, thoroughly capable and modern EVs, aimed squarely at the two most lucrative market segments. Combined with what looks to be a serious and well-thought out effort from a seriously talented team, with some heavy hitters on he board and $450MM of venture capital raised thus far (though much, much more will likely be needed) this has the look/feel/smell of success. If, that is, they can pull off successful market launches of both vehicles and avoid all the BS and missteps that have plagued Tesla (which seems to be thriving anyway despite itself and its mercurial founder). This is going to be fascinating to watch unfold. Best of luck to the Rivian team!
I thought the Rivian truck was pretty cool I like this even better!
I hope they make it work. Concept and design are one thing, actually manufacturing the vehicle is something else again.
It’s way out of my range at $73,000.
At least it looks aspirational and desirable to own. Let alone a potential contender with TESLA.
Can’t say that about any current Cadillac product.
I see a future where we all have EVs of nominal size such as the Leaf for our daily driving routine and we rent a hybrid for trips where we don’t have time to dally while the EV recharges. I may very well look for a slightly used Prius for my next DD, as I still prefer the flexibility of having a gasoline option for long trips where I have a must be there at a certain time issue. I suspect that going from Denver to the western end of the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 (elevation of 11,168 feet) in the summer while running the AC on ‘fridigaire’ will eat about half your EV range.
Once there is a EV with a 600 mile range that will charge overnight at a hotel, all bets are off! I bet we see ‘free charging’ along with ‘free breakfast’ and ‘HBO’ in the next five years at the major hotels.