Rivian R1T And R1S Will Be More Affordable Than Expected

According to the Reuters reports, the American automaker and automotive technology company announced that the price of all-electric Rivian R1T and R1S would be more affordable than expected. Last weekend we had a chance to take a look at the prototypes of these two vehicles at the event in Mill Valley, California. During that event, the CEO of the company, Mr R.J Scaringe, stated that the mid-range RT1 would have a starting price of around $69,000.

Yes, this price is the same as the figure first announced. However, we thought that it is reserved for a base model, not the well-equipped EV. Mr Scaringe said that the upcoming RT1 would include a unique glass roof, which changes from clear to shaded blue. Also, equally equipped R1S SUV will have a starting price of $72,000.

Rivian R1T and R1S Battery, Driving Range, and Engine

The company will start the production of all-electric R1T pickup and R1 SUV later this year. Both of these models will ride on Rivian’s exclusive “skateboard” chassis. Furthermore, it is promised that these vehicles will provide up to 400 miles (644 km) of driving range. The battery capacity will be between 105 kWh and 180 kWh in size, alongside the powerful engine that will produce 700 hp and 825 lb-ft (1129 Nm) of torque. The driving range is imposing, taking into account how heavy and large these models are.

Furthermore, there will be a couple of drivetrain options for the upcoming Rivian R1T and R1S. The entry-level models will use a 105 kWh battery combined with four electric motors, for a total output of 402 hp and 412 lb-ft (560 Nm) of torque. The middle-range models will include a 135 kWh variant with 753 hp and 825 lb-ft (1120 Nm) of torque. The range-topping versions come with a 180 kWh, 700 hp and 825 lb-ft of torque.

The company’s unique architecture will be used in electric Ford’s as well, and it’s rumoured that it will be in a brand-new Lincoln SUV. On top of that, Amazon has already ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans on Rivian’s platform. The delivery of these vans should start in 2021.

Release Date and Price

So, how will all of these specs affect the starting price of the base Rivian R1T and R1S models? Well, without further reports, we can expect that the additional features will add some extra on the top. It might be $1,000 or $5,000, maybe even more. But, as the company’s CEO stated, the starting price will be lower than $69,000 for the RT1 pickup.

On the other hand, R1S SUV will cost under $72,000. The deliveries of the R1T will start before the end of 2020. The SUV will come soon after that. However, the Rivian might face a bit of a problem. There’s a lot of orders and some customers might not get the vehicles as fast as they like. Still, all we need is a portion of patience, especially when you waiting the ordered package from Amazon or something, or in this case a brand-new EV.