If you're interested in an electric pickup truck, your choices as we close out 2024 really aren't bad anymore—albeit still on the expensive side. There's the stalwart Ford F-150 Lightning, which is currently selling with some of the best deals we've ever seen; the newcomers Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV, which pack big range with big batteries but also big charging times; and the Tesla Cybertruck, which is equal parts science experiment and avant-garde art project.
So lately, I've been wondering if the Rivian R1T is the sweet spot between all of those varied electric pickup choices. And over the next few days, I intend to find out. What should I do with it, and what do you want to know about it?
I (wisely) left frosty upstate New York for my native Texas this Christmas, and I'm glad I did because the highs down here have been around 70 degrees. Pleasant? Yes. Concerning? Also yes. But this is pretty optimal weather for what I have in mind: a drive from San Antonio to the West Texas desert, about 400 miles one way, and into a part of the country that's not exactly replete with DC fast chargers.
Yet the R1T should be up for the task. This is a 2025 R1T, the one with all of the physical updates and several recent software ones too. In Rivian Blue, this truck is a Dual Motor model with the 149-kWh Max Pack battery good for an EPA-estimated 420 miles of range, perhaps aided by the ultra-aerodynamic Range Wheels. With options, including the Performance Upgrade and Ocean Coast + Dark Ash Wood interior, and this truck goes for around $96,000.
No, not cheap. But I do feel like I'm getting a lot with this truck—more than with other Rivians I've experienced in the past.
Thanks in part to the various software updates, every Rivian I drive ends up being better than the last. Yet I've never fallen completely in love with the R1S; maybe it's because the "big electric SUV" thing has been done so much, albeit almost never with Rivian's off-roading prowess. But this electric pickup truck? It feels more novel, more interesting than another big family-hauler. It's less conventional than an F-150 Lightning, more pleasant (in every conceivable way) than a Cybertruck and with a less thirsty battery pack than the General Motors electric trucks.
So, yes. Sweet spot. But other road trip tests have been less kind to the R1T's long-distance prowess. Maybe I can do better? We'll soon find out.
What's Good So Far
This is actually the first time I've had a lengthy go with the R1T. It's utterly charming, giving off that optimistic vibe that Rivian designers like to say is part of the company's DNA. Inside, the cabin is airy and comfortable while the software setup is whimsical, colorful and quite easy to read.
It's a very maneuverable truck for its size, which is more than a foot longer than the R1S. The steering is light but precise and navigating tight spaces and parking lots has been generally quite easy; more so than the oddly-proportioned Cybertruck. It's quite quick, too, albeit heavy.
Two words: gear tunnel. This is just a fantastic stroke of EV packaging. Two panels on either side of the truck open up to reveal a 65-inch hollow tunnel that can fit two medium-checked suitcases (provided they're zipped tight) and lots of other gear. I was slightly worried all our travel gear wouldn't fit in a pickup truck, but this thing has it handled.
Finally, Rivian's software game really is getting better and better. The smartphone app, phone-as-key, charger finder, over-the-air feature additions and other touches are increasingly putting Rivian on even footing with Tesla. It's not quite as polished as that company's setup, but it outclasses a lot of other options out there.
What's Not So Good So Far
The biggest challenge has been one that's common to big EVs: efficiency. At most, I'm seeing about 2.7 or so miles per kWh, and often quite a bit less at sustained highway speeds. That isn't surprising. It's big, it's heavy and it's aerodynamic as a brick (although it looks great.) We'll be in a good position to test its 70 mph range, but it's not the distance king the Tesla Model 3 I just rented was.
Also, Rivian's no-buttons approach to everything has its downsides. I have yet to be convinced that fiddling with a touchscreen to adjust my air conditioning to be a superior experience to having actual air vents.
Finally, can it really do up to 220 kW on a DC fast charger? I juiced it up tonight on a 350 kW EVGo station (battery preconditioned and all) at 30% and never saw speeds above 190 kW. We'll see how it fares out on the road.
But I'm excited to see what it can do out there. I like this truck so far. Got questions? Ask away.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
