In the latest episode of TFLoffroad, we can see the Rivian R1T directly compared with Toyota Tundra in a snow-wheeling adventure.
We already saw a little bit of R1T off-roading with The Fast Lane Truck yesterday, by the way of checking its workhorse capabilities. This time, it's more serious off-roading.
The Toyota Tundra is a conventional full-size pickup truck, while the all-electric Rivian R1T sits between the mid-size and full-size categories. Both are four-wheel-drive, of course. The Rivian has significantly higher ground clearance (up to 15 inches, compared to about 9.5 in the case of Toyota), but it's also much heavier (about 7,200 vs 5,700 lbs).
The vehicles have been put through three tests, which in most cases actually show similar off-road capabilities.
First Challenge: The "Snow Bog" (2:52)
In deep snow and incline, slow-speed driving caused both vehicles to stall. And both required momentum to pass the section.
It appears that the Toyota Tundra needed more speed, but it was also the first to drive up and pave the way.
Second Challenge: The Ditch Crossing (6:29)
The second part, with 1-2 wheels in the air over a ditch, turned out to be simple for both. Rivian R1T was driving in Offroad mode and Rock Crawl setting.
Interestingly, both stalled in the snow when heading to the next challenge.
Third Challenge: The Staircase (11:53)
The last part was more difficult. The Toyota Tundra suffered from lack of ground clearance. After a while of struggling, once again, it needed momentum to go up.
Similarly, the Rivian R1T, which weighs more than Toyota, was sliding backward noticeably. A little bit of momentum was required to pass the obstacle.
Overall, it seems that in the slippery conditions, the Rivian R1T is comparable to the Toyota Tundra, as both struggled a bit in particular areas and both passed the tests.
We are eager to see more tests in different conditions to see whether some of the tests will reveal a significant advantage of the Rivian R1T's electric quad motor drive over a conventional pickup.
After a day of off-roading, the Rivian R1T's indicated range decreased from about 280 miles (451 km) to 206 miles (331 km).
