Rivian Automotive electric truck and SUV

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm holding my old Trooper close until something like the R1S can replace it. I spent 18 years commuting in my small fleet of Civics, and after several vacation excursions across the US with 4-wheelin' episodes in various places, I'm addicted to mid-size luxury SUV wonderfulness. In fact, I was growing addicted to basic SUV wonderfulness with my 87 Trooper, which I might still be driving now were it not for an airhead college girl talking to the veterinarian about her cat on a cell-phone as she made an unsignaled U-turn in the middle of the highway in front of me.

I have a low, 3,000 miles/year carbon footprint. It doesn't seem wise to replace my ICE vehicles with electric ones at the moment, with even the slightest tendency to buy new ones or low-mileage pre-owneds. But it's nice to see that an SUV model like the Rivian is in the pipeline.

$72,500 is a bit much, though. I suspect that more market entries in the future will bring that price down to an affordable range.

in the meantime, my soon-to-be-ordered vanity plate will be something like "95SUPER" or "SPRDUPR". You either love 'em, or you hate 'em. I still don't understand "the Trooper haters" though. Eh -- maybe it's just my imagination. . . . .

 

[killster1]

I'm holding my old Trooper close until something like the R1S can replace it. I spent 18 years commuting in my small fleet of Civics, and after several vacation excursions across the US with 4-wheelin' episodes in various places, I'm addicted to mid-size luxury SUV wonderfulness. In fact, I was growing addicted to basic SUV wonderfulness with my 87 Trooper, which I might still be driving now were it not for an airhead college girl talking to the veterinarian about her cat on a cell-phone as she made an unsignaled U-turn in the middle of the highway in front of me.

I have a low, 3,000 miles/year carbon footprint. It doesn't seem wise to replace my ICE vehicles with electric ones at the moment, with even the slightest tendency to buy new ones or low-mileage pre-owneds. But it's nice to see that an SUV model like the Rivian is in the pipeline.

$72,500 is a bit much, though. I suspect that more market entries in the future will bring that price down to an affordable range.

in the meantime, my soon-to-be-ordered vanity plate will be something like "95SUPER" or "SPRDUPR". You either love 'em, or you hate 'em. I still don't understand "the Trooper haters" though. Eh -- maybe it's just my imagination. . . . .

My biggest problem with old ass auto's are gas mileage and safety. (then im also worried about loved one being stranded at night on the side of a road with no cell signal so reliability)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

My biggest problem with old ass auto's are gas mileage and safety. (then im also worried about loved one being stranded at night on the side of a road with no cell signal so reliability)

Well, I think the Trooper is capable of 16 or 17 mpg, which may be just a couple mpg short of expectations for other much newer vehicles in the same internal-combustion class such as the 4Runner. As I said, at 3K miles/year, my carbon footprint is low. Living where I do, I could guess that I'd rack up between 12,000 and 14,000 miles per year if I weren't retired and worked a 40-hour-per-week day job. So my carbon footprint might be similar to some working stiff driving a Smart car.

For safety, I've got a Supplemental Restraint System, airbag modules for driver and passenger side. The front bumper assembly -- augmented by its own shock absorbers -- is designed to spare the core support and frame from front-end collisions that would do some serious damage to a lighter sedan. There are S-shaped "back-bars" made of softer metal which attach the bumper and bumper-cover to the frame. I had one such collision 12 years ago which damaged the driver-side back-bar, and I was able to do some smithy work and pound it back into shape.

So last year, contrary to what some mechanic or Isuzu-hater might argue as frivolous expenditure on an old vehicle, I added a Calmini grille-guard to the front bumper -- which adds a hefty iron reinforcement to the bumper. Logic would dictate that a grille-guard kit would no longer be available as factory-new, but it was nevertheless -- about $100 less than its price a dozen years ago, or $450.

The fam-damn-ily needs to replace our 5-speed Nissan truck with a ride using automatic transmission. I can't get what I want yet as an electric vehicle. I've looked at ICE options like a Suburu Forester. Or we could find a used vehicle in the classes occupied by the Forester or a 4Runner, maybe for as little as $10,000 if the model year is old enough. We might actually spring for one of those choices in the next couple years, unless I can find a low-mileage or new electric or hybrid that fills the bill.

It seems to be a waiting game. But we'll probably keep the Trooper close for a very long time. It's a sweet ride, barring the fact that it was never made nor meant to do 0-to-60 in a couple seconds. That's why some of the "haters" call it "The Pooper". But they're full of poop themselves. . . .

 

[killster1]

Well, I think the Trooper is capable of 16 or 17 mpg, which may be just a couple mpg short of expectations for other much newer vehicles in the same internal-combustion class such as the 4Runner. As I said, at 3K miles/year, my carbon footprint is low. Living where I do, I could guess that I'd rack up between 12,000 and 14,000 miles per year if I weren't retired and worked a 40-hour-per-week day job. So my carbon footprint might be similar to some working stiff driving a Smart car.

For safety, I've got a Supplemental Restraint System, airbag modules for driver and passenger side. The front bumper assembly -- augmented by its own shock absorbers -- is designed to spare the core support and frame from front-end collisions that would do some serious damage to a lighter sedan. There are S-shaped "back-bars" made of softer metal which attach the bumper and bumper-cover to the frame. I had one such collision 12 years ago which damaged the driver-side back-bar, and I was able to do some smithy work and pound it back into shape.

So last year, contrary to what some mechanic or Isuzu-hater might argue as frivolous expenditure on an old vehicle, I added a Calmini grille-guard to the front bumper -- which adds a hefty iron reinforcement to the bumper. Logic would dictate that a grille-guard kit would no longer be available as factory-new, but it was nevertheless -- about $100 less than its price a dozen years ago, or $450.

The fam-damn-ily needs to replace our 5-speed Nissan truck with a ride using automatic transmission. I can't get what I want yet as an electric vehicle. I've looked at ICE options like a Suburu Forester. Or we could find a used vehicle in the classes occupied by the Forester or a 4Runner, maybe for as little as $10,000 if the model year is old enough. We might actually spring for one of those choices in the next couple years, unless I can find a low-mileage or new electric or hybrid that fills the bill.

It seems to be a waiting game. But we'll probably keep the Trooper close for a very long time. It's a sweet ride, barring the fact that it was never made nor meant to do 0-to-60 in a couple seconds. That's why some of the "haters" call it "The Pooper". But they're full of poop themselves. . . .

well it sounds like you have put a lot of thought into it and 3000 miles a year is incredibly low. 16mpg is terrible but with only 3000 miles to drive no problem!. what is a airbag module i will have to google that to see what airbags you might install yourself. (most cars have maybe 3 or 4 airbags per person i think ;P ) (( yea 10 airbags in the 2019 altima and its nothing special)) if you drive such small amount of miles a electric car actually sounds like a bad idea as it will wear out before even get to use it? 3000x10 years only 30,000 miles which seems crazy! i drive around the usa or asia in my cars here and there maybe 70,000 miles a year combined but only commute 7 miles to work ill be SO Excited when they have 600 mile range electric cars so i can drive to SF or LA and back with out charging my car. (i can do it with out stopping in my car now no gas refill needed but i guess 15 min quick charge could be OK if i like to plan out my life ahead of time)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

well it sounds like you have put a lot of thought into it and 3000 miles a year is incredibly low. 16mpg is terrible but with only 3000 miles to drive no problem!. what is a airbag module i will have to google that to see what airbags you might install yourself. (most cars have maybe 3 or 4 airbags per person i think ;P ) (( yea 10 airbags in the 2019 altima and its nothing special)) if you drive such small amount of miles a electric car actually sounds like a bad idea as it will wear out before even get to use it? 3000x10 years only 30,000 miles which seems crazy! i drive around the usa or asia in my cars here and there maybe 70,000 miles a year combined but only commute 7 miles to work ill be SO Excited when they have 600 mile range electric cars so i can drive to SF or LA and back with out charging my car. (i can do it with out stopping in my car now no gas refill needed but i guess 15 min quick charge could be OK if i like to plan out my life ahead of time)

Another thought entered the equation related to the original reason I got the Trooper in the first place. It had to have an ample "tow weight" -- rated at around 5,000 lbs. I have friends who bought a tour-bus RV -- a house on wheels with large-screen HDTV and other comforts. I cannot remember precisely, but they probably go 6 or 7 miles for every gallon -- possibly less. My idea of a lighter, updated Airstream-style camper-trailer would be either the Casita or the Burro (no longer in production) -- at least, something like those models and maybe 16' long. The corresponding weight of those trailers is around 1,600 to 2,000 lbs. I think I could even outfit one with a roof-top solar panel, satisfy myself with a laptop TV HT capability, with or without a 5.1 speaker system built-in with 3.5mm phone jacks. Stereo would be good enough.

The tour-bus vehicle I mentioned required the buyer to refinance a house in order to pay the > $120,000 price-tag. By comparison, a Casita might cost $17,000 new.

 

[Kaido]

World Exclusive: Inside Rivian | Fully Charged

 

[Kaido]

It's been about a year since we saw Rivian reveal. I was pretty excited about Rivian initially as you can see from my previous posts. But now I'm not so sure anymore and am becoming skeptical of Rivian. The more I follow Rivian story, the more they look like marketing company rather than engineering company. I no longer believe in Rivian story. I know they have lot of big time backers with likes of Amazon and Ford but I haven't seen anything from Rivian production side yet telling me they're getting ready to produce. Especially considering they're supposed to start producing in fall of 2020. Something doesn't add up.

Amazon will order 100,000 electric delivery vans from EV startup Rivian, Jeff Bezos says:

Amazon will order 100,000 electric delivery vans from EV startup Rivian, Jeff Bezos says

The Michigan-based startup is riding high from a series of major funding rounds.

www.theverge.com

 

[killster1]

did they say the range in miles it can go? i did notice it has a huge battery which im very excited about. i need to be able to not charge my battery with a 500 mile run.

 

[Brainonska511]

Amazon will order 100,000 electric delivery vans from EV startup Rivian, Jeff Bezos says:

Amazon will order 100,000 electric delivery vans from EV startup Rivian, Jeff Bezos says

The Michigan-based startup is riding high from a series of major funding rounds.

www.theverge.com

Honestly, local delivery vehicles are a huge opportunity for EVs - they have a place to charge at night, they don't really go that many miles during the day (e.g., not going 300+ miles in a day), and they're very much stop-and-start kind of trips, which are some of the worst for ICE

 

[Kaido]

Looks like shipments start this month!

Rivian R1S, R1T EPA Ratings Revealed With Better Than Promised Range

Rivian R1S and R1T EPA ratings have been revealed and are better than expected, though results will vary based on which wheel and tire combo is chosen.

fordauthority.com

The R1T’s officially EPA range comes in at 314 miles, with MPGe ratings of 74 in the city, 66 on the highway, and 70 combined. Meanwhile, the R1S boasts 316 miles of range with MPGe ratings of 73 city, 65 highway, and 69 combined.

All of these ratings apply to either vehicle when equipped with 21-inch wheels and all-season tires, while selecting different wheel and tire combinations will have some sort of effect on range. On the R1T, Rivian’s 20-inch wheels and all-terrain tire combo results in a 10-15 percent reduction in range, which equates to around 267-283 miles, while the 22-inch Sport wheel and tire setup reduces range by roughly 5-10 percent, or around 283-298 miles.

In January of 2022, Rivian will offer a larger max battery pack for the R1T that’s expected to achieve over 400 miles of range, while a less expensive 250-mile range model of both the R1S and R1T are planned for some undetermined point in the future as well.

Very exciting to see so many options in the truck space! New Broncos, electric F-150's, the compact Maverick, the Cybertruck, the Rivian truck & SUV, everything is looking good!

 

[BarkingGhostar]

That's a lot of money for an unproven truck and automaker.

 

[NutBucket]

That's what they said about Tesla. It can work...but only time will tell.

 

[drnickriviera]

I hope they succeed. If you are looking for an EV that doesn't use LG cells, this is one of the few options. Believe they use samsung.

 

[Viper GTS]

I fully expect Rivian to succeed. Neither Amazon nor Ford are going to let them die, and by all accounts thus far their product is far ahead of everyone else both in release date and performance/quality. I probably shouldn't drive one though the quad motor torque vectoring sounds magical.

The 2022 Rivian R1T Is the Most Remarkable Pickup We’ve Ever Driven (motortrend.com)

Exclusive: We Drive the 2022 Rivian R1T Off-Road Across the Trans-America Trail, Part 1 (motortrend.com)

That said - While I would much rather have this than a Cybertruck or Lightning, I'm not willing to gamble my $80,000+ truck purchase. While I'm sure they will survive the no paint + resale value + supercharger network of Tesla and the century of history with Ford will likely push me to one of those.

Viper GTS

 

[Greenman]

I fully expect Rivian to succeed. Neither Amazon nor Ford are going to let them die, and by all accounts thus far their product is far ahead of everyone else both in release date and performance/quality. I probably shouldn't drive one though the quad motor torque vectoring sounds magical.

The 2022 Rivian R1T Is the Most Remarkable Pickup We’ve Ever Driven (motortrend.com)

Exclusive: We Drive the 2022 Rivian R1T Off-Road Across the Trans-America Trail, Part 1 (motortrend.com)

That said - While I would much rather have this than a Cybertruck or Lightning, I'm not willing to gamble my $80,000+ truck purchase. While I'm sure they will survive the no paint + resale value + supercharger network of Tesla and the century of history with Ford will likely push me to one of those.

Viper GTS

Doesn't Ford own a big chunk of Rivian?

 

[Viper GTS]

Doesn't Ford own a big chunk of Rivian?

At least $1.4B:

Ford Invested $902 Million Into EV Startup Rivian In Q1 2021 (fordauthority.com)

Viper GTS

 

[pauldun170]

Interesting

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Compact pickup starting in the $70's. Nice

 

[jlee]

Compact pickup starting in the $70's. Nice

Fastest production pickup in the world starting below 70k

If you want something cheap, a Maverick is the ticket.

 

[pauldun170]

Compact pickup starting in the $70's. Nice

Compact pickup - Check
Range 300-400 miles - Check
Tow rating of 11,000lbs - Check
Stinky fast - Check
All the cool toys that the cool kids get all exited about - Check

That tow rating in a tiny package is pretty damn sweet.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Butt ugly ... check.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Fastest production pickup in the world starting below 70k

If you want something cheap, a Maverick is the ticket.

If zI want speed I wouldn't be thinking pickup.

 

[pauldun170]

Compact pickup starting in the $70's. Nice

Side note of the hillarious kind - You could pay more for a Jeep Wrangler

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Idiots pay more.

 

[K1052]

I like how some people are still "who's gonna pay $70K for a truck" when I can see at least three to four such vehicles from the various windows of my house depending on the time of day.