Tesla might have already announced an all-electric pickup truck, but the folks from Rivian just took the spotlight and launched a production version of its own vehicle ahead of the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Who Is Rivian?

Although initial plans promised production models in 2013 and 2014, the projects were scrapped and Rivian began to focus on autonomous vehicles.

In late 2017, Rivian announced new plans to build an SUV and a pickup truck on the same platform. Less than a year later, the truck, called the R1T, made its global debut online.

What Does it Look Like?

Being an EV, it doesn't have a massive grille up front. A thin illuminated stripe runs across the entire width of the front fascia, with two vertical, LED taillights splitting the unit in three. The bumper looks a bit more conventional though.

The profile looks unusually sporty for a truck, mostly because of the sloping upper line of the glasshouse and the angled C-pillar. The rear doors are rather narrow at the bottom though, which could make climbing in the rear seat a bit uncomfortable. The rear fascia is amazingly simple, with just a red LED stripe slapped across the width of the tailgate. There's "Rivian" lettering below and an underbelly plate shaped like a diffuser.

What's Going on Inside?

The R1T's cabin is a mix of modern, high-tech, and rugged-looking features. The first thing that catches the eye is the massive display on the dashboard. It's bigger than anything else you can get on the market today at 15.6 inches!

The dashboard looks rather classy thanks to the polished, metal covers of the A/C vents and natural veneer trim made from sustainably sourced wood. There's wood on the steering wheel too, while most of the seats, door panels, and dashboard are covered in leather.

Under the Shell

The R1T features a quad-motor layout that delivers 147 kW to each wheel. That's an impressive total out of 788 horsepower! Rivian claims each wheel sends no less than 2,581 pound-feet of torque to the ground, which converts to a total vehicle twist of 10,326 pound-feet! The R1T has a tow rating of 11,000 pounds.

Rivian says the truck rides on a "sophisticated suspension architecture" with unequal length double wishbones up front and a multi link setup to the rear, as well as dynamic roll control, adaptive dampers, and dynamic torque control.

Juice comes from an energy-dense battery developed in-house aided by adaptive control algorithms that learn driver behavior in order to maximize battery life and increase reliability. Rivian will offer three battery options: 135 and 180 kWh at launch and a 105 kWh version six months later. The biggest battery option will return a driving range of more than 400 miles per charge, which is more than what Tesla offers right now.

Designed for fast charging, the battery can be recharged for 200 miles of range in only 30 minutes. Both DC fast-charging and an 11 kW onboard charger will be offered.

Rivian also says that the truck employs "a range of self-driving features focused on enabling active lifestyles."

When's it coming out?

Both the R1T pickup truck and the R1S SUV will enter production in late 2020. Both will be manufactured at the company's plant in Normal, Illinois.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Tesla Semi.