The first Rivian built for a customer rolled off the production line in Normal, Illinois
Electric startup Rivian has won the race to put the first electric pickup into customer hands.
“After months of building pre-production vehicles, this morning our first customer vehicle drove off our production line,” founder and CEO RJ Scaringe tweeted Sept. 14. The first Rivian built for a customer was an R1T pickup in Rivian Blue, driven off the production line surrounded by cheering and masked workers at the company’s plant in Normal, Illinois.
The 2022 Rivian R1T boasts an EPA-certified range of 314 miles. It features a separate electric motor for each wheel, creating an adaptable 4-wheel-drive system. That should give it excellent off-road ability. Prices start at $69,000.
Lots of electric trucks on the way
Soon, established automakers and startups aim to bring electric trucks to market. The Big Three American automakers each have their own version on the way.
Ford will likely be the first established automaker to ship an EV pickup. Its F-150 Lightning carries a starting price of just under $40,000 and is expected to reach dealerships as early as next spring.
General Motors has several EV trucks on the way. Its GMC Hummer pickup may be the first of those to reach the market. But the first model, a special launch trim called Edition 1, carries a sticker price of over $112,000. A (likely more affordable) electric Chevy Silverado is also on the way but has so far released only a teaser photo of the truck’s 4-wheel-steering system.
Ram has set a 2024 target date for an electric version of its own best-selling Ram 1500.
Tesla’s utterly unique Cybertruck carries a starting price of just $39,900 but has been delayed into 2022 at the earliest.
Several other startups plan to sell electric pickups as well, including Ohio-based Lordstown Motors and California’s Canoo.