Rivian, the Michigan-based electric car startup, is on a roll this week. Just yesterday it revealed its first vehicle, the R1T, a pickup truck that can sprint to 60 mph in less than three seconds with an available 400 miles of range. Now, it’s back with another high-riding EV, the R1S SUV.
If you couldn’t already tell by the looks, the R1S shares much of its design with the R1T pickup. It uses the same “Skateboard” platform to house the batteries, drive units, cooling system, and brake system under the height of the wheels, generating an incredibly low center of gravity. Like the R1T, the R1S’s quad-motor system can propel the SUV to 60 mph in less than three seconds, and to 100 mph in less than seven. The R1S comes with three choices of battery pack: A 105kWh battery with 240 miles of range, 402 horsepower and 413 lb.-ft. of torque, a 135 kWh battery with 310 miles of range, 753 horsepower, and 826 lb.-ft of torque, or a 180 kWh battery with 410 miles of range, 700 horsepower, and 826 lb.-ft of torque. Curb weight measures in at a very truck-like 5842 pounds.
Rivian
Sharing a fascia, body lines, and rear end with the R1T, the biggest difference with the R1S, of course, is the enclosed rear cabin area. Instead of being able to seat just five people, the addition of a third row with two seats ups the seating count to seven. And thanks to the flat floor, storage space and legroom are plentiful. Unlike the R1T, the R1S doesn’t get that cool transverse storage space in front of the rear wheels, which is a shame.
Rivian
The Interior is virtually identical to the R1T’s, incorporating a massive Tesla Model 3-esque landscape touchscreen combined with a full-screen digital display in front of the driver. Because there’s no transmission tunnel to worry about, there’s a significant empty space in front of the dash for storing all sorts of things you might need on a long road trip.
Rivian will show off the R1S at the Los Angeles Auto Show starting later tomorrow, and will be available for viewing until the show ends on December 9th. The company says the R1S will go on sale in 2021 following the R1T’s entry into the market in 2020.
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