Rivian Reveals More R1T Pickup Details

• Rivian is getting ready to kick off a national tour this summer to show its R1T pickup.

• Potential customers will be able to learn a lot more about it and take one for a drive.

• Meanwhile the company released more information, including dimensions and equipment availability.

Electric truck maker Rivian is kicking off a national tour this summer to start getting its preorder holders behind the wheel. Customers will be able to take a drive, learn about some major features and see the truck’s attention to detail firsthand. Rivian says it will release the tour dates “in the coming weeks.”

When designing the R1T, Rivian said it focused on making sure it was large enough to comfortably fit five people and their stuff but not so large that it would be hard to park or fit in a garage. The company said this balance led to dimensions falling between a mid-size and full-size truck. “We aimed for a sweet spot where the vehicle delivers equally across a range of competing attributes including interior space, bed dimensions, enclosed storage volume, vehicle dynamics and ease of everyday use,” the company said.

Rivian said its R1T is 217.1-inches long and 87.1-inches wide with the mirrors out. A standard cab Ford F-150 is 209-inches long and a super cab is 243 inches, so the Rivian does indeed split the difference. Rivian said its truck is 72.1-inches high in the lowest suspension setting and 78.3-inches high in the max offroad setting.

The company said the front trunk is 54.8-inches wide and 22.7-inches deep and is “a clean, lockable space large enough to fit a half-dozen full grocery bags or two full-sized coolers.” The compartment opens and closes with the app, key fob, in-vehicle controls, or an exterior button under the lightbar. LED lights turn on automatically and there’s a 12-volt outlet. A removable platform on the floor reveals another storage compartment.

The R1T has a gear tunnel that runs the width of the truck right behind the rear seats. It’s 65 inches across and Rivian said it’s for stowing “slushy snowboards and sandy beach blankets to keep the mess out of the cab.” The space is watertight and lined with an easy-to-clean material. The doors serve as a seat or a step for accessing the roof, and can be opened automatically using the app, in-vehicle controls, or buttons on the bed rail. There’s more storage in the door panels.

Rivian said the truck’s bed was designed to fit a “wide range of gear and cargo while also keeping it compact to minimize rear overhang and overall vehicle length, important both for off-road driving and maneuvering in tight spaces.”

The bed length extends to 83.6 inches with the tailgate down and measures 54 inches with it up. The bed will hold the proverbial 4 x 8 sheet of plywood flat. A panel eliminates the gap when the tailgate is down, creating a continuously flat surface front to back.

The bed is made from reinforced, compression-molded structural composite and Rivian said it is resistant to corrosion and wear. There are two LED lights, one on each side, that turn on automatically when the tailgate opens. You can do that with the app, fob, in-vehicle controls, or a button on the bed rail. There are also forged steel tie-downs in each corner and four more tie downs on the rails that double as mounting points for cargo crossbars.

On the bed wall near the tailgate are two 15-amp, 110-volt plugs. Underneath the bed is another lockable storage space. It’s large enough for the full-size spare, is weather- and dust-proof, and has a drain plug at the bottom so you can use it as a cooler.

Rivian will offer two lockable tonneau covers, one power and one manual, turning the bed into an extra 29 cubic feet of weatherproof storage space. There’s also an in-bed air compressor.

Rivian says the R1T has a trailer hitch behind a cover that you access by removing two screws. The 2-inch Class V receiver is rated for a 1155-lb tongue weight. The R1T can tow 11,000 pounds, Rivian said.

We’ll have more details as Rivian provides them.

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