The Rivian Pick-up Truck

The headlights are an acquired taste, otherwise very conventional

Rivian is a company that is preparing to release onto the market an electric pick-up truck. It bought a plant formerly used by Mitsubishi Motors in Illinois to make its vehicles. Investors have been joining as they see the progress being made. The Sumitomo Corporation of Japan took a share in 2017 and in 2019 both Amazon and Ford also invested.

Large pick-up trucks are a huge market in North America but no one knows for certain how electric pick-ups will go. Regardless, Rivian seems to be a carefully planned operation building what is otherwise a fairly conventionally designed truck. Tesla is going the more outlandish route with regards to the design.

The other main difference between the Rivian and Tesla pick-ups (apart from the Rivian being on the road much sooner) is the price. The Rivian RT1 is to be US$69,000 while Tesla is saying US$40,000 for its Cybertruck. That's a huge difference. I'd normally take a Rivian any day, but the price difference has me scratching my head.

No range anxiety here

So Rivian and Tesla will be directly competing at some stage in the future. Tesla has a 'guru style' leader that devotees are very forgiving when vehicles are not delivered anywhere near on time. When the Tesla Cybertruck will actually arrive is anyone's guess (claimed late 2021). First deliveries of the Rivian R1T p/u is expected late 2020 (The R1S SUV pictured below is expected in 2021). Then again the Ford F-150 is US$41,000 and is available now but that would be missing the point.

The SUV expected a year later