- The American electric start-up will be launching the pickup and SUV in 2021
- The ongoing Coronavirus is the reason to push the launch schedule
Rivian, the American electric carmaker, has officially delayed the launch of its R1T electric pickup truck. Scheduled to go on sale in 2020, the deliveries of the R1T is now postponed to 2021. The reason for the delay is the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
The exact timeline for 2021 will depend on various other factors, claims the carmaker. Meanwhile, the R1S electric SUV which was supposed to go on sale in 2021 could either be launched alongside the R1T or it might be pushed further down the calendar. The Michigan-based carmaker admits that the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic is delaying production of electric pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Rivian closed all of its manufacturing facilities last month to protect workers and help reduce the spread of the Coronavirus.
Rivian Automotive first showcased the ambitious R1T and R1S electric high-riding vehicles to the world in 2017. The pair – although looked like futuristic concepts – was claimed to be production-ready. Powered by a 180kWh battery pack, the Rivian pair has a range of 600 kilometres. However, smaller and affordable battery pack versions are also on the cards. With close to 750bhp on tap, the Rivian pair can do 0-100kmph in just three seconds. Moreover, with its four-wheel-drive setup, they are off-road friendly as well. Meanwhile, the party trick of the pair is what the carmaker calls ‘Tank turn’ which sets the electric motors to rotate the left wheels in the opposite direction of the right ones. This allows the vehicle to spin on its axis.
With prices estimated to commence at 70,000 USD, the Rivian R1T would be an alternative to electric off-roaders like the Audi E-Tron, Mercedes-Benz EQC, and Jaguar I-Pace. Albeit, the Rivian would be more rugged and bigger, so it should ideally lock horns with the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.
