2020 Rivian R1T Video: A Plug-in Pickup That's Shockingly Practical
Let’s be honest: Getting attention in Los Angeles is difficult unless you have a very clever idea. But that’s exactly what’s happened at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, where we saw the 2020 Rivian R1T — a vehicle we could probably talk about for an hour with all the technology and problem-solving details packed into this mid-size truck. Instead, we’ll just pull out some of the highlights so you can take a closer look.
Related: More 2018 L.A. Auto Show Coverage
This is a fully electric vehicle, so it’s kind of odd to have a grille because you don’t have any cooling that’s necessary for an engine underneath the hood. But Rivian kept the traditional pickup truck shape of it, and designers put a lot of attention into the front grille. The R1T has some cool vertical headlights and a horizontal light bar across the entire width of the vehicle, the middle of which turns green when it’s plugged in and charging. Underneath that hood is a trunk; there’s no engine, but you can store a lot of gear under there.
One of the coolest features on the R1T is the direct result of the fact that this is just a single continuous body; the cabin is connected to the bed itself, which allows for a storage tunnel right through the middle. On each side of the pickup truck is an access door, which you can use as a step or separate seat to give you access to the bed or any gear you’re stowing on top of the roof.
The bed itself has some cool features, as well. It’s composite, so it’s scratch-resistant; the full-size spare tire is stored underneath the floor of the bed; and it allows for a 115-volt plug — three plugs in fact, as well as an air-compressor outlet; and the tailgate itself drops down 180 degrees to allow you better access for any gear that you have inside. Yet another cool feature that this vehicle has is a retractable tonneau cover that basically folds and disappears in just a matter of inches, but can cover the entire length of the bed if you want to protect anything from the weather.
Related: Rivian Targets 2020 for 410-Mile, 3-Row Electric SUV
For interior impressions and other observations about the 2020 Rivan R1T pickup truck, watch the video above.
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