Pickup of the Future?

$1,000. It’s fully refundable (sort of) and you can back out and get your money back at any point - even after you’ve configured your vehicle. I say “sort of” because, similar to Tesla, these deposits are not put into an escrow fund, but instead are treated as “unsecured loans” on the company’s books. That means they can use it as working capital, but also means that if they go belly-up, then you are just another creditor and likely won’t get your money back.

Just for grins, I also put $500 down on a Tesla Cybertruck thinking it’s ugliness might grow on me over time. That hasn’t happened, so I’ll likely drop from that list and get my deposit back. Tesla has far better level 3 charging infrastructure which is a huge advantage, but I just can’t get over how ugly that thing is.
 
Base model truck (R1T) is $67,500; “Adventure Package” which is fully loaded with options is $75,000. SUV (R1S) is $2,500 more. All versions will come standard with driver assist - essentially the same thing as Tesla autopilot where is controls steering and speed for your.

Below is the options sheet and pricing for the packages on the truck. I'm sure folks on here will get a kick out of "vegan leather" :ROFLMAO:. I had the same "WTF" reaction when I read that. Had to look it up - essentially is synthetic, but of course they don't actually say that. Pretty obvious what demographic they are marketing to. More of the young glampers than hard core hunters and off-roaders. But I like electric, so the "image" side of it I can live with whether it really fits me or not.

1605200620390.png
 
I'm going to say it's a resounding NO for me. The range alone is a killer. Not to mention how does that change when pulling a load/trailer/boat. Also, I am surrounded by mountain passes. I travel these often in the winter. When I'm at a stand still because of a: accident, tree falling over the highway, snow, or construction, that battery isn't going to cut it. Especially in the winter when you need your rigs heater running to keep you warm and the window thawed. These where not designed for folks in rural areas or someone who travels much. It's another way to try and get everyone into the cities. NO THANKS. I'll keep my Hemi!
 
mannmicj said:
I'm going to say it's a resounding NO for me. The range alone is a killer. Not to mention how does that change when pulling a load/trailer/boat. Also, I am surrounded by mountain passes. I travel these often in the winter. When I'm at a stand still because of a: accident, tree falling over the highway, snow, or construction, that battery isn't going to cut it. Especially in the winter when you need your rigs heater running to keep you warm and the window thawed. These where not designed for folks in rural areas or someone who travels much. It's another way to try and get everyone into the cities. NO THANKS. I'll keep my Hemi!
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I bet it can tow small diesel generator behind it. Be a little more open minded would you.😉
 
BigHornRam said:
I bet it can tow small diesel generator behind it. Be a little more open minded would you.😉
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LMAO, good one. Maybe I could just add some solar panels to the hood and a canopy made of solar panels to recharge it. How's that for open-minded.. Problem solved and I'd be a billionaire.
 
mannmicj said:
I'm going to say it's a resounding NO for me. The range alone is a killer. Not to mention how does that change when pulling a load/trailer/boat. Also, I am surrounded by mountain passes. I travel these often in the winter. When I'm at a stand still because of a: accident, tree falling over the highway, snow, or construction, that battery isn't going to cut it. Especially in the winter when you need your rigs heater running to keep you warm and the window thawed. These where not designed for folks in rural areas or someone who travels much. It's another way to try and get everyone into the cities. NO THANKS. I'll keep my Hemi!
Click to expand...
Valid point on the towing. Rivian has done some pretty aggressive testing of towing and extreme environmental conditions, but the only data they've release is about the truck's performance, not the battery life. I'm assuming it's because the data is not overly positive. There's been some independent testing done on Tesla Model X towing 5,000lb trailer, and it was not good. ~50% reduction in battery distance IIRC.

As to the idling, they don't use much power when idling. Even with the heater running consumption is pretty low. I wouldn't consider that a major issue.

As to your ridiculous conspiracy theories.... Really? 🤷‍♂️ Just wrap some aluminum foil around your head and you'll be protected.
 
Wildabeast said:
Valid point on the towing. Rivian has done some pretty aggressive testing of towing and extreme environmental conditions, but the only data they've release is about the truck's performance, not the battery life. I'm assuming it's because the data is not overly positive. There's been some independent testing done on Tesla Model X towing 5,000lb trailer, and it was not good. ~50% reduction in battery distance IIRC.

As to the idling, they don't use much power when idling. Even with the heater running consumption is pretty low. I wouldn't consider that a major issue.

As to your ridiculous conspiracy theories.... Really? 🤷‍♂️ Just wrap some aluminum foil around your head and you'll be protected.
Click to expand...
Not conspiracy theories, but nice try. It's call an ideology and both sides have a different one. The entire GREEN movement is practically a 50/50 split in this country. That isn't a conspiracy, it's a fact. I've worked in forestry for years and I can tell you that much of what is peddled in the name of GREEN is absolutely worthless and also does it's own damage to the environment. You can start with the disposal issues of said batteries, not to mention the process of making them.

All that said. I will use my foil for wrapping my slow cooked pork roast :)
 
Daughter sent me a text from work today. She found out that the Rivian owner drives a Tesla! I told her to hurry up and get his truck built!
 
Truck configured! Decided to go with white exterior, black "vegan leather" 😜 interior and the 20" black wheels with A/T tires. 20" was the smallest wheel size they offered - also had 21" as standard and 22" as optional upgrade. Not many optional things to choose from. Basically one of two options packages, 10 ext colors, 3 interior colors, 4 wheel/tire choices, 3 battery options and that was about it.

1605558518691.png
 
Wildabeast said:
Truck configured! Decided to go with white exterior, black "vegan leather" 😜 interior and the 20" black wheels with A/T tires. 20" was the smallest wheel size they offered - also had 21" as standard and 22" as optional upgrade. Not many optional things to choose from. Basically one of two options packages, 10 ext colors, 3 interior colors, 4 wheel/tire choices, 3 battery options and that was about it.

View attachment 162295
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Good on you for taking the leap! I wouldn't but I respect you for it. What is your motivation for an electric truck? NPV? Make the world a better place? Performance? Like to be on cutting edge? Combination of these?
 
I am partial to my gasoline powered Fords for you Ford jokers LOL. I will not go to electric cars in my lifetime unless I see power stations located at more than inner city areas AND the cost comes WAY DOWN. Another problem with electric cars is you better have patience because it takes a while to charge them back up, least right now.
 
mulecreek said:
What is your motivation for an electric truck?
Click to expand...
I've owned a Tesla Model S since 2015 and absolutely love it. I loved the boldness of the company to DO something that had been talked about for decades but no one had really done. I loved the boldness to release Autopilot - something no other car manufacturer would do because of liability concerns. And then there was the performance. We're talking supercar performance in a sedan under $100k. I'm a computer and engineering nerd by nature, so all of this was appealing to me.

After moving west and getting back into hunting and other outdoor stuff, the Tesla just wasn't going to cut it. So I kept the Telsa and bought a 4Runner. Owning 2 vehicles is not ideal when you factor in the insurance, taxes, registration, etc. So I've been anxiously awaiting a true offroad EV option so I could get back on one vehicle. I got on the preorder list for a Bollinger pretty early on, but when they finally got around to taking deposits, the target price went from $75k to $125k and I bailed. I also question their long term viability since they seem to be myopically focused on a very niche market.

So then I began looking at other options, and the Rivian caught my eye. They'd just gotten a huge capital infusion from Ford and Amazon, so their viability risk was greatly minimized. Plus they are targeting a more mainstream market. So I jumped into the preorder list for one, albeit a bit late in the game (i'm probably in the 15,000 - 18,000 position in line, but that's better than folks just jumping in now who would be 60,000+). This was before the Hummer EV was revealed. I actually really like the Hummer, but their initial production model will be $112k which took it off the list for me. I also think Hummer's production schedule estimates are a bit aggressive and Rivian is much further along and will begin deliveries at least a year ahead of Hummer, if not more.

As for why I like EV's in general, it's all of the things you mention. I love the tech - even though much of it is not unique to EV's. It just seems that the EV companies are pushing the envelope on the tech since they view it as a computer with wheels, motors and seats, vs an engine with lots of mechanical things around it and computer as an afterthought. Performance is equally enticing. Once you've felt the massive and instant torque of an EV, it's hard to go back. I have to give my 4Runner pep talks when going up hills, especially when trailering. Initially I just swore at it incessantly, but that didn't seem to help either. Having 800-1000 HP equivalent and the ability to go 0-60mph in 3 seconds or less in a truck is impressive (and fun!). Cost is a factor, but when you figure out the savings in not paying for gas and almost no maintenance, tax credits, etc,, it offsets a good portion of the premium of the sticker price. But it is nice that there's not much on it that needs servicing (tires and wiper blades is about it), and much simpler mechanics so less things to break. Downside is that if things do break, it's more like to be electronics which are usually not easy to repair yourself and tend to be expensive fixes at the dealership. I do believe they are net positive from an environmental standpoint, but that's a hotly debated topic. I'll acknowledge that the marketing is misleading as it relates to environmental impacts. "Zero Emissions" may be technically true for the car, but all of that electricity has to be generated somehow, and environmental impacts of the various generation options is also hotly debated.
 
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