Rivian News

There's a lot of excitement around electric vehicles (EVs) these days as more and more arrive on the scene as diverse as the Tesla Model 3, Porsche Taycan and Hyundai Kona EV.But EVs continue to make up just a fraction of the new car sales market, and whi

There are five trucks that are either probably, or definitely, coming to Australia in the near future. And being the good people we are, we've gathered them all here for you, so you know exactly what to expect, and when to expect it.

Ford's raised eyebrows when it invested some US$500m in startup EV firm Rivian, not least of which because the latter's core product - the all-electric R1T - will soon be a competitor for Ford's super popular F-150 pick-up truck.The investment led most to

GM's top executive has shed more light on the brand's electric ute plans, revealing its first EV pick-up truck will be as cheap or cheaper than it's fuel-powered rivals, but no less capable.That's the word from GM president, and former Holden MD, Mark

General Motors has confirmed it will sell an electric ute from 2024 which will compete with Tesla, start-up EV manufacturer Rivian and electric utes being planned by Ford.

Australia's love of big trucks and SUVs, and the world's ongoing push into the electric-vehicle space, are set to collide in the most wonderful of ways, with confirmation Rivian will launch both the R1T and R1S locally.

Rivian's all-electric dual-cab truck and SUV have been confirmed for Australia, with company executives today confirming the pair of EV heavyweights are guaranteed for our market.

Electric pick-up truck startup Rivian has come up with what could be the cleverest approach to utes in history - modular tray designs.The company has patented five different designs for the tray of its R1T dual-cab pick-up, each of which suits a specific user case.There’s a removable recreation module which allows you to secure dirt bikes on the back, a removable delivery module with a canopy, a removable open box which is just a traditional tub, a flat bed, and a smaller side rail setup. Rivian Forums teamsters have come up with a series of images to depict how the modular trays will look, should they make it to production. Indeed, the company hasn’t yet made a production version of the R1T ute.But there is huge interest and investment, with US$700 million injected from the likes of Amazon. Rivian says that its R1T will have the choice of 105kWh, 135kWh and 180kWh battery packs. Claimed range will be between 370 kilometres and 643km. The Rivian R1T is set to be launched in the US in late 2020.

Amazon, one of the world’s biggest brands, and GM, one of the world’s larger car companies, are reportedly in talks to agree a joint investment in a previously unknown electric-vehicle brand, Rivian.At first, the idea of two global giants like General Motors and Amazon rushing to invest in a small EV start-up company like Rivian, which only made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show late last year, with little fanfare, seems strange.And then you notice what Rivian is planning to make - the world’s first electric pick-up truck, with a range of more than 600km - and it suddenly makes senses that the company is now being valued at between $US1bn and $US2bn.If the deal goes ahead, Amazon and GM would be minority shareholders and the people at Rivian would be very wealthy indeed.GM has bold goals for its EV range and has also stated previously that its profitability depends on sales of SUVs and full-size pick-up trucks.Despite those two facts, just last year the company said it would not make any “EV pickups”. Then Ford announced it was planning an electric version of the huge-selling F-150, and GM did a quick U-turn.Rivian, which unveiled its electric R1T truck in LA, could be the answer GM has been looking for, although it hasn’t officially confirmed rumours of its investment, reported by both Bloomberg and Reuters.“We admire Rivian’s contribution to a future of zero emissions and an all-electric future,” was the official GM statement.Amazon’s interest in Rivian is less clear, but owner Jeff Bezos certainly seems to know a good investment when he sees one, which is why he’s the world’s richest man.There is some speculation that Amazon may even go it alone and attempt to cut GM out of the deal. Could Amazon-branded EVs soon be delivering your packages? It’s possible.For its part, Rivian has previously discussed the idea of sharing its skateboard-like EV platform with other carmakers, but for now it’s focused on bring its R1T to market by 2020.The pick-up truck of the near future - to be built at an old Mitsubishi plant in Illinois - will have no fewer than four electric motors, one for each wheel, thus four-wheel drive, and will carry a lot of lithium-ion battery packs in its floor (which frees up a lot of storage space, like 330 litres, under the bonnet).Various variants will provide more power, and range, with the top 180kWh “mega pack” promising 640km of range, and a 0-100km/h time of less than seven seconds.The Rivian also has the bonus of looking fabulously futuristic and has already been given a maximum five-star crash-test rating in the US.Prices will start at around $US70,000, and there are plans for right-hand drive production in 2022.By that time, of course, it might well be wearing a GM, or an Amazon, badge.