Electric vehicles (EV) have recently become a hot topic with rapidly increasing speed. Car manufacturers are competing with each other to develop new technologies and models, and in developed countries, laws are being established to promote the spread of EV.
When you think of EV, you probably think of Tesla, which has become a hot in Japan as well. But I’d like to give a brief introduction to Rivian, an emerging EV company in the US, which is said that it could surpass Tesla possibly.
What is Rivian?
An EV company with the concept of “ADVENTURE” launched in the US in 2009.
While EV are basically still associated with driving in urban areas, Rivian is an EV that is designed to go outdoors. Therefore, the lineup also includes pickup trucks and SUVs, and it seems that they are aiming for an EV that can be more easily enjoyed by families and is not pretentious.
When you put it that way, it resonates a little with me as a one of commoner.
EV has enough power for adventure
The powertrain uses a quad motor. It can go from a standstill to 60 mph (about 96 km/h) in 3 seconds. (It’s like a roller coaster.) The R1T can also tow up to 11,000lb (about 4,989kg). The sustainable driving range is over 300miles (about 480km) at the time of launch, and 400miles (640km) is expected to be achieved by January 2022.
If it’s this powerful, it’s not inferior to gasoline cars, but it’s better than a bad SUV.
Futuristic and COOL Design
A lot of effort has been put into the design of this car, and it seems that Jeep’s top designers have been brought in to create this car.
The body design is modern and attractive, embodying the Rivian’s concept of adventure. The interior is made of wood to create a warm atmosphere, and the seats are made of vegan leather. The seats are made of vegan leather, and the beautiful dashboard features a wooden frame that combines the display and gauges into one.
Endorsed by Amazon
That giant company, Amazon, has also recognized this potential and is investing in it.
Not only investing, but also they have already ordered over 100,000 EVs for delivery.
Of course, there seems to be a linkage with Amazon’s Alexa and so on, and the connected-related aspects of this area are not overlooked.
Model lineup
Currently, two models have been announced, the R1T and R1S.
Pick up truck EV
$67,500〜
SUV EV
$70,000〜
The lights and grill area are distinctive, and the futuristic yet simple construction is also good. Personally, I prefer the R1S (I’m not good at driving a pickup truck, so I just like reasonable size.).
In terms of price, I feel that the price is still not as affordable as the concept cited, which is something that the average person can easily afford. (I’m just speaking from a Japanese perspective. I know the gap in prices and wages between the US and Japan continues to widen), so I’d like to see them do a little better in this area.
Conclusion
In this article, I briefly reviewed Rivian. It’s a great company that continues to embrace new technologies and take on sustainable initiatives and missions, so keep checking back. I’m not sure if I can get the vehicles at this moment, but if they come with more affordable price, I’d definitely consider it.
EVs still have a lot of issues other than vehicle itself, such as charging infrastructure and how to generate and distribute the electricity they use. So it may take some time. But once those problems are solved, I think we’ll see an explosive replacement.
Hope we can create a future that is more friendly to the earth and to people with these technologies.
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