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Rivian R1T is basically a Tesla bakkie

American electric start-up Rivian has revealed its 'go-anywhere' bakkie called R1T that it hopes will shake up the established pick-up world as effectively as Tesla has 'redefined cars’.

The five-seat full-sized R1T pick-up will debut at the Los Angeles motor show next week, where it will be joined by a seven-seat R1S SUV, both built on a bespoke modular electric carbonfibre and Kevlar-reinforced ‘skateboard’ chassis with a130kWh battery pack mounted in the floor and set for use on all kinds of vehicle. R1T is a touch longer than the Mercedes-Benz X-Class and has achieved a US five-star crash test safety rating. 

The R1-million bakkie is good for a 500km range (or 600km with a 180kWh 'mega pack’) and has a 150kW electric motor at wheel for a total of 600kW, good enough top crack 100km/h in just 3 seconds and and 160km/h in under 7 seconds. Not bad for a bakkie! Double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension gets air springs and adaptive dampers for 'both impressive on-road performance and handling and precise off-road control that surpasses any existing mechanical solutions.'

The US-based company is backed by Middle Eastern investors and employs 560 people at its Plymouth, Michigan design and engineering centre, Irvine, California battery facility and advanced engineering centre in Surrey, UK too, with late 2020 manufacturing set for an old Mitsubishi plant in Illinois with a capacity of up to 350 000 units per year with right-hand drive production due in 2021.