With the rapid development of global vehicle electrification, in addition to the common cars and SUVs, the pure electric vehicles we can buy today also have pure electric power. Although pure electric pickup trucks are not popular in the market at present, there are also many brands that are beginning to involve in this field. Today (December 14th), the new brand Rivian from the United States released detailed parameter information for its own R1T/R1S models. In the face of the pure electric pickup truck market that is still blue ocean, can Rivian seize the opportunity with R1T?
Where did Rivian come from?
I believe that many small partners are still very unfamiliar with Rivian, what brand is this? In fact, we can simply understand Rivian as a new car-making force in the US market. First, Rivian was founded in 2009 by its founder, R.J. Scaringe is an "Autobot" who earned his Ph.D. from the MIT Sloan Automotive Laboratory. After the establishment of the company, Rivian has also received investment from many "big guys" such as General Motors, Ford, and Amazon. However, at the end of 2018, Rivian officially released its first model: the R1T. After the release of the R1T, Rivian's development also began to accelerate, and its market value exceeded $100 billion in less than two days after landing on the NASDAQ on November 10 this year. You know, At the moment, Rivian is only delivering less than 200 new cars. Does such a plot always feel a little familiar?
How about R1T/R1S products?
In the capital markets, Rivian can be described as thriving. But for most consumers, they are more concerned about how the product is actually, so we will come to the specific parameter information of R1T/R1S. The first thing you need to know is that the R1T and R1S are two models, the R1S is a pure electric pickup truck model, and the R1T is an SUV model based on the R1S. So we will take R1T as an example to see how strong the product is.
Judging from the detailed parameters released by Rivian, the R1T is first equipped with a 2170 battery provided by Samsung SDI, with an overall capacity of 135 kWh and a maximum endurance of 505 kilometers under EPA conditions. It is reported that in January next year, the R1T will also launch a model with a range of more than 640 kilometers. In addition, the R1T also supports fast charging of up to 210 kilowatts of power, and the range of 225 kilometers can be increased by 20 minutes of charging.
In terms of power, the four wheels of the R1T are equipped with a separate motor, and the combined maximum horsepower of the vehicle is 800 horses under the configuration of 4 motors, and the peak torque is a staggering 14,000 Nm. Under the strong power guarantee, the R1T's acceleration time of 100 kilometers can be within 3 seconds of the supercar level. In terms of off-road capability, in addition to the four-wheel drive brought by the 4 motors, the R1T has a small ground clearance of 360 mm, a wading depth of more than 0.91 meters, and a maximum traction force of 4.9 tons. On the whole, on the basis of the 135 kWh large battery, Rivian first guarantees the off-road performance of the R1T, whether it is a 4 motor configuration or an exaggerated 14,000 Nm torque, which is a rare "monster-class" model in the entire pickup truck market.
Can R1T seize the blue ocean market?
From the perspective of product strength, R1T is indeed very strong, which is a very suitable choice for consumers who pursue new energy and off-road capabilities. But looking at the entire pure electric pickup truck market at present, although the market is still in a blue ocean state, the opponents of R1T are all fierce characters. First, the North American market pickup truck "king" Ford F-150 will also launch a pure electric version of the model: F-150 Lightning, and the new car has begun pre-production of Ford's new Rouge electric vehicle in Dearborn, Michigan, and is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2022. In addition, another pickup truck "giant" in the North American market, Dodge Ram, will also launch a pure electric model.
Including in the new field of influence, Tesla's Cyberruck is also the most direct opponent of R1T. So even if there are not many competitors, R1T faces opponents who are not losing their strength, and from the perspective of brand recognition, Ford and Dodge are naturally more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
In the view of "One Circle of Cars": There is no doubt that with the development of automobile electrification, we will be able to buy more and more pure electric pickup trucks. However, for now, pure electric pickup trucks as a relatively special model, we must also see the advantages and disadvantages. First of all, thanks to the characteristics of the battery and motor, instantaneous and powerful torque and huge horsepower are exactly what the pickup truck needs, which can greatly improve the off-road and maneuverability of the model. On the other hand, because the pickup truck itself is very heavy, coupled with the bulky battery and motor will lead to a significant reduction in the endurance of the model, and the pickup truck as a tool car will often wade through the mountains, the safety of the battery in the face of impact and liquid is also a problem.
In addition, as a tool model, the price of pure electric pickup trucks is currently very expensive. In the case of R1T, its starting price in North America is $67,500. In addition, Tesla Cyberruck also starts at $39,900 in the United States. In contrast, the fuel version of the Ford F-150, its 2021 model in the US market, starting at $29,290. Therefore, in terms of price, whether pure electric pickup trucks can be accepted by consumers is also a problem. However, "One Circle of Cars" also believes that with the development of new energy technology and the needs of the market, the problems currently faced by pure electric pickup trucks will also be solved.