Overland Testing of the Rivian R1T
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- Опубліковано 18 вер 2024
- We test the Rivian R1T on multiple surfaces, rocks, loose climbs, and even water crossings. With four motors, 850 horsepower, 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, and a 1,600 pound payload, this new electric truck impresses.
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Electric motors have full torque from (just above) 0 RPM. What I think you're experiencing in the Rivian is their throttle mapping in Rock Crawl mode that "allows" (and requires) full throttle movement to reach 20 MPH max, allowing more finesse and decreasing surging if your foot is bouncing around from the trail. Also the wheels need to be turning very slowly to sense slip, which many interpret as wasted energy, but it's a negligible amount, and as you stated, there's over 200HP and lb-ft torque at each wheel on demand. What the Rivian does seem to need is feedback to the driver about throttle position vs. power since there's no engine noise, and also since you don't have the traditional mechanically locked power transfer between wheels, which while non-optimal and inefficient, does give the driver a consistent feel that one can get used to and use as feedback. Some have suggested to generate an artificial audio beat sound oriented by the sound system to come from each wheel and varying in rate based on wheel speed, which is an idea that sounds interesting to me, and is also something an over the air update could create from nothing to being a unique offering.
It is the “just above zero RMP” that is the issue. It is a problem with all of the EVs we have tested. It is also a byproduct if four smaller motors, and we used rock crawl and WOT. When starting on a hill, or climbing up a ledge properly, the getting to “just above zero” is the limitation, but it does present itself more often (for all 4wd EVs) that one might expect.
It's not, if you do the math a single motor with no transfer case actually has much less torque than let's say jeep wrangler with lockers. I better rock crawling implementation would actually be better with duel larger motors and mechanical locker.
Enjoyed your thorough, thoughtful, and fair review of the R1T. Also, great videography!
All these salty comments.
It’s the first truck from a new startup company; I think people should be allowed to be enthusiastic without being accused of drinking the cool-aid. Rivian ain’t a megacorp.
If you want to roast a company that should be doing better: Toyota’s latest entry into this field is to come out with a new line of “Trailhunters” with the most god-awful ugly puny bed rack I’ve ever seen & re-add tow-hooks to the Tundra (ooops! But RIVIAN, how DARE they put a hitch release on the top of the bed, the audacity!!).
Why roast this channel ‘cause they posted a brief overview vid & not an excel spreadsheet analysis of each spec vs. every other “adventure” vehicle?
Damn, I can see why y’all like to get away from society & into the wilderness. I mean, I’m an introvert but ooof, you guys take this to the next level…hope we don’t meet on the trails 😂
Oh & for people calling out for more info, SEMA is right now, etc. (Yah there are already after-market accessories in-flight & the car has been effectively out for only a few months), check out this video of a custom build. Overland Ruff Rax is making some kit:
ua-cam.com/video/B97ZhTevlBI/v-deo.html
Oh and that 300+ mi. of range is legit, actual owners are reporting that on 20” tires & even better on 21”:
www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/r1ts-range-is-so-impressive-even-on-20-tires-averaged-2-38-mi-kwh-on-400-mile-road-trip.9976/
I haven’t watched the whole video yet, but I know I’m going to love it.
Nice review. Just took delivery of mine and have been itching to take it camping :)
Subscribed- Hope you get one. I love mine. Interested to see you get smaller brakes and calipers to fit 19 or 18 inch wheels.
one thing we want to see next is the R1T kitted out with an hard enclosure for the flatbed, making for an overall much longer roof, and the waterproof enclosure created housing refridgerating units etc.
Might be able to more easily do this with an R1S
I had to cancel my reservation because of the range. I need to be comfortable going to places like Baja California and going super remote for 5 days +. EVs just aren't there yet. I do have a Wrangler 4xe which I'm thinking about selling to go back to 100% ICE.
I only get 220 mile range in my pickup... I guess I'm not overland suited by the sounds of these comments. How much range is the minimum to be such an intrepid explorer?
shout out to Collin McRae! RIP
after you have driven 300 miles, how long does it take to recharge it full so you can jump in and do another 300 miles. While i might not be typical but when traveling, 300 miles, is less then half day of travel for me.
EVs charge fastest from 20-80%, so the general strategy is to stop at 20%, charge for 20-30 minutes to 80%, then get back on the road.
30 mintues to go from 10% to 80%, which is the range you want to fast charge. Combined with destination chargers/plugs you won't spend that much time waiting around.
Dum
I’ve watched quite a few videos of the R1T, and I am curious to see it in mud, where you need wheel spin to keep tires clean of buildup. It seems the software only spins just enough as needed, which makes sense if programmed for efficiency, but not suitable for mud. I also wonder about its downhill descent on ice/snow, where drivers need to guard against using breaks or regen, causing the truck to lose control. I am curious how Rivian addressed both mud and icy decent etc.
Mud was interesting. Sand mode worked the best (do not use rock crawling mode, which speed limits), but it will lower from the tallest suspension setting, which was an issue with the deep ruts we encountered.
Regen on ice may be an issue, but we have not tested it (yet).
Vehicle weighs just a little over 7000 pounds.
We listed curb weight with installed accessories and modifications.
I'm with @DADventureTV on this one. Coming from Expedition Portal I expected a lot more. I wanted actual, practical questions answered based off of real world experience.
No worthwhile questions were actually answered. Yes, it has a 'flat' bottom to protect the batteries. What is it made of? Is it 3/16" plate like you find on any serious set of skids for almost every other truck from every aftermarket manufacturer? I doubt it. And even 3/16" plate isn't bulletproof. Everyone constantly talks about the 15" of clearance, which is fine and all, but it isn't some magical number that implies offroad superiority. Worrying about your diff clearance to the ground is hardly a realistic metric in the real world. Very rarely do diffs every actually touch the ground, because they are where your wheels are, and your wheels should be on the obstacle you are tackling. Many parts of many other ICE trucks are well above 15" above the ground, from the factory. The R1T has a constant 15" of ground clearance, which is likely a hindrance in all honesty. The part of my Tacoma that touches the ground the most is 16.8" from the ground, and many places under the truck are over 20" from the ground!
Where are you going to mount a set of sliders? This is arguably the first and most beneficial modification to any truck that wants to go offroad. Kissing a rock with your rocker panel is very expensive to remedy, even without batteries being in the vicinity. This almost happens to you at the 9:30 mark. Quite poor performance for a vehicle with its ever hyped up 15" of ground clearance.
And why all of the fancy gizmos? Why can't the center console just open mechanically like literally every other car. No wonder why it cost $90,000, a price that will turn off countless prospective buyers. It's simply too expensive. And definitely too expensive to actually overland with.
You mentioned having a hard time opening the charging port due to mud, and then go on to show the R1T at the 6:26 mark and it is barely dirty. It has a light coating of muddy dust on it. It barely qualifies as dirty. And that was causing issues with the charging port opening? I'd hate to see how it functions when it's actually dirty. But no biggie, all you have to do is find a carwash, or dirty up the windshield cleaning fluid at a gas station, or carry water to clean your charging port door so it can open. Totally normal things for an overlanding machine!
You also mention that it has a mode that levels the truck at camp. This takes 15 MINUTES to do! In 15 minutes my truck is leveled, my AluCab is open, and I am already asleep! All without requiring any of my precious electricity/gas to complete.
I'm not even going to touch on the range thing. It has been thoroughly debunked by other YT channels. You provide zero useful insight into battery usage, mileage traveled, terrain, etc. We have no way to validate or understand your claimed 300 miles, conserve mode or not.
Also, what is the fascination with the 850 hp and the 3.5 second 0-60 for an Overland test video? Why are you hyping up a drift mode? Is the Rivian just a bigger side by side? Is it's focus on destroying the trail system by sliding around corners like a teenager? Where are the tread lightly policies that ExpedPortal should be promoting, as they say they care about it? Why on earth would you ever need to take off from a dig, on dirt, out in nature, at full throttle? How dangerous is this thing going to be on a road like South Senator Highway in central AZ? How ridiculous is it that a ~7,000 lb truck (when empty), ~8,600 lb when loaded up can accelerate to break neck speeds in between each blind corner? Again, it's just a bigger, harder to slow down side by side.
It's as if any CJ5 Wrangler, or 22re powered Toyota truck, with their ~80 horsepower, have never been able to go offroad, or climb any ledges, or anything like that. Gobs and gobs of power are not necessary to drive offroad.
Finally, the way this truck is performing, especially at the 1:59 mark, is embarrassing. That tiny step has to be 13" tall? Maybe 16"? So not even half the height of the tire. And all we see is wheel spin, despite the truck actually having power applied to all 4 wheels. This is an obstacle that I would not even think twice about, let alone spinning tires, rolling backwards, and then bumping my way over it. It's embarrassing for a truck that constantly gets placed on an offroading pedestal to perform so poorly. You hit a rock so viciously at the 10:12 mark with your front passenger tire as well. You have to hit it that hard because momentum is the only way you can get this bloated behemoth, with all of its tech between you and the wheels, up a slightly rocky, inclined trail. There's little to no control. Which is just silly. Gearing and Low Range trump all this horsepower and tech every day of the week.
This reminds me of guys online who talk about being able to "get my 2wd where guys with 4wd wouldn't dare to go!" because they will simply pin the accelerator and bash their way to the top. No control, no ability to preserve the vehicles systems. Just point it up the hill and hit that throttle!
I think the problem is, the term Overlanding has shifted to hitting FSR's for a night or two and then high tailing it back to town. It isn't spending 8 days in The Maze, or traveling across the entirety of the Arizona Strip while spending time living out of your vehicle. It's quick photos for Instagram and then back into town for coffee.
If you wanted to title this video something along the lines of "Check out this cool futuristic truck while we highlight basic information about it" that's one thing, and my opinion wouldn't be shared. But you titled this an "Overland Test" video,, and then give us absolutely no practical overlanding information, other than maybe the fact that you can add an additional 1,600 lb to an already bloated machine!
For folks as well traveled and as well respected as you are (I'm a huge fan and I'm on ExpedPortal 5 days a week), we all wanted you to step up your analysis, providing us with more real life information. Information that only a set of experts such as yourself could provide. Instead, we get the same boring, hyped up, influencer crap.
I drive a PHEV as well. I love electric vehicles and solar panels and all of that. My house has them. I love doing my part to be sustainable. But electric vehicles need to be consigned to being passenger cars, not offroading machines.
Sorry we didnt meet your expectations.
We did list the overly complicated center console and charge door as a con.
We had the Rivian in deep mud and ruts, but did not have the production crew there for that trip. That is where we encountered the charge door issue.
The hill is extremely steep. The Jeep Wrangler on 35s that was with us during the shoot struggled on the hill as well, spinning, and requiring multiple attempts.
People don’t watch technical videos… so stand by for the upcoming written editorial, which will allow us to do a deep dive. I hope that meets your expectations
Well said Michael!
Less than "300+ range" with those 34" tires.
For actual overlanding range/charging is a big issue. This reviewer perhaps confuses an overnight camping trip is overlanding. Simple calculations of range and DCFC locations shows many remote locations in western North America are not practical to visit in a 300 mile EV. Also, a 9000lb vehicles doesn't air down well due to the need for stiff sidewalls. The 20" wheel minimum is probably necessary regardless of brake size. The fancy suspension probably limits wide enough tires to override the sidewall stiffness requirement.
@@dmiller9786 Actually some owners have already done trips. True that some destinations are not possible right now. But some are with proper planning. The 314 range he quoted, from Rivian, is based on the 21” wheel configuration with all season tires. The larger Max Pack battery is still in the pipeline. And charging infrastructure will get better with time.
After three circumnavigations of the planet and crossing all seven continents, I believe we are clear on actual overlanding. We have crossed the longest overland track in the 48 states with an EV. None of this is the boogeyman the uninitiated assumes it is.
Certainly, some obscure route could be assembled that would be impractical or impossible in an EV, but that does not apply to 99% of users. If that is the need, the. Just use an ICE. But it is not a reason to dismiss an EV outright.
The Hummer has 18” wheels
@@fmonk Eventually traveling by EV will be like gas is today. But its far far that functionality today and DCFC charging in many remote won't be available for many years. The R1T max pack, which I have on order, is still a substantially limited vehicle for overloading. As a low efficiency vehicle it can't even be fully recharged overnight in any real world scenario away from DCFC. A 300 mile Rivian is considerably less real world capable than a 300 mile Tesla.
@@ExpeditionPortalWhat a load of nonsense. You can't drive to Alaska and camp normally in an EV. You can't even drive to Yellowstone from the east and use the east entrance. #1 on the list of what EVs are not good for is travel away from infrastructure. You don't even cover the basics when reviewing theRivian. You cover a bit of camping with some offroading.
Just saw a rivian set up as an overlander. Seems pretty silly to me to choose a tethered vehicle for freedom roaming. Oxymoron
Just say no to touch screens; give me buttons!!!
Now take it out in challenging weather. How about a week in Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground in January and a week in Baja in June? Ya, thought so. It won't work under those conditions.
Dum
My favorite comment so far in 2023!
Cause everyone needs to drift when camping. not affected by the amount of fuel? At least I can refuel a gas rig. Plenty of videos of electric trucks failing their rated range, will be a backwoods tow job waiting to happen... watch the video of the brand new rivian suv locking out the owner is the snow, 2100 buck to tow it
Dude really disappointed in this Rivian advertisement vid. You guys are hardcore overlanders and I came on here hoping for a detailed analysis of some things that are important for me as someone who would love to electric, was originally excited about the Rivian, but also bas enough experience to see through the surface level BS and needs certain questions answered, which noone seems to be doing.
1. RTI score- we need more details. I lnow that real world articulation is not that of a 500 RTI score veh, just looks at the vids of it lifting tires everywhere- 9:40 of this vid- it is lofting passenger front on the smallest of offsets moguls. Why might this be. Well I have owned and wheeled an LR4 with air sus so I know what the issue with it re articulation that many people dont tell you- you can wither have ground clearance or articulation but not both. Why? Because when you raise the sus height to gain ground clearance you lose articulation. Which might explain the RTI vs real world experience of the articulation difference- in the real world it is probably in some extended height mode making it lose articulation whereas on the ramp it is probably in regular mode. But noone gives us this data so we dont know. Why? Probably so Rivian can claim a great RTI and a great ground clearance while hiding from the consumer that, on the trail, you are going to have to pick one or the other, and if you need both at the same time you won’t be able to get it. It is one of the fundamental flaws with air sus for an offroader, along with more failure points because of added complexity and potentially stranded bc a failure drops to bump stops. Is thiz how Rivian air sus works also? Don’t know, noone will give us the info.
2. Range. Stop with 300 miles of range. Rivian itself says that with 20 in wheels and “offroad tires” its range its 274 miles. Car and Driver article dated 8/18/22 did the only legit test where the variables are real world and not stacked to give the veh the best range (like 55-65 mph, flat, unloaded etc) and they got 220 miles. Now add that RTT, maxtrax on roofrack, and weight of camping gear and some mountain interstates and roads ans I know you’re not getting 220 miles running that. Add some better ATs than those crappy Perellis like KO2s Wildpeak AT3Ws Baja Boos ATs, for ex, and that is going down even more. All my offroading spots are 150-200 miles away. As are many people on the East Coast USA. So legit, honest, detailed range figures is super important. And recharge time etc. so how far did you actually drive to your campsite on road? What was the range useage for that? How about the same for the offroad part? How long was recharge time and how much range did you get in it?? How was recharging- station location, real world availability etc. these are all things I and many other consumers would need to know before buying this as an overland offroader. I cant turn every daytrip into an overnighter and ever overnighter into a multiple overnighter- i have that thing called work and the real world that I am taking time away from to go play and have to get back to.
3 What is process for adding steel bumpers, winch, rock rails? And of course the wheel and tires you mentioned. After market manufacturers? Ease of install? Etc etc. i mean SEMA is going on right now, if there are gonna be options what better place to look. Some info on this would be nice.
4. Nice catch on all the electronic opening bits that will get jammed with dirt- Tonneau cover, charging port (kind of an essential thing to not jam) but did not mention that the button for the automatic opening tailgate is on the top of the bed meaning you cannot put a cap on it. You know, one of the most useful things for overlandiers. Maybe the frunk and rear passthrough will be enough storage for things that can’t get wet but how about we see it. Put a fridge or cooler in and let’s see how it sits, how easy it is to get to, how much room it takes up etc. my Gazelle 3T Tandem for ex is 5 feet long packed up. In my Gladiator or any truck with a 5 ft bed it fits and with an Alucab like I have or any other cap it stays nice and dry. With Rivian it is either the pssthrough for it or the roof. So would love to see an overlander like yourself actualmy pck rhe pasthrough and tell us your experience. Bc if it doesnt go in there then it is on the roof which is more drag and more decrease in range.
Really expected more from you guys than just this advertisement. Maybe the vid I am looking for is coming up. But the more I see bids like yours here from respectable and legit overlanders and offroaders that avoid these questions the more I begin to think that the reason is because the answers will not be good. Because I know that you know these same things. You have 10x more experience than me so if I know about these issues with my experience, I know you do. But no comment on them. And I know how channels that do this for income, unlike my little channel which is just to basically provide info to others who might do same trails and want a preview of them, work- too critical = no access in future. Look how Ford blackballed TFL for a long time. I was just hoping more when ai saw you guys doing a “Overland Review” of it. And this is what keeps me away from the Rivian.
We have received no compensation from Rivian, of any kind. We also paid all expenses, including charging expenses.
We achieved 300+ miles of range in conserve mode with the maxtrax and tent.
You should learn to form coherent sentences before criticizing anyone. I'm not going to address your wall of garbage text, but for one - the charge port is impossible to jam due to how it emerges if the sensor for opening gets covered in mud (like in the video) you can use the controls on the screen to open it. The gear tunnel can and does fit various fridges, and it has two power plugs. I think what's going on here is that you're just mad this is better than your milquetoast Gladiator?
Also, it's clear you are a weird obsessed dude and you even made terrible laughable videos which are angry that people liked Rivians. You should chill out and realize that nicer things than Gladiators can and do exist.
@@ExpeditionPortal not saying you were paid. But payment is not the only incentive. Not saying you said anything untrue either. But a lot of things can vary depending on setup parameters, and without that info the results don’t necessarily tell a lot. Especially when there is plenty of video evidence that is contradictory. All I’m saying.
300+ miles on those wheels and tires would be great as I haven’t heard of one similarly equipped getting close to that except unloaded, flat sea level roads going 55 mph the entire time, and even then I think it was still under 300. If so it’s great news and maybe they’ve done some software upgrades to increase range. Would love a vid to show more specifics of how. Because that is the kind of info we really need. What is conserve mode? What speed did you drive? On what kind of roads- flat, mountains, hills, altitude? All that stuff has major impact on range, so some data and vid showing what you did to achieve it would be super helpful to people. You say you paid to recharge yourself- for many of us this would be out first EV- so info on what that was like would be helpful. That’s all I’m saying.
🤙
@@TheBowerbird lol. Nah dude. Im just someone who buys for purpose. And before I buy I need to make sure it will be fit for purpose. The only reason I may seem salty about the Rivian is because so far a lot of these questions have yet to be answered by the overlanding and offroading community. There are lots of vids that go into immense detail for all the other rigs we normally use, necessary info for someone that actually is going to put a vehicle like this through its paces, and super helpful in trying to decide which rig to buy to fit one’s need. But not a lot like that about the Rivian. Most of them are just fluff pieces. I saw that someone built a legit Rivian offroader that they took to SEMA and said they were gonna post a vid about it, which is originally what I was searching for when I came across this vid. Maybe they will have more specifics. Would be nice. And since you know all this stuff why don’t you make a vid showing it? Would be super helpful. But you probably wont because you just have a channel to make snarky elitist comments. Why does the first part of every Rivian fanboy’s comment have to try make themselves seem intellectually superior? I mean are you really that insecure because someone is asking questions? So sorry my quickly typed UA-cam comment doesn’t live up to your grammar standards for online comments. And just so ya know, I’m successful trial lawyer that’s taken a number of successful appeals to the highest court in our state making some new law in the process. So yeah, I can compose proper sentences when it matters. Btw, what do you do that’s so intellectually amazing? Because I’m pretty sure that online grammar police isn’t a job. And yup, for now I’ll keep my Gladiator thank you very much. Maybe if Rivian can actually get these things produced and out to regular folks who put em on the trail I’ll run into someone and we can chat in detail. 8,000 delivered I think was last number I heard? Kinda sad really. Anyway, have a nice life. Hope you enjoy whatever you drive. 🤙