Rivian R1T electric pickup to roll out June 2021 as Illinois factory sets up

By Aaron Mamiit July 24, 2020

The Rivian R1T electric pickup truck will start rolling out to customers in June 2021, with the R1S electric SUV to follow a couple of months later in August 2021.

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Rivian revealed when the deliveries for the two electric vehicles will start in an email sent to prospective customers, TechCrunch reported, with the dates confirmed to Digital Trends by a company spokesperson. The email was the first to provide a specific window for the release of the R1T and R1S, for which production was supposed to start this year but was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Amazon- and Ford-funded company was in the process of retooling a factory in Normal, Illinois that it purchased from Mitsubishi when the coronavirus-related lockdowns started. After a few months, Rivian started running a pilot production line at the facility, a process that looks to identify issues before ramping up to full production, TechCrunch reported.

Rivian, meanwhile, remains on track to make 100,000 electric delivery vans for Amazon, which will start receiving the vehicles in early 2021.

The company, however, said that it has not yet shared production details concerning its Illinois factory when asked for information on the planned rate of R1T and R1s production by Digital Trends.

Upcoming electric pickup trucks

The Rivian R1T is far from being the only electric pickup truck on its way to the market. Other options include a variant of the next-generation Ford F-150, the GMC Hummer, the Lordstown Endurance, and the Tesla Cybertruck.

Chevrolet recently revealed that it was joining the suddenly crowded arena with the Chevrolet BET Truck, the brand’s first full-size electric pickup truck designed to offer more than 400 miles of range on a single charge.

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Rivian reportedly delays R1T deliveries amid supply chain and quality issues

People and a dog standing in front of a Rivian R1T electric pickup truck.

Rivian successfully launched production of the R1T, its first model, in a former Mitsubishi factory located in Normal, Illinois. Digital Trends drove the electric truck in September 2021 and loved it, but a new report suggests it will take some time before many buyers can do the same.

Several members of the Rivian Forums wrote that a representative for the young company had reached out to inform them of delivery delays. One said that his estimated delivery date was pushed back from October 2021 to February 2022; he added that the Guide the company assigned him blamed the setback on supply chain-related issues. Another user who claims to have placed a reservation for the R1T in February 2019 also wrote that Rivian moved the estimated delivery date from October 2021 to February 2022. Interestingly, that customer added that the Guide blamed the delay on quality control-related issues, though problems with the supply chain were also partly to blame.

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Everything you need to know about the Rivian R1T

Rivian R1T on a beach

Rivian has joined the list of carmakers old and new who want to end Ford's 39-year reign over America's sales chart. While it's not a household name, at least not yet, it became the first company to release a mass-produced electric pickup in the United States. Sure, there have been others: Ford built an electric Ranger in the 1990s as a bit of an experiment. This is different: Rivian is aiming for volume.

The R1T is a four-door, five-seater model developed with adventurers and nature lovers in mind. It's closer in spirit to a Jeep Gladiator that you might see on a trail in Moab than to a Ford F-350 your utility company might use. It's new from the ground up, and it looks like one of the most attractive entries into this burgeoning segment -- Digital Trends put it through its paces on and off the pavement and walked away seriously impressed. Production has finally started so we're taking a look at what it is, what it does, how much it costs, and what's next.
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2022 Rivian R1T first drive review: The first EV pickup sets a high bar

Blue Rivian R1T

Many startup automakers have tried to repeat the success of Tesla, but the 2022 Rivian R1T is something different. This burly pickup truck aims to take EVs into the wilderness.

When it unveiled the R1T at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, Rivian made some bold claims, boasting of Jeep-like off-road capability, sports car-like acceleration, and enough range to get you to the trail and back.