Rivian R1T arrives: First EV ute rolls off production line – and Australia is next

The first example of what could be the world’s most eagerly awaited EV ute has rolled off the production line as the Rivian R1T finally revs up.

First spied in 2018, then delayed, pushed back and paused, the Rivian R1T has finally made production, with the monstrous US electric ute rolling off its production line in the town of Normal, Illinois.

“After months of building pre-production vehicles, this morning our first customer vehicle drove off our production line in Normal! Our team’s collective efforts have made this moment possible. Can’t wait to get these into the hands of our customers,” Tweeted company Boss RJ Scaringe.

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It’s good news for the USA, and possibly even better news for Australia, given Rivian is on the record promising that an Australian launch should follow the American launch by about 18 months, with the brand having already trademarked its core model names for our market.

The Rivian R1T is a proper EV tough truck, with a quad-motor set-up that will deliver a sprint to 100km/h in just 3.0 seconds, and a range of up to 650kms from its biggest 180kWh battery.

With backing from Ford, Amazon and the world’s largest asset manager Blackrock, the US start-up is one of the most well-supported EV brands on the planet.

Crucially, the Rivian looks set to beat all other electric utes to market, including the recently-revealed Ford F-150 Lightning that’s due in US dealerships in early 2022.

Other electric utes currently in the pipeline include the Ram 1500, GMC Hummer, Chevrolet Silverado and Ford Ranger, as well as a new mid-sized EV ute from Ram.

Toyota Australia has also committed to an electric version of the LandCruiser 70-Series.

Meanwhile, one of the most eagerly awaited – the Tesla Cybertruck – has been delayed.