Still, much like a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, there's enough power here to make that mass seem inconsequential.

Electric motors might be more compact than internal combustion engines, but battery packs are still a long way from matching the energy density of gasoline - and the R1T's giant power pack weighs as much as a NA Miata. I certainly did - only to then be reminded that the truck weighs in at about 7,000 pounds before even a soul climbs aboard. With 838 horsepower and 908 lb-ft of torque whipped up by the combined output of four electric motors capable of snapping to full attention at zero rpm, you'd expect the R1T to be, well, beastly quick. Let's start with on-road driving - because while our first drive experience was mostly spent off the beaten path, the vast majority of R1T drivers will spend the vast majority of their time driving on pavement. Now do you see just how interesting the 2022 Rivian R1T is? How, for example, do you evaluate a pickup truck that makes more power and torque than a Ferrari 812 GTS or McLaren 765LT, and can sprint off the line like them - but can also keep up with a Land Cruiser off-road? One that offers more closed lockable storage space than most sedans? One that offers a built-in kitchen? One that can travel from New York to Boston in a straight shot without using a drop of gasoline - or ever use fossil fuels at all? Normally, when it comes to reviewing a new car or truck (or really, any other product), the first thing you have to ask yourself is, what else could I buy that does the same thing? After all, a big part of evaluating something is judging its value - and doing value inherently tends to involve comparing it to other methods of performing the same task.īut how, exactly, does one review something that doesn't have any direct competitors? Something that doesn't just find a new niche, but redefines an existing paradigm?

Car eats car 6 at poki