Shiny new R1T on a Rainy Day.

The photo above is of Analiese Mione, a member of the EV Club CT Leadership Team and one of the earliest Rivian R1T preorder holders. She was all smiles when taking delivery of her Adventure Package R1T. The pickup is in forest green with 21″ tires to maximize range, an electric tonneau cover and heated and cooled vegan seats. The photo isn’t helped by the gray, rainy day, but we sure were toasty in the truck.

There were only 7 Rivians registered in CT as of our most recent DMV update on July 1st, but deliveries are increasing. Indeed, the Rivian employee who delivered the R1T and delivered a fact and fun-filled onboarding experience, mentioned that not 5 miles away a Rivian R1S was being delivered to another customer. During the Rivian earnings call this week, the company reported a 67% increase in production from second to third quarter, and affirmed guidance of 25,000 of vehicles to be produced by the end of the year. They are currently producing all 3 announced models: the R1T pickup truck, R1S SUV, and the commercial delivery van that is being manufactured for Amazon.

This adventure vehicle sports a 135 kWh battery pack and an EPA-rated range of 314 miles. Assembly is done at the Rivian plant in Normal, Illinois, which means it qualifies for the $7,500 federal tax credit for the remainder of 2022 under the recently passed IRA. For 2023 and beyond, we have to wait to find out if they comply with the new battery rules, and the price cap of $80K for pickups and SUVs goes into effect. It comes with J1772 (level 2) and CCS (level 3) charging connectors, along with a portable charger that can plug in to a 120 volt outlet or a 240 volt NEMA plug.

Behind the second row of seats is a gear tunnel that runs from one side of the truck to the other with doors on each end that fold down and double as seats or stepping stools for reaching above the truck. Analiese, a native plant specialist and private gardener in her retirement, plans to use it to conveniently stow her gardening tools for use at local private client homes.

Club president Barry Kresch joined Analiese for an inaugural test drive. Despite weighing a formidable 7,148 pounds, the vehicle rides on gossamer wings – smooth and silky, but responsive, quiet and very fast in all 5 driving modes. Analiese thinks she’ll drive it in Conserve and All Purpose most of the time, but can switch to Sport mode with the tap of one finger should a Ferrari or Lamborghini pull up to her at a red light. 🙂 To help spread the excitement about driving EVs and let others learn about this impressive feat of engineering, Analiese plans to participate in a number of upcoming EV showcase events.

Rivian Brings New R1T to CT in Support of Direct Sales

With the fate of SB 127 hanging in the balance in the waning days of the 2021 legislative session, a pre-production version of the Rivian R1T all-electric pickup truck made an appearance in CT. It could be found Thursday in Hartford, where legislators and the governor were given the opportunity to go for a drive and see the future of electro-mobility. The fate of the bill in the Senate is expected to be determined over the next few days. It would then still have to go before the House.

On Friday, a last-minute gathering came together, where some members of the EV Club CT, were also able to get a look. We hope to bring them back to CT once they have started production later this year.

Group photos by Paul Braren