The first Rivian R1T electric ute has rolled off the production line at the company’s Normal, Illinois factory in the US.
“After months of building pre-production vehicles, this morning our first customer vehicle drove off our production line in Normal!” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said on Twitter.
“Our team’s collective efforts have made this moment possible. Can’t wait to get these into the hands of our customers!”
The first vehicle to roll off the production line was shown off at the factory surrounded by Rivian employees and Scaringe’s family.
Rivian has beaten the majority of its all-electric rivals to production, including the Tesla Cybertruck, GMC Hummer EV and Ford F-150 Lightning EV.
Deliveries of the R1T are expected in the next couple of weeks. During this time, Rivian is expected to be doing final checks on the vehicles.
Shown in Launch Edition trim, Rivian has another two trims of the R1T planned to begin deliveries in January 2022.
It won’t have the tank turn feature at launch until the safety concerns are ironed out.
In addition to the Launch Edition, there’s the R1T Explore base model, priced at US$67,500 (A$92,251), and the R1T Adventure priced at US$73,000 (A$99,768) in the USA.
Beyond that, Rivian has also shown off its R1S SUV that is expected to launch towards the end of 2021.
Manufactured in a factory once owned by Mitsubishi, the two-model Rivian range will be powered by a choice of three different battery packs, with capacities of 105kWh, 135kWh and 180kWh.
Early technical specifications revealed the all-electric R1T with the 105kWh battery is claimed to reach 60mph in 4.9 seconds. Total power and torque are 300kW and 560Nm, respectively.
The quickest Rivian will be the R1T equipped with the 135kWh battery. It will hit 60mph in 3.0 seconds, and produces 562kW and 1120Nm.
Both models can wade through water up to 1m deep, while the R1T has a payload of 800kg and a 5000kg trailer weight rating.
The company recently submitted a draft registration statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an initial public offering.
Rivian hasn’t specified the size and price range of the offering, but Bloomberg reports the company is seeking a US$80 billion (A$109 billion) valuation according to sources familiar with the matter.
The company has yet to announce plans to enter the Australian market.
