The Electric Rivian R1T Pickup Might Become One of the Most Popular Trucks in 2020

author: Manish Kharinta   

The Rivian R1T electric pickup.

After becoming a segment leader in the EV space, electric automaker Tesla managed to attract buyers from other segments, including buyers of premium, performance sedans and luxury SUVs or crossovers. 

Now it seems it might be electric truckmaker Rivian's turn to take over a segment which is dominated by internal combustion engine offerings from Detroit's big three automakers, General Motors, Ford and Dodge. 

According to its design and specifications, Rivian's R1T pickup might just be one of the most practical and versatile pickup trucks ever made. The electric R1T Performance model for example, gets a quad-motor setup, which produces 750 horsepower with 823 lb-ft of torque. 

Rivian is also going to introduce a long-range model in which the power output would be reduced to 700 horsepower to extend the range. Right now, there is not even a single pickup truck on the market which can trump or even match these impressive performance figures.

Recently, we did a comparison between the Rivian R1T and the current generation of Ford's best selling F-150 pickup truck. Needless to say, with its advanced features and performance figures, the R1T easily manage to outshine the electric F-150 pickup from Ford.

However, industry rumors suggest that the next generation of Ford's popular F-150 pickup might start rolling off the assembly line by next year and will likely feature a completely new design with an all-electric or hybrid powertrain option.

The company has not issued any official statement confirming the redesign, nor do we have any details about the specifications of the next-gen F-150 or its pricing. 

Unlike Ford, Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co has confirmed that its Santa Cruz compact pickup will enter production sometime in 2020, but other than the tentative production date, the Korean carmaker has refrained from divulging any further details about its new smaller pickup truck.

Lastly, there are two offerings from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles; the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel pickup and the Jeep Gladiator. The Gladiator is Jeep's first pickup truck in the last 25 years and it is available in 4 different trims; Sport, Sport S, Overland and Rubicon. 

Even though the 2020 Ram 1500 pickup truck is the most powerful half-ton diesel pickup in its class with its 260 horsepower diesel engine producing 480 lb-ft of torque, It doesn't even come close to the performance figures offered in the Rivian R1T. Likewise the Jeep Gladiator also falls short. 

In terms of pricing, both Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA) models undercut the Rivian R1T pickup by a substantial margin. However, with the federal tax credit on new EVs, buyers will get a lot more truck for the money with the R1T.

Tesla is also gearing up to introduce its electric pickup truck. Last month, Elon Musk said that the new electric pickup truck could cost as low as $49,000, which might just make it much cheaper than even the base model of R1T. 

However, other than teaser images, Tesla has not revealed any more details about its upcoming electric model, including when it will go on sale.

This bodes well for Rivian, as the R1T might just be on its way to becoming the most desired pickup of 2020.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.