The electric truck and SUV that wowed the public and the press, ourselves included, is getting closer to becoming a reality. First reported by Motor Authority, and confirmed on the company's Twitter account, Rivian will start delivering the R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV next summer. The company planned to start building and delivering sooner, but plans were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The first of the two to reach customers will be the Rivian R1T with deliveries starting in June 2021. The R1S will follow a couple months later in August. Leading up to that point, the company has started operating its pilot production line at its factory to get ready for producing customer cars.

Next year is looking to be a busy one for electric trucks. Besides Rivian's entries, Lordstown Motors is planning on getting its Endurance pickup truck to customers sometime next year. GM will reportedly start producing an electric pickup that year, which could be either the GMC Hummer or the 400-mile-range Chevy full-size pickup. It could even be both. Even the Tesla Cybertruck is supposedly coming in 2021.

When the R1T and R1S launch, they will be available with a variety of battery packs and powertrain combinations. The entry-level models will have a range of about 230 miles, and the top level will deliver about 400 miles. That top-level one will also come with four electric motors making about 750 horsepower. These motors will also allow it to do a zero-degree-radius turn by turning each side of wheels opposite the other to execute what Rivian calls a "tank turn." Other interesting features include optional removable roof panels, a full-width trunk between the cab and bed of the R1T and power outlets to run appliances while camping. Pricing was initially announced at between $70,000 and $90,000, but Rivian has since said pricing will actually be slightly lower.

Not long ago, the Rivian R1T electric pickup engaged in a very public bit of development testing as a support vehicle for "Long Way Up" — the trip Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman took on Harley Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycles from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Los Angeles. Next month, the R1T enters the realm of competition testing by competing in the Rebelle Rally, the all-female navigation rally held over 10 days and 1,243 miles in the sandy, rocky hinterlands of California and Nevada. The team behind the wheel will be pilot Emme Hall and navigator Rebecca Donaghe, who won last year's Rebelle Rally driving the then-new Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

This is the first year the Rebelle's five-year history that there will be a pure electric vehicle; the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which returns this year, was the only previous entrant flying the electrified flag. To welcome the battery-electric pickup and any other EV that wants to join in the future, rally organizers have arranged a battery-powered mobile charging system to be deployed along the course. It's not clear which battery and motors the Rivian will house, but the top spec would provide a 180-kWh pack, up to 750 horsepower, and a range of more than 400 miles in normal conditions.
The race will help Rivian hone the pickup's off-road credentials, the brand's creative director saying, "Adventures like the Rebelle Rally are what Rivian vehicles are made for." The Rebelle isn't a timed rally, so the point isn't to beat up the R1T with marathon stints on the throttle. As a navigation rally, competitors aim to finish stages in the shortest distance traveled. The rules reward point-to-point driving, meaning the ability to clamber over and through whatever's in the way, a technique aided by the R1T's height-adjustable suspension that provides 14 inches of ground clearance on its tiptoes. The ability to do tank turns might also come in handy. The Rivian will prove itself by placing, or teach important lessons by falling out. All of this is a necessary step for a manufacturer selling "electric adventure vehicles." There are only two classes in the Rebelle Rally, Crossover and 4x4. Crossovers can be two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and can have unibody construction but no low-speed transfer case. The 4x4 class is traditional off-roaders with a low-speed transfer case, ranging from the Jeep Wrangler to the Range Rover.

The Rivian will be challenging the hardcore ICE runners in the 4x4 class, and we're throwing a shoutout to one of them, Team 4 Corners with driver Nena Barlowe and her new navigator Tana White. Barlowe helped prep this writer for a 26,000-mile drive from Los Angeles to the Arctic and back in a Jeep Wrangler a couple of years ago. Barlowe and White were meant to drive the Ram 1500 TRX in the race, which would have been spectacular, but Covid delayed the truck and kiboshed those plans. Instead, they'll be looking over at the R1T from the longest thing on the course, a Hydro Blue Power Wagon that's two feet longer than the Rivian and, at 7,300 pounds, probably heavier. On top of that, the Ram doesn't rise up to 14 inches of ground clearance, it always rides with 14.3 inches of daylight under the chassis.

Hall and Donaghe will be looking for a third overall win, and are good bets to win the electrified division considering the dearth of competition. Barlowe will be looking for her third win in the Bone Stock division. You can watch all the action on the Rebelle Rally's webcast October 8-17. After that, the Rivian R1T hits the market next June, the R1S SUV coming a couple of months later in August.

Full warranty information is out for the Rivian R1T and R1S. This wouldn’t be news for most cars, but since Rivian is a brand new car company and its vehicles are electric, there’s reason for some comparing and contrasting.

Starting with the basics, the full bumper-to-bumper warranty is good for a very normal 5-year/60,000-mile term. That’s consistent with many new cars today, but we’ll point out that Tesla’s similar warranty is only a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty.

The one you’re likely most interested in is the battery pack warranty. Rivian says that “all components inside the high-voltage battery” are warrantied for 8 years or 175,000 miles. Additionally, Rivian says the coverage includes retaining a usable battery capacity of 70% or more in the same amount of time or miles. If your Rivian battery doesn’t make it, the company will replace it. Tesla will also give you 8 years of coverage for the same battery retention, but the number of miles varies. You get as many as 150,000 miles with the Model S or Model X, and as little as 100,000 miles with the Model 3 Standard Range. All other Model 3 and Model Y versions offer 120,000 miles.

Rivian also includes a longer warranty for drivetrain components that is good for 8 years or 175,000 miles. By contrast, Tesla’s drivetrain component warranty is good for the same amount as the models’ respective battery retention warranties were good for (all listed in the paragraph above).

Lastly, there’s a perforation warranty that covers the aluminum body panels for eight years/unlimited miles.

If you purchase Rivian’s wall charger, it comes with a five-year warranty. You’re allowed to transfer the vehicle warranty to a new owner, but Rivian says you should contact its customer service department to determine what is transferable at sale.

As for potential instances of having your warranty voided, Rivian says that could happen “due to improper maintenance, service or repair.” The company says it doesn’t require all service to be done at a Rivian-authorized repair facility, but doesn’t offer any promises with its warranty if you pursue that path. If you want to get into the nitty gritty, Rivian says it will have more details on warranty limitations at a later date.