Ambitious motoring start-up Rivian look to have thrown everything at making their R1T electric ute an appealing prospect, including the kitchen sink.
Yes, apologies for the grabbing that low-hanging fruit (fruit that can now be chopped up and garnished while on the run, apparently).
Ahem, yes. Back on topic. Rivian has confirmed that its stupendous (on paper) R1T will have among its options list a fully functional pull-out kitchen.
Regular readers that have plotted the Rivian's trajectory will know how big a deal the vehicle is.
The American firm revealed its incredible four-wheeled, four-motored project last November, with the bold claim that it packed 14,000Nm of torque and 147kW of power at each wheel with a 0–100km/h of under three seconds. There was also an SUV variant, called the R1S.
More important than the headline-hugging performance numbers were Rivian's range claims; over 640km to a charge. And, the lofty goal of having the two vehicles hit production before 2022.
And those goals got an injection of optimism from Ford in April, when the blue oval confirmed it had made a USD$500m investment in the company.
So while we might make jokes at the prospect of a kitchen, understand that, down the line, the Rivian R1T could well become a vehicle we talk about with similar awe as the Tesla Model 3.
The kitchen itself was shown off earlier this year at an Overland Expo, but at the time it was just a concept. It slid out from the R1T's unique 'cargo tunnel' cavity behind the back doors; a space that is ordinarily a plain storage compartment on standard R1Ts.
Along with trying to aid the vehicle's appeal to millennial buyers (get a load of the avocado on that plate ladies and gentleman), the kitchen emphasizes Rivian's desire for the R1T to be considered as an outdoors adventure vehicle.
The significance of this is that, up until this point, electric cars have never really been seen that way because of either range anxiety concerns from the public or the fact that most current EVs are luxury or practicality-orientated.
Off-road chops combined with a meaty range give the R1T that distinction. Although, it may not be the first mainstream EV ute to hit the marketplace ...
