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Hey All, Has anyone seen any information from Rivian about what they are doing in terms of durability claims and testing? As an "adventure vehicle" my hopes are high - but I do want to know that:
- I can take my new truck for a weekend in the dunes (sand gets everywhere)
- Handle the snow, slush, and winter grime of Michigan winters
- Visit my mud, clay, and sand jobsites on a daily basis
- etc (my current truck gets washed 3 times a week to stay looking decent)
and come away knowing my new Rivian will last through all of that (at least equal to, but preferably better than, my usual big 3 4x4 pickups do)
I think that the R1T will exceed your expectation in terms of durability and reliability. The R1T will be much better than any comparable truck you drove so far. The only issue that I am concerned about is the longevity of the batteries. How long these batteries will last?? and what warranties Rivian will offer???
I think the point of my post is: I want to know that if they are going to use the EAV label - that these vehicles are going to meet the expectations that come along with it. I drive 4 wheel drive trucks with ground clearance because I need to, not because I want to (I have yet to see an EV hit the road that does meet my requirements - Rivian seems to have the best shot). I need to have the ground clearance, and know that my vehicle can handle the terrain on a daily basis. Hence my question of durability testing.
I haven't seen any official claims or test results but there have been a few videos and pictures of these two EAVs off-roading and traveling on snow covered roads/trails. Granted some/most are staged for the PR, but I know of at least one video I saw where an R1T and I believe a dune buggy did an impromptu race across sand. I can only imagine Rivian is conducting these types of tests, just not ready to release them yet.
Along those lines, I'm interested in what safety features each EAV will have along with crash tests results / ratings, e.g., that the NTHSA perform - frontal crash, side barrier and pole crash tests along with rollover resistance tests. I wan to enjoy one of these EAVs, not die in it.
There's still time as we're well over a year away from their predicted late 2020 product launch which of course assumes no delays though odds are there probably will be a delay or two for a start-up automotive manufacturer.
Do buyers really want to put this type of vehicle thru all of those paces? Maybe if you think YouTube will pay for it.
The real test will come when the trucks get into our hands!!!