Rivian Is Secretly Camouflaging Its R1T Pickup Truck as Ford F-150s for Testing
Spotters were confused when they saw these Ford-bodied trucks plugged in at charging stations across the city.
Rivian is the top story to come out of the EV-startup craze since Tesla itself emerged from the depths of Elon's mind and started building the influential Model S. It appears to be serious about building actual cars and trucks that work as intended, showcasing the benefits of electrification in everyday commuting. Now, after a massive influx of cash from Amazon to the tune of $700 million, development is ramping up to hyperspeed with real-world mileage being a crucial part of that testing.
However, Rivian doesn't want to give itself away just yet, so it's been dressing its electric test mules up as Ford F-150s in Detroit to avoid getting too much attention.
During a sit-down with the Detroit Free Press, Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe explained that this was the best way they've found to trial the company's "skateboard" platform in the harsh Michigan winter.
“We need something to keep the weather out while we put a lot of miles on our skateboard, so they're driving around in Detroit right now, too. They’re all over the place, but nobody knows. We’re very quiet about that,” Scaringe noted. He went on to explain that there are no ties between the fledgling EV-maker and Ford—the two autos coincidentally have the same wheelbase, making it a perfect fit.
Spy shots have surfaced across the internet of Ford F-150s hooked up to charging stations in the Motor City, causing plenty of speculation that, funny enough, doesn't actually have anything to do with Ford.
Instead, Scaringe and the rest of his crew at Rivian are putting the wear-and-tear on their skateboard brainchild to bring both the R1T pickup and R1-S SUV to life as soon as possible. They each promise to be the best-performing vehicles in their respective (and admittedly tiny) classes, hitting 60 miles per hour from a standstill in just three seconds while also boasting 400 miles of range.
