Startup electric car maker Rivian has confirmed a few pretty nifty details for its first production vehicle, the R1T pickup truck. The electric trucks will have auxiliary battery packs available and will even be able to charge one another.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed both features in an interview with The Drive, published last Wednesday. When the website pressed the CEO on how owners will be able to take their trucks further off the grid, in the absence of any charging infrastructure, the CEO confirmed owners will be able to swap in an auxiliary battery pack as a backup in those kinds of situations.
A patent for the system surfaced this past February, which detailed how owners could easily install the extra battery pack when needed.
Rivian electric car platform
Since owners would be able to attach and detach it themselves, the auxiliary pack wouldn't double the range, or even boost it by half. But in the scenario Scaringe addressed, it would likely be enough to keep drivers off-road longer. Rivian has already said that the range-topping R1T should arrive with an estimated range of 400 miles from a huge 180-kwh battery pack.
Rivian R1T electric pickup concept
In the event things become dire, Scaringe said Rivian owners will actually be able to link up and charge each other's trucks. He didn't explain how much juice one owner will be able to transfer to another, but the feature will certainly be available to drivers who need it. The CEO simply confirmed it and said friendly owners will be able to share some electrons.
Rivian appears to be in good shape as it prepares for production of the R1T in Illinois next year. The company recently came off an eventful investment round, which Amazon led. Ford also invested $500 million in the startup and confirmed it would use the Rivian electric-vehicle platform for a battery-electric vehicle of its own.