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EV 4x4 Options 2021-2022

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
I haven't posted in a while, but have still been around and check the forum a few times a month. I still drive my 2005 H2 SUT everyday, but the H2 is in desperate need of retirement. I have been holding off on a replacement because quite honestly, it has been nearly impossible to find a truck that I like and would want to drive everyday. This is especially difficult, because the H2 is still looks great and is running strong. We still go camping and trail riding and tow the boat to the coast, but she is definitely showing her age. I struggled with the EV market as an option because I honestly felt as though most EV and Hybrid trucks were not going to deliver in the areas that appeal to my interest. I have no interest in selling my Hummer, but I am considering a 4x4 Hybrid or 4x4 EV pickup as an option. I looked closely at the Hummer EV and was initially excited, but the more I see of the truck online, the more I feel like I would be disappointed, especially given its price tag. One of my neighbors has a deposit on the Hummer EV and one of my other neighbors has a deposit on a Cybertruck. I honestly think both are too over the top and gimmicky for me personally. The F-150 lightning and even the Tundra Hybrid appear to be good options, but I am leaning to more of a mid size truck instead of a full size truck. I have been reading more and more about Rivian over the past year, and the more I dive into the R1T, the more interested I have become as it being a real possibility. The entire mindset of the company and passion for adventure has gotten me excited about the future. I am not convinced that 100% electric is the way to go based on current battery technology, but options are very limited.

I ended up putting down a deposit on the R1T last month and emailed customer service about some questions I had, and to my surprise, not only did I get an immediate response, but a very thorough and detailed response to my questions. I am hoping that I will be able to take delivery next fall, but time will tell as Rivian ramps up its production and customer deliveries over the next several months.

Just curious if anyone else is in the market and/or struggling with a similar scenario.
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
Florida has lots of EV charging stations on major routes and even in most municipalities, so even if Rivian's network is not built out yet, I should have options to charge. So if the range hit is too bad towing or hauling gear, I should always be able to find a place to top off when I get near my destination. Most of my towing is with my 3,000 pound pontoon boat and is within two to three hours of my house. We usually head to the east or west coast of Florida. I anticipate a pretty huge reduction in range when towing so we will have to see how bad that turns out to be. I don't think it will be 50% reduction, but we will see. Our camping spots are about the same, usually within 2 to 3 hours of home, with plenty of charging opportunities to top off when we get near our destination. Strange new world I'm heading into, I'm sure it will take some getting used to. I guess I could always throw my 12KW generator in the back of the Rivian with some extra fuel. Lol.
 

LagunaH1

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,703
Location
Lake Forest, CA
I agree with you that Rivian as a company is interesting, and that the focus of the R1T is interesting, too. When my Power Wagon is due for replacement (likely in 2 years or so) I will be looking carefully at EV trucks. My concern about electric trucks for my use scenario is the not-so-awesome charging options near the remote places I like to go to.

The F-150 Lightning is real interesting, too.
 

Kurt

Well-Known Member
Messages
955
Location
Orange County, CA
I'm on the fence with Rivian since this is their first vehicle, I'm a bit more comfortable with GM/Ford/Telsa since they have a somewhat proven production run on getting out products and supporting them to a degree.

I was eyeballing the new Hummer EV but I think I'm going to wait 2-3 years until the general production/non-special edition trucks hit the market and availability is less of an issue, even so the only way I can swing one of those is to sell my H1 to go towards it and I'm not 100% sure if I want to do that. I got a reservation for a Cybertruck but we'll see where that goes... the prototypes been seen around Austin area near me, but that's the one probably seen down at Space X in LA and Boca Chica.
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
I test drove a Rivian for the first time last weekend. Super impressed with the build quality and performance. If they can maintain a steady level of production ramp up, I think they will be around for the long haul.
 

LagunaH1

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,703
Location
Lake Forest, CA
I've been watching some reviews of the Ford F-150 Lightning and it looks pretty good. I don't think it's well suited for anything outside regular paved roads and dirt roads though, due to its low ground clearance.
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
I got my confirmation last week and signed all of my paperwork. I will be getting my Rivian R1T next week. No pics of the actual truck yet, but here is a screen grab of what my configuration looks like. I'll definitely be keeping the Hummer for a good while longer, it will give me some time to get her back to prime condition. Also will be nice to have a backup rig for when the Rivian needs to go in for service. As a first generation vehicle, I am expecting a fair amount of trips to the service center. I'll post a few pics once I get her in my possession.
Rivian.jpeg
 

Korby7

Well-Known Member
Messages
395
Location
Utah
Congratulations. I’d go with Rivian if I were in the market for all the same reasons you’ve mentioned. Good looking package you picked out.
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
Delivery yesterday went super smooth, it was raining, so we did not get many good pictures. Drove about 50 miles to get used to the vehicle and every minute was awesome. Exceeded expectations in everyway so far. I'll take some side by side shots next to the Hummer this weekend for size and scale comparison. My little guy was having a ball inside the truck as we were learning how to use the UI.
 

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Kurt

Well-Known Member
Messages
955
Location
Orange County, CA
My office campus is shared with the Rivan HQ, I was wondering why I was seeing wall to wall Rivian Trucks, SUV's and Box trucks [!] near work in Irvine.

My neighbor just got a orange truck, nice setup.

On the waitlist for the Hummer EV SUV.
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
Just over 2,000 miles now and the truck has performed above and beyond my expectations. Completed my recall inspection last week in about 5 minutes and I have to applaud how Rivan handled that. I got an email before the official announcement letting me know what to expect and what they were going to do and what was really happening and why the real was important. They had an express service line setup at the service center and I drove up, they inspected the control arm bolts and re-tourqued them to the new specs and I drove off.

As far as the truck goes, I have had a great experience. There have been a few people that have had some build issues with early VIN#, but my VIN is in the low 11,000 range and I have had no issues what so ever. Pretty much every aspect of the truck has been great. Performance is unbelievable and it does so many things very well. If you want a performance vehicle, drop it into sport mode and lower the suspension and it performs better and faster than any sports car I have been in. Want to go off-road, drop it into off-road mode and increase the ground clearance to over 15". Rivian's traction management system is pretty cool and the vehicle is constantly calculating how much torque to apply to each wheel when one wheel begins to slip. This allows the truck to apply maximum torque to each wheel and limit wheel spin to a minimum to ensure forward momentum can be maintained. There are some videos of the Rivian slipping and sliding climbing up some loose, rocky terrain, but with the drive mode and traction control setting correct, it is extremely capable. I suspect those people are simply letting off the gas too early and not letting the truck do its job. I have not done any thing too aggressive yet, because parts are in short supply. I want to accumulate a few trail spares (CV Half Shafts, tie-rods, etc.) for if/when there is some breakage on the trail. Once I get some real wheeling time in it, I will report back on my experiences in comparison to my H2. Obviously different vehicles, but ironically very similar in weight, so it's not to far fetched of a matchup. The Rivian has an incredible amount of power over the Hummer, so time will tell with more seat time.

As far as negatives, I don't really have anything major, so I will focus on a few nit picky items:

1. Infotainment System could use some serious updates. The lack or CarPlay support and limited bluetooth functionality is a problem for me. This is probity my biggest area that I think needs improvements. The form and usability of the UI is great, but navigation and infotainment need help.
2. Navigation needs improvements. They need to switch from the open source maps they are using to google maps or something similar with a better database for points of interest and route planning.
3. UI Customization - I would like to see some ability to customize the UI to fit how you use the vehicle.
4. Kneel mode when parked, goes with some customization of the UI noted above. I have a disabled son and it would be nice to set a default height for parking so that the vehicle air suspension lowers to the lowest level so my son and wife can get in and out easier and then returns to the previous drive positions when starting to drive. This should be user selectable setting in my opinion.
5. Towing range is a big downside, but let's face it, if you bought a Rivian to tow the max weight of 11,000 lbs, you bought the wrong vehicle. Towing in general is actually superb, it handles trailer loads better than most full size trucks. The downside is obviously range and charging with a trailer as it would be with any EV. Most charge stations are not setup for trailers, so you would most likely have to disconnect the trailer to charge while on the road. I tow my 3,000 lbs pontoon boat and similar wight fishing rig with ease. The furthest I have gone was about 60 miles one way, so 120 miles total. I learned quickly you better charge to 100% if you plan on towing any distance, because on my first tow, I was sweating bullets and pulled into the driveway with 3% range left. I could have stopped and charged, but honestly I new I could make it. Well at least I hoped I could.

I'm sure I will have more down the road, but so far only very minor functionality issues, mostly related to the UI and infotainment that are constantly being updated other the air, so I expect the UI will continuously improve.
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
Will do. We still abuse the Hummer so my son and I will hit some trails together in the near future and see how they compare.

Interesting how quickly Rivian responds with over the air updates. Kneel mode was on my wish list and I'll be damned if they didn't add that over the air this week. Works awesome for my son to get in and out of the truck when we park and then as soon as I put it in drive it reverts back to my standard drive setting.

I'm sure in the future they will find a way to monetize features and upgrades via a subscription, just like everyone else does to get residual income after the sale.
 
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