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Rivian R1T gross vehicle weight makes it a “heavy duty” truck at 8.5k lbs

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The Rivian R1T Owners Manual hints that the all-electric pickup could essentially be considered a heavy-duty truck. Several details in the Rivian R1T Owners Manual hint at this, but the main one would be the all-electric pickup’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 8,532 lbs. 

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), trucks weighing between 8,501 to 10,000 lbs. are classified as EPA Class 2b. The Rivian R1T could then be considered a three-fourth ton heavy-duty pickup truck based on its GVWR classification. The classification puts the Rivian R1T in the same category as the Ford-250, Chevy 2500, and Ram 2500. For some perspective, Ford calls the Ford-250 its “Super Duty” truck, and it’s made to handle work and loads the F-150 can not. 

A comparison between the GVWR of popular pickup trucks and the Rivian R1T is listed below, courtesy of The Fast Lane Truck

  • Rivian R1T: GVWR = 8,532 lbs
  • Toyota Tacoma: GVWR = 5,600 lbs
  • Ford F-150 Hybrid: GVWR = 7,350 lbs
  • Nissan Frontier: GVWR = 6,012 lbs
  • Toyota Tundra Hybrid: GVWR = 7,660 lbs
  • Nissan Titan XD: GVWR = 8,800 lbs
  • Chevy Silverado 2500: GVWR = 10,850 lbs

A truck’s GVWR is the most accurate way of knowing how much a truck can carry. The Rivian Owners Manual does not provide a precise payload capacity for the R1T pickup truck. However, it does hypothetically calculate a capacity of 1,400 lbs. 

(Credit: Rivian)

The Rivian R1T’s GVWR hints at how all-electric pickup trucks could change the way people classify trucks and their capabilities. Despite its GVWR classification matching trucks like the Ford-250, the Rivian R1T will most likely be pitted against Ford’s F-150 Lightning and the Tesla Cybertruck.

The Lightning is marketed as a working truck with the commercial model priced at $39,974. Meanwhile, the Cybertruck has been said to make an excellent commercial pickup, and it starts at $39,900 for the Single Motor RWD variant.

Months before its expected September deliveries for its Launch Edition trucks, Rivian has shown the R1T in different situations with its Stories series. Most Rivian Stories show the R1T as a truck made for adventures in different landscapes and varying weather conditions. 

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Rarely has the Rivian R1T been depicted as a working truck in Stories. However, the Owners Manual hints that the R1T could be used for work and play. 

Rivian’s configuration page states that deliveries for its non-Launch Edition R1T vehicles will begin by January 2022. The Rivian R1T Explore Package starts at $67,500. While the Adventure Package with premium interior and added functionality starts at $73,000. 

As September nears an end, Rivian R1T Launch Edition deliveries seem to be within sight. The EV automaker has already released the first iteration of its official Rivian App, which contains a multitude of information and hints about the R1T, including the Owners Manual–which was shared by the Rivian Forums.

Read the Rivian R1T’s Owners Manual below!

Rivian R1T Owners Manual by Maria Merano on Scribd

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Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

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Like it or not, the new Tesla Model Y is a big hit in China

The new Model Y’s registrations are picking up once more in China, with numbers rising 77.5% in the week ending April 27.

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Credit: Tesla China

It’s interesting to see that even after Tesla successfully changed over Gigafactory Shanghai to the new Model Y, reports still emerged earlier this month suggesting that the demand for the revamped, all-electric crossover may already be over.

Videos from China, as well as the trend in Tesla’s new vehicle registrations, suggest that the demand for the new Model Y in the country is alive and well. 

Why Did Registrations Drop In April?

One of the main arguments supporting the idea that the new Model Y was already running out of steam in China is based on the vehicle’s sudden drop in registrations in April. This, as well as the fact that Tesla China still estimates just 2-5 weeks of waiting time for new Model Y orders, was interpreted as a demand issue by Tesla skeptics.

What is quite surprising is that skeptics still seem to be intentionally ignoring the idea that Giga Shanghai allocates a lot of its vehicle output to foreign territories early on in the quarter. Thus, when Q1 ended and Q2 began, domestic vehicle registrations for the new Model Y dropped. One should not forget, after all, that Giga Shanghai supplies vehicles to numerous territories outside China.

Model Y Registrations and Delivery Centers

The new Model Y’s registrations are picking up once more in China, with numbers rising 77.5% in the week ending April 27. This suggests that Tesla China may be allocating more of Gigafactory Shanghai’s output to the domestic market once more. This also suggests that the new Model Y is seeing quite a bit of interest among Chinese consumers. The new Model Y, at least based on the trend of Tesla China’s registrations, definitely does not seem to be losing steam anytime soon.

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A video that highlights this argument was shared recently on social media by Tesla China watcher @GeekLaii, who paid a visit to the company’s delivery center at Crab Island in Beijing. As could be seen in the video, the delivery center is packed with new Model Ys waiting for delivery. Consumers seem to be opting for the vehicle’s mid-tier variant as well, as the majority of the cars at the delivery center were comprised of new Model Y Long Range All Wheel Drive (AWD) variants.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla Board member and Airbnb co-founder loads up on TSLA ahead of robotaxi launch

Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave a nod of appreciation for the Tesla Board member’s purchase.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla Board member and Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia has loaded up on TSLA stock (NASDAQ:TSLA). The Board member’s purchase comes just over a month before Tesla is expected to launch an initial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave a nod of appreciation for the Tesla Board member in a post on social media.

The TSLA Purchase

As could be seen in a Form 4 submitted to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, Gebbia purchased about $1.02 million worth of TSLA stock. This was comprised of 4,000 TSLA shares at an average price of $256.308 per share.

Interestingly enough, Gebbia’s purchase represents the first time an insider has purchased TSLA stock in about five years. CEO Elon Musk, in response to a post on social media platform X about the Tesla Board member’s TSLA purchase, gave a nod of appreciation for Gebbia. “Joe rocks,” Musk wrote in his post on X.

Gebbia has served on Tesla’s Board as an independent director since 2022, and he is also a known friend of Elon Musk. He even joined the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to help the government optimize its processes.

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Just a Few Weeks Before Robotaxi

The timing of Gebbia’s TSLA stock purchase is quite interesting as the company is expected to launch a dedicated roboatxi service this June in Austin. A recent report from Insider, citing sources reportedly familiar with the matter, claimed that Tesla currently has 300 test operators driving robotaxis around Austin city streets. The publication’s sources also noted that Tesla has an internal deadline of June 1 for the robotaxi service’s rollout, but even a launch near the end of the month would be impressive.

During the Q1 2025 earnings call, Elon Musk explained that the robotaxi service that would be launched in June will feature autonomous rides in Model Y units. He also noted that the robotaxi service would see an expansion to other cities by the end of 2025. “The Teslas that will be fully autonomous in June in Austin are probably Model Ys. So, that is currently on track to be able to do paid rides fully autonomously in Austin in June and then to be in many other cities in the US by the end of this year,” Musk stated. 

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Stellantis unveils solid-state battery for EVs

Stellantis validated solid state battery cells for EVs: ultra-dense, fast-charging, and AI-optimized. Launching demo fleet by 2026.

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stellantis-solid-state-battery-electric-vehicles
(Credit: Stellantis)

Stellantis N.V. and Factorial Energy have validated Factorial’s automotive-sized FEST® solid-state battery cells, a major milestone for next-generation electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The breakthrough positions Stellantis and Factorial to advance EV performance with lighter, more efficient batteries.

“Reaching this level of performance reflects the strengths of our collaboration with Factorial.

“This breakthrough puts us at the forefront of the solid-state revolution, but we are not stopping there. We continue working together to push the boundaries and deliver even more advanced solutions, bringing us closer to lighter, more efficient batteries that reduce costs for our customers,” said Ned Curic, Stellanti’s Chief Engineering and Technology Officer.

The 77Ah FEST® cells achieved an energy density of 375Wh/kg, supporting over 600 cycles toward automotive qualification. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, these solid-state cells charge from 15% to over 90% in 18 minutes at room temperature and deliver high power with discharge rates up to 4C. Factorial’s AI-driven electrolyte formulation enables performance in temperatures from -30°C to 45°C (-22°F to 113°F), overcoming previous solid-state limitations.

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“Battery development is about compromise. While optimizing one feature is simple, balancing high energy density, cycle life, fast charging, and safety in an automotive-sized battery with OEM validation is a breakthrough,” said Siyu Huang, CEO of Factorial Energy. “This achievement with Stellantis is bringing next-generation battery technology from research to reality.”

The collaboration optimizes battery pack design for reduced weight and improved efficiency, enhancing vehicle range and affordability. Stellantis invested $75 million in Factorial in 2021 and plans to integrate these batteries into a demonstration fleet by 2026. This fleet will validate the technology’s real-world performance, a critical step toward commercialization.

The milestone aligns with Stellantis’ push for sustainable EV solutions, leveraging Factorial’s disruptive technology to meet the rising demand for high-performance batteries. As the companies refine pack architecture, the validated cells promise faster charging and greater efficiency, potentially reshaping the EV market. With the demonstration fleet on the horizon, Stellantis and Factorial are poised to lead the solid-state battery push, delivering cost-effective, high-range EVs to consumers.

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