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Rivian announces R1T pickup truck: $69k starting price, 400+ mile range, and 11k-lb towing capacity
US-based EV startup Rivian has come out of the shadows to announce the specs of its first vehicle — the R1T all-electric pickup truck. The R1T, which seats five passengers, is designed from the ground up to be as comfortable off the beaten path as it is on paved roads. Armed to the teeth with clever features and cutting-edge technology, Rivian’s first entry into the electric vehicle market has the potential to be a game-changer.
Rivian spent the better part of the past decade developing its first vehicles — the R1T pickup truck and the R1S SUV, which is set to be unveiled tomorrow at the LA Auto Show. Only the specs of the R1T have been unveiled so far, though in terms of performance, range, and features, the pickup truck is notably impressive. The R1T, for one, is equipped with four electric motors, each one having a power capacity of 147 kW, as well as 3,500 Nm of grounded torque per wheel.
Three battery pack variants will be offered for the vehicle — a 180 kWh battery that is expected to give 400+ miles of range per charge, a 135 kWh option that gives 300+ miles of range per charge, and a 105 kWh variant, which will give about 230+ miles of range per charge. Rivian plans to start manufacturing the R1T’s higher-end options first, followed by the entry-level version, which starts at $69,000 within 12 months from the start of production. Production for the R1T is expected to begin in 2020.
The Rivian R1T all-electric pickup truck. [Credit: Rivian]
Being a vehicle designed for the outdoors, the Rivian R1T has the capability to wade through up to 1 meter of water. The pickup, while comparable in size to trucks like the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Tacoma, also outguns its competition in terms of towing capacity. Thanks to its four electric motors, the R1T has a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds, a figure that is more comparable to America’s best-selling vehicle, the larger Ford F-150.
There’s also a lot of storage in the R1T, with a frunk that offers 11.7 cubic feet (330 liters) and a “gear tunnel” — a storage area that spans the width of the vehicle, — that provides an additional 12.4 cubic feet (350 liters) of space. Rivian notes that the gear tunnel would be perfect for storing items like skis, fishing rods, and golf bags. The all-electric pickup’s bed is also fitted with three 110-volt outlets with more than 400 watts available at each, as well as a compressed air source for filling in bike tires.
While the Rivian R1T is evidently designed to be a vehicle that is at home in rough terrain, the pickup truck still features some of the trademark features of premium electric vehicles. Just like Tesla’s electric cars, the R1T features impressive acceleration, with the entry-level truck hitting 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and the 180 kWh top-tier variant going from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. Interestingly, the mid-level 135 kWh variant of the R1T is the quickest, with a 0-60 mph time of 3 seconds flat. All three versions of the vehicle have a top speed of 125 mph, similar to the Mid Range Model 3 RWD.
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- (Photo: Rivian)
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- The Rivian RT1’s spec sheet. [Credit: Rivian]
The Rivian R1T all-electric pickup truck. [Credit: Rivian]
The R1T’s futuristic approach to adventure could be seen in the design flourishes on its interior. The vehicle is equipped with a 15.6″ landscape-oriented center touchscreen, as well as a 12.3-inch display that takes the place of an instrument cluster. A 6.8-inch touchscreen is placed at the back of the center console, giving rear passengers infotainment and climate control access. The R1T’s steering wheel also features two thumb dials, just like the Model 3. Finally, the R1T is fitted with hardware that allows it to be fully self-driving in the future, thanks to a suite of cameras, lidar, radar, ultrasonic, and high-precision GPS technologies.
In a statement to The Verge, Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe stated that the company is laser-focused on the adventure niche. The founder further explained that Rivian stayed largely in the shadows over the past years to ensure that its first vehicles are refined and competitive once they enter the market.
“They may have different form factors, they may be different sizes, but every single one of [our products] has to have this Patagonia-like feel of enabling adventure. We want to keep that very sharp. We want to focus only on the adventure space, so customers understand what we stand for.”
“We were quiet in stealth mode to avoid getting caught in this sort of hype cycle, and we said let’s make sure we have all the pieces lined up — the vehicle, the technology, the team, the supply chain, the manufacturing plant — before we actually talk about it. Because of that, some people have been questioning [us]. People need to see that this is very, very real,” Scaringe said.
Interested buyers could place a refundable deposit of $1,000 for the Rivian R1T here.
SpaceX has achieved an incredible milestone by launching its 11,000th Starlink satellite into orbit.
This accomplishment occurred during the Starlink Group 17-50 mission, which lifted off on August 19 at 04:01 UTC from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Falcon 9 launches 24 @Starlink satellites from California pic.twitter.com/UscpmAxDls
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 19, 2026
A Falcon 9 rocket carried 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites on this flight, successfully deploying them into low Earth orbit approximately one hour after liftoff. The first stage booster, identified as B1097 on its twelfth flight, landed successfully on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.
According to tracking data compiled around that date, this deployment brought the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit to just over 11,000.
The Starlink program began with test satellites known as Tintin A and B, launched on February 22, 2018. The first operational batch of 60 Starlink satellites followed on May 24, 2019, when a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral. Those initial satellites marked the start of a rapid expansion that has continued for more than seven years.
SpaceX has conducted hundreds of dedicated Starlink missions since then, routinely launching batches of 20 to 30 satellites at a time using reusable Falcon 9 rockets. By mid-2026, the company had already surpassed 12,000 total satellites launched across all versions, with continuous replacements for units that deorbit as designed to manage space debris.
Looking ahead, SpaceX continues to expand the Starlink constellation to enhance global broadband coverage, capacity, and speed. The network already serves millions of users across more than 160 countries and supports applications ranging from residential internet to maritime, aviation, and emergency services.
Future plans center on next-generation hardware, including larger V3 satellites capable of delivering substantially higher throughput, which require the increased payload capacity of the Starship vehicle currently under development and testing.
In July, SpaceX submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission seeking authority for a Gen3 constellation of up to 100,000 satellites. These spacecraft would operate in very low Earth orbit shells at altitudes near 325 kilometers and 475 kilometers. The filing requests use of existing Ku, Ka, V, and E band spectrum along with new greenfield W and D band frequencies between 92 and 275 GHz.
SpaceX states that the expanded system aims to deliver multi-gigabit symmetrical broadband to consumers, enterprises, governments, and billions of AI-powered devices worldwide while handling a majority of global internet traffic. Approval and subsequent deployment would depend on regulatory review and the operational readiness of Starship for high-volume launches.
This ambitious scale reflects SpaceX’s ongoing commitment to providing ubiquitous high-speed connectivity from space.
Tesla has opened a new sweepstakes to allow the public to be among the first to take an initial ride in a Cybercab. This all-electric, steering-wheel-less, pedal-less vehicle is the centerpiece of the company’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, Robotaxi.
There are two ways Tesla fans can get to Austin to take part in the first public rides of the Cybercab: by riding on the Robotaxi platform by August 23, or by mailing a very specific entry to their Headquarters at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla announced the latter portion of the sweepstakes last night:
🚨 Want to win a trip to Austin to ride in one of the first Cybercab rides ever?
Here’s how:
Tesla has opened up a new sweepstakes to ride in a Cybercab upon its public launch. Here’s the details.
There are two methods of entry into the sweepstakes, and they are as follows:… pic.twitter.com/iJRd4evuWo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 19, 2026
Tesla will give one entry into the sweepstakes if you mail a 3″ by 5″ piece of paper with your full name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and date of birth to their address:
Tesla, Robotaxi Sweeps Event
1 Tesla Road,
Austin, TX 78725
There is a limit of one entry per stamped envelope. You can send as many as you’d like, but they must be in separate envelopes.
The company’s unique strategy to give people the opportunity to ride in a Cybercab before pretty much anyone else outside of the company is a hilarious but spot-on representation of how Tesla operates. In classic fashion, they had the perfect response to the event:
— Tesla (@Tesla) August 19, 2026
Cybercab will launch later this month, it appears, especially as it plans to announce the winners of the sweepstakes on August 25. The car has already been operating internally, as employees have been able to utilize the Cybercab for rides in some capacity, something it announced earlier this month.
Tesla weirdly confirms Cybercab employee rides, a huge milestone
Moving forward, the big goal is to get Cybercab out on the roads and integrated into the public Robotaxi fleet, one that will pick up real-world ride-hailers and give them a ride from Point A to Point B.
No matter which way you cut it, it appears Tesla is close to putting a vehicle with no steering wheel and no pedals on the road to help people travel autonomously.
You can ride along with us in our first Cybercab ride from the We, Robot event in October 2024. The video is embedded below:
🎥: Our FULL first ride in the @Tesla Cybercab pic.twitter.com/6gR7OgKRCz
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 11, 2024
Tesla has revealed plans through permit submissions for a massive Robotaxi charging hub in Austin, Texas.
Tesla plans to build the Supercharger hub in multiple phases, with the second phase potentially introducing wireless induction charging, something the company has been developing for the Robotaxi fleet.
Initially, 48 Tesla Robotaxi-geared Superchargers will be built on a lot just across from the St. Elmo, Texas, Service Center. There are about 80 additional spots that will not be impacted by phase 1 of the construction process.
Filings show that the second phase of the project will turn those 80 additional spots into wireless charging for Robotaxi, but it might be an error. The Key Notes state that item 3 is listed as “V4 Charging Cabinet to Support 80 Wireless Chargers in Phase 2. However, the drawings point to V3 Cabinets that are already tied to Superchargers:
There are roughly 128 total spots in the lot, but it is unclear if they will all be used for charging based on what appears to be some sort of typo in the blueprint.
A new Robotaxi fleet charging hub is coming soon to Austin, Texas!!
Permits have been filed for the installation of 48 (V3) stalls in a vehicle storage lot across the road from Tesla’s St Elmo service center. pic.twitter.com/xwRgSWDqht
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) August 18, 2026
This is among the first Robotaxi charging hubs Tesla has started to develop, as it currently has four others planned throughout various areas: one in Phoenix, one in San Antonio, another in Irving, which will serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and another in Las Vegas.
These projects are necessary as Tesla expands its Robotaxi program. Now that preparations have started for the public launch of Cybercab, Robotaxi will likely be expanding aggressively, especially over the next two to three years.
Last night, The Information reported that Tesla was planning to launch Cybercab as soon as the end of August. Hours later, Tesla then announced it was launching a competition for fans to potentially ride in Cybercab during its first public rides.
Tesla’s plan to expand its charging infrastructure in the regions where Robotaxi will initially operate is great preparation for the expanding service. There is still a lot to do, including launching the Cybercab on time.
SpaceX achieves incredible milestone with Starlink program
Tesla is opening Cybercab rides to a select few
