Rivian’s electric truck features include air compressor and AC outlets

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  Unless we’re mistaken, the Rivian R1T will be the first battery electric truck in the US market. [credit: Rivian ]

Electric vehicle startup Rivian is moving closer to production of its innovative-looking trucks and SUVs. The first launch edition R1T pickup trucks are expected in June, with series production models arriving at the start of 2022. And even though I’m not really a truck person, I remain as fascinated now by this new entrant into the most quintessentially American part of the vehicle market as I was after first seeing one in 2019.

Ahead of those initial deliveries, the company reached out to share some of info about the R1T, which looks like it will offer Swiss Army knife-levels of versatility to its owners. It’s about the size you’d expect of a full-size pickup truck: 217.1 inches (5.51 m) long, 81.8 inches (2.08 m) wide, and between 72.1-78.3 inches (1.83-1.99 m) tall depending on whether it’s in kneel mode (ground clearance: 8.7 inches/0.22 m) or off-road mode (ground clearance: 14.9 inches/0.38 m).

The big lockable cargo area under the hood (also known as a frunk) can stash 11 cubic feet (311 L) of stuff. And at the rear, you’ll find a tow hook capable of pulling up to 11,000 lbs (4,989 kg). It lives beneath an aerodynamic cover when not in use.