R1T EXPOSED!

A comprehensive teardown of Rivian's pioneering electric pickup reveals praiseworthy build quality, innovative thinking…and some lapses in manufacturability.

Rivian's R1T is in big demand by both the public and the industry. OEMs are still scrambling to acquire their own examples of the pioneering, innovative electric pickup for competitive analysis and testing, typically paying brokers hefty premiums over the retail price. The hot-ticket trucks are in short supply; Rivian has for a variety of reasons struggled to ramp up its Normal, Illinois, plant (capacitized for 150,000 units annually when it was owned by Mitsubishi). The facility, which also builds the R1S SUV and the new, battery-electric Amazon delivery van, only achieved its first full 10-hour-shift day of uninterrupted production in early June. Line rate improved greatly by July.

Vehicle design plays a significant role in assembly efficiency as well as in build quality and customer delight. So, how does the R1T stack up in its DfM (design for manufacturability)? And what compelling technologies lurk underneath the sheetmetal? For a look deep inside the truck, SAE Media recently visited Munro & Associates, a leading product teardown, analysis, costing and lean-design consulting firm based in Auburn Hills, Michigan.