- What are the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards?
- What helped the R1T win?
- It may be design-driven, but it does truck stuff well
Rivian’s R1T truck is stylish, no doubt, and hip, and expensive. But now it can add one more feather in its cap: It won a 2022 Innovation by Design award from Fast Company magazine. Rivian’s all-electric R1T trucks are gaining traction as fast, stylish, capable trucks but what makes the R1T an award winner?
What are the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards?
The 2022 Rivian R1T | Rivian
Fast Company magazine usually chronicles the best of the high-tech world and reports on the movers and shakers of Silicon Valley. But those same folks sometimes come up with some clever ideas, and this year the Rivian R1T is one of 46 winners of its Innovations Design Awards, chosen by editors at the magazine and a jury, that stand out. It shares the award with some innovative cool stuff like the user-fixable Fairphone 4, recycled jeans from Levis, and Waymo’s self-driving car tech. The Rivian is the winner in the automotive category, but you can see the whole list at Fast Company.
What helped the R1T win?
A Rivian R1T with the Camp Kitchen | Rivian
Fast Company lauded the Rivian truck for its decidedly non-trucklike stuff. The designers added, for example, a deep center console that can hold a large handbag, its clever tunnel behind the cab that can carry skies or other long objects out of site, and for the rechargeable flashlight that’s stored in the door. The R1T design makes sure to capitalize on its EV possibilities, for sure, and it includes a large frunk, and other elements that, Fast Company says, exploit its EV nature and not needing to abide by a traditional truck drivetrain.
A Rivian R1T with a tent and stove attached | Rivian
The Gear Tunnel is one of the reasons that Fast Company loves the Rivian.. The R1T has a compartment that runs the length of the truck behind the cab that is watertight and can hold up to 11 cubic feet of stuff. For that tunnel, Rivian makes stuff that can be stuffed in or slid out. That’s not the only storage in the R1T. The truck also has a lockable frunk or front trunk.
Sure, charcoal is great for grilling in the woods. But, who wants to tote a giant bag of charcoal that always leaks black flakes on your seats. The Camp Kitchen Snow Peak Package includes everything for electric cooking, and it all slots into the gear tunnel. Pull out the stove, turn it on and you’re cooking like you’re at home. The kit also comes with a 30-piece kitchen set from Snow Peak. Bring your copper pans: this is an induction stove.
The Rivian Camp Kitchen x Snow Peak Package isn’t cheap, at $6,750. But it could make your next off-road Rivian camping trip tastier than ever.
It may be design-driven, but it does truck stuff well
Rivian R1T Towing a Heavy Trailer | Rivian
The Rivian R1T may have some cool design elements, but it was designed as a truck first. In that vein, it does a lot of truck things very well, and some things better than a traditional gas-powered truck. It can tow 11,000 pounds, for example, and it’s all-wheel drive and high ground clearance lets you tackle off-road trails. But, it’s also Corvette quick and can sprint to 60 miles per hour in three seconds. Trucks are rated on how much they can carry in the bed, and the R1T can hold 1,760 pounds in the bed.
How much does a Rivian R1T cost?
The current version of the R1T starts at $73,000 for this midsize truck. The previous year’s versions were less expensive. It comes in two versions, the basic Explore and the Adventure. The major differences include heated seats, stereo, and wood trim. The new R1S SUV has many of the same features, but starts at $78,000.
Keyword: What Helped Rivian’s R1T Win a Fast Company Design Award?