The Rivian R1T – the primary electrical pickup to enter manufacturing globally – is quickly to reach in Australia, however you’ll be arduous pressed to search out one on native roads.
Australian agency MEVCO (the Mining Electrical Automobile Firm) at present introduced it had secured an unspecified variety of Rivian R1Ts to provide to native mines.
It follows the corporate posting about an analysis automobile being pushed close to Perth earlier this yr, with that individual R1T being one of many few examples seen domestically after the US model examined its prototypes in Australia three years in the past.
MEVCO will modify the Rivian R1T for use each above and beneath floor in native mines, and can assist mining corporations including the electrical pickup to their fleets with the mandatory charging infrastructure to assist the battery-powered automobile.
“The Rivian R1T is broadly acclaimed for its on and off-road capabilities, and its sturdy design and flexibility make it the perfect candidate to fulfill the various challenges mining presents,” MEVCO CEO Matt Cahir stated in a media assertion.
“The combination of Rivian’s know-how with MEVCO’s confirmed monitor document in mining-specific electrical automobiles is poised to yield a fleet that exceeds the necessities of essentially the most demanding operators.
“The shift to electrical options extends past environmental and monetary benefits. It’s about fostering a safer, more healthy setting for mine operators, significantly in subterranean settings the place the elimination of tailpipe emissions is paramount.”
It was beforehand believed the Rivian R1T would face hindrances to being utilized in native mines because it doesn’t have a five-star ANCAP security ranking – a requirement by a majority of mining corporations – as a result of it isn’t bought in Australia.
Nevertheless, in its media assertion, MEVCO famous the Rivian R1T is the one pickup on sale within the US to earn a Prime Security Decide+ award from the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security (IIHS).
As with ANCAP scores, the IIHS ranking solely gives an informed evaluation of a automobile’s security in sure examined conditions, and isn’t a government-endorsed award.
Whereas many see the mining sector as a serious contributor in direction of rising emissions, electrical automobiles (EVs) such because the Rivian R1T are seen as an essential a part of lowering CO2 output underground, offering a cleaner workspace for these working beneath the floor.
The Rivian R1T isn’t the one EV in MEVCO’s fleet which it’ll provide to Australia’s mines, with the corporate final yr signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Australian-based worldwide electrical truck producer SEA Electrical to transform 8500 Toyota HiLux utes and LandCruisers to battery energy by 2028.
Relying on spec, the Rivian R1T is bought within the US with a alternative of dual- and quad-motor layouts, producing from 397kW and 827Nm to 623kW and 1231Nm, whereas providing between 410km and 660km of driving vary.
MORE: Every thing Rivian