InsideEVs did a piece on this new cab spotting.
Rivian released lots of photos and videos of R1T prototype trucks winter testing. A Rivian Owners Club forum member with a keen eye spotted something neat.
insideevs.com
Or could it just be a chopped body tossed on the R1S chasis? Considering there are some tweaks being made to the R1S tail, maybe they oped to just chop up an R1T body to fit on the R1S chasis for testing? Not every mule is a new vehicle.
That's possible and it was brought up in an article that linked to this
other thread on the extended cab.
After releasing test footage of its R1T, Rivian appears to have a possible extended cab version in the works.
electrek.co
"From the image in question, it’s impossible to tell if the smaller cab also features a longer bed. Although if it is in fact sitting on a smaller wheelbase, a longer bed seems unlikely. According to specs on Rivian’s website, the current wheelbase for the R1T is 135 inches while the R1S is 121 inches.
Rivian R1T Extended Cab, or R1S dynamic testing
Again, there is no confirmation that this could be a smaller version of the upcoming R1T pickup from Rivian. Some forum readers saw the shorter wheelbase and thought perhaps the automaker rigged together a smaller EV using R1T components. This could simulate a
production version of its R1S SUV for winter testing.
This seems possible but unlikely, given Rivian has multiple R1S prototypes, even if the automaker hasn’t driven a production version of the assembly line yet.
What’s perhaps more interesting are recent comments from Rivian’s CEO, RJ Scaringe. He speaks about future variations of the R series models that will be smaller and more affordable. Here’s what Scaringe said last week in an
interview with Motor Trend:
The R1 family of vehicles comprises the halo products, but lower-priced models are being planned. Scaringe says there’s a whole slew of products to follow and the naming convention will continue, which means next up would be an R2 series of at least two smaller electric vehicles to coincide with the smaller platform they will ride on, then another platform for R3.
Rivian has not shown any of the future products, but the company is oriented to adventure-type trucks and SUVs. Executing means additional production capacity, different form factors, and different price points and markets, Scaringe says. It is reasonable to assume similar body styles but in different sizes.
So clearly, Rivian has smaller variations in the works, but is the company this far along already?
Electrek’s Take
While this could be exciting and
welcome news for future Rivian drivers, it’s still too early to truly get excited. Rivian has yet to confirm any upcoming models apart from its upcoming R1T and R1S this summer.
The other Rivian EVs have been spoken about vaguely, as you can see above.
It’s still interesting to see potential variations Rivian may or may not be working on, even if it does require some imagination at this point, especially to suit the preferences of all customers, as some will prefer a crew cab, some a longer bed, etc. Rivian has yet to respond for any comments, but we will keep an eye on things as these move forward.
Lastly, big shoutout to the Rivian forums for spotting this variation. Although everything remains unconfirmed and speculative, there might be something cool there. Check back with
our Rivian guide for future news like this.