With its 4 electric motors Rivian claims the R1T has a towing capacity upwards of 11,000lbs. Despite being closer in size to a Ford Ranger or Tacoma, this figure is quite comparable to that of the larger Ford F150. The main concern here is what kind of impact this will have on overall range, especially under a full load. Similar to the results we see on the Model X, its fair to say that range will be cut in at least half.
Rivian R1T towing capacity
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Long distance towing is not something that anyone should really attempt, unless you have a string of charging stations along your trip. A good solution to this issue would be for Rivian to develop their own specialized trailer that has an additional battery pack that can provide some added juice.
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While we still have to wait and see about the R1T's towing capacity, towing with an EV can be very tricky.
Audi towed a 4,000 trailer with an e-tron and it averaged a high 769 watt-hours per mile (Wh/mi), which would make for a low driving range of around 105 miles. Hopefully Rivian has something in place to prevent their range from drastically dropping when towing.
www.caranddriver.com
Audi towed a 4,000 trailer with an e-tron and it averaged a high 769 watt-hours per mile (Wh/mi), which would make for a low driving range of around 105 miles. Hopefully Rivian has something in place to prevent their range from drastically dropping when towing.
Audi Shows How Towing Affects an EV's Range, and It Ain't Pretty
Unsurprisingly, the e-tron's efficiency takes a huge hit when the SUV is pulling a 4000-pound trailer.
www.caranddriver.com
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What are your thoughts on the Rivian towing a Micro Mini 5th wheel which is 5700 dry and 7,000 GVWR? I realize that it would cut the MPG in half but I think the truck would be relatively easy to quick charge due to the fact that the charging port is in the front of the vehicle. I wonder if adding a 5th wheel would void the warranty on the truck. What are your thoughts--this is one of the lightest 5th wheels on the market and Rivian claims a towing capability of 11,000 lbs.
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You are following vehicle specs so what would be the problem As far as charging the plug at the front, rear, or middle does not make a difference on charging speed unless you think the front will reduce problems with charging while having a tow.
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I am just thinking that it would be a nightmare to have to unhitch the trailer in order to charge it. Some people are having to unhitch trailers in order to charge some Teslas that have ports near the rear of the vehicle. Rivian wouldn't pose that problem.
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According to RJ and/or Charles Sanderson (I forget which) Rivian can tow much more than 11k lbs. They landed on 11k lbs when the battery was reduced to 50% during their tests. Therefore, if towing less than 11k lbs one could probably count on the range reduction to be less than 50% rather than "at least 50%" as postulated in the OP. Of course other factors will still play a roll in range efficiency such as wind speed/direction, elevation change, driving style, etc.
Certainly, but I only see that working for the pull thru style charging stalls (e.g. similar to gas station pump islands). High majority of charging stalls are oriented like parking spots with no drive thru, meaning, pull-in and back out or vice versa. Either way the trailer will be obstructing the parking lot drive lane unless you unhitch or park parallel to the charging port potentially blocking other charging ports.
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Rivian shared this short video of them doing hot weather tow testing with the R1T.
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Interesting. I wonder if the tow capacity / range reduction relationship is linear. I plan to use the R1T to tow a [email protected] 320 Boondock, a teardrop-style camper. Dry weight is just under 2,000 lbs, GAWR is 2,900. If things are in fact linear, that would mean the the range reduction is only about 14% at the camper's GAWR. That would be more than acceptable!
On a marginally related note, I saw a video from the LA Auto Show (Jan 2019) in which the Rivian rep stated that the truck had sufficient torque and a strong enough frame to tow much more than it;s nominal rating but was too light to safely tow more than 11k lbs.
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Also, keep in mind that the tear drop trailers are much more aerodynamics than that box they are pulling.
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I'm sure it can tow more than that but I'd imagine the truck would be a bit worse for wear afterwards.
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Is anyone concerned that the R1T's range reduction when towing could get worse under real-world towing conditions? In that hot weather towing video, the R1T test vehicle was exposed to dry heat. A big problem for many of us will be really hot a humid days that tax the system even more!
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I’ve been driving a Model S for 4 years now and my personal experience has been that cold weather has a detrimental effect on range, but not heat. I split my time between winters in Jackson Hole and summers in Las Vegas and my S routinely exceeds estimated range in 110º weather. As for hot & humid, I had the same experience driving around Atlanta during a hot & humid summer. I should point out that running the A/C in summer is much less energy intensive than heating a car in -20º weather which is partially why winter range is affected. In general, electric motors just don’t generate the kind of heat that ICE’s do, so heat isn’t a concern.
I think some of this concern has risen from the fact that Nissan’s Leaf has no battery cooling system which caused Leaf’s in hot locales to degrade prematurely. As long Rivian has a decent BMS this should not be a problem and my experience tells me extreme heat shouldn’t have much impact on range.
The truck is not likely built for a 5th wheel at all. First you need a long bed, not a short one, and the bed has to be strong enough to take it. Probably not legal. Even my crew cab GMC Sierra with a short bed specifically prohibits a 5th wheel.
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There's no bed length requirement as long as the trailer can clear the truck during turns. In fact, a shorter bed would reduce the chance that the total load would be too long for some overly restrictive states. It'd be a shame to make a vehicle with an 11,000 lb towing capacity that can't safely accept a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch aftermarket.
The hitch does need to be mounted even with, or ahead of the rear axle. Looking at the side view of the R1T, that does not leave enough room for turning even a small 5th wheel.
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Has this been answered by Rivian? Will the R1T be able to pull a 5th wheel?
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