[Mattedfred]

TFL created a whole new channel devoted to EV trucks and they finally got their hands on an R1T. They've posted a walkaround video and are planning to test the R1T on their 'World's Toughest Towing Test'.
Interesting time when a popular YouTube channel for hard core ICE truck enthusiasts takes such a step.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuF-hH-2cdNrGNYJZecX9Dw

 

[NY_Rob]

Nothing we haven't seen so far.. skip this one and wait for their outdoor testing to come. They have the truck for 7 days... they will be putting it through it's paces.

 

[Mattedfred]

I'm not a fan of TFL and I've watched a ton of videos on the R1T. I hadn't seen a great shot of the cab top spoiler and learned that you can't tune an AM station. I'm old school and the best traffic reports for my commute are two AM stations.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I'm not a fan of TFL and I've watched a ton of videos on the R1T. I hadn't seen a great shot of the cab top spoiler and learned that you can't tune an AM station. I'm old school and the best traffic reports for my commute are two AM stations.

You’ll be hard pressed to find an EV with AM radio. The EV power train electronics interfere with AM reception.

 

[Mattedfred]

You’ll be hard pressed to find an EV with AM radio. The EV power train electronics interfere with AM reception.

No kidding. I had no idea. Sucks for me!

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

No kidding. I had no idea. Sucks for me!

You could check if your favorite AM stations also broadcast on a HD Radio subcarrier -- many do. Rivian has HD Radio, and it sounds soooo much better than AM, too.

 

[Mattedfred]

You could check if your favorite AM stations also broadcast on a HD Radio subcarrier -- many do. Rivian has HD Radio, and it sounds soooo much better than AM, too.

Never heard of HD radio. Will check it out. Thanks very much!

 

[SANZCO2]

Never heard of HD radio. Will check it out. Thanks very much!

HD radio is cleaner sounding but range is a lot less than AM.

I have AM on my 2016 Model S works fine so issue is not ability to include it but even Tesla dropped it in later years.

A lot of these stations stream on things like IHeart radio and tunein, that could be an option as well.

 

[camaroz1985]

Never heard of HD radio. Will check it out. Thanks very much!

Also check to see if your AM station is on TuneIn, as that has a built in "app".

 

[TT97]

HD radio is cleaner sounding but range is a lot less than AM.

I have AM on my 2016 Model S works fine so issue is not ability to include it but even Tesla dropped it in later years.

A lot of these stations stream on things like IHeart radio and tunein, that could be an option as well.

For Tesla to get AM radio on the S, they needed to shield the motor and cabling to minimize the electromagnetic interference. It's possible but it is an expense that would go unnoticed by most people.

 

[Mattedfred]

 

[Mattedfred]

WTF?

TFL Studios whined for months to get this truck, had it for a week and this is the range while towing test they planned to complete?

An R1T can tow up to 11,000 lbs. They towed a 2000 lb teardop.
They either chose a tiny trailer relative to the maximum towing capacity (11,000 lbs), or were forced to tow a tiny trailer by Rivian, or went for the least expensive option because Colorado Teardrop gave them a loaner or paid them to use their trailer.
It would have been way more helpful to have least towed with 50% of the rated towing capacity.
What was the point in demonstrating that the Tundra would be able to travel farther than the R1T while towing? Even an idiot would've known this in advance. The real question was how to the range reductions for each vehicle compare? What is the comparable MPG?
Did the R1T's range reduce by 50%?
Did the Tundra's reduce by less?
What was the exact distance travelled by each vehicle?
What was the exact time so we can calculate the average speed?
What was the final MPG for the Tundra?
What was the comparable cost for the trip in each vehicle using Electrify America's rates and the current gas prices in Colorado?
I know Andre put in a long day completing this test, but what the heck TFL?

 

[camaroz1985]

Yes, a range reduction test would have been way more useful. Given the temperature and conditions that day, would an unloaded truck travel 200 miles? More? Would have been a far better test than comparing to an ICE truck.

 

[Mattedfred]

Yes, a range reduction test would have been way more useful.

Sadly, this latest video was supposed to be their range reduction test.

 

[camaroz1985]

Sadly, this latest video was supposed to be their range reduction test.

That is why it seems like a wasted opportunity.

 

[Mattedfred]

That is why it seems like a wasted opportunity.

Agreed. Hence my rant a few posts up. I was so hoping for something useful. I'm curious to know why there are even so few actual owners sharing their real world experiences. Hopefully with more deliveries that'll change.