Tacoma Vs. Rivian

Well like I said there are towing test videos out there. You want an answer to a specific criteria that may not be available. I suggest Google or contact Rivian directly.

 

I found a good conditional, situation-specific answer here: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a38911919/rivian-r1t-towing-tested/

Basically, range reduced by about half with a ~5600 lb tow load.

I'm surprised no electric-truck makers have yet released any options for auxiliary battery packs to make towing feasible. As someone who needs to tow regularly I can't consider a battery-electric truck till they have some way to address the tow-range problem. Maybe Toyota will release a hybrid-electric pickup so that gasoline can offset the battery-electric towing range penalty.

 

Patents from Rivian and Ford show auxiliary battery packs that can be put into the bed of the truck. If they make them only they know. New battery tech in the next few years will impact purchasing when towing is a necessity. Right now short distance or extra charging stops are required with current battery tech.

 

I think it’s about 7 miles.



Just kidding. I think reviewers have gotten around 80-100 miles while towing. Still pretty terrible though.

 

I towed a 7000lb travel trailer twice a week for the nine months of owning my R1T and could consistently made it 125 miles up and down Colorado mountains. Other than the range limit (the reason I ended up selling it) the Rivian is hands down the best tow vehicle I have ever pulled a trailer with.

 

Not attacking you but have you towed with a one ton diesel? I have with a duramax Chevy pulling a tandem dump trailer both loaded to the nuts with firewood. Hardly tell anything was back there and fuel mileage was still really good.

 

I have a one ton diesel right now and would take the Rivian back in a heart beat with better range. Hands down better in every way. It has double the horsepower, the same torque and weighs almost as much as a one ton diesel. Instant and always available torque and power no matter what. No transmission to downshift, no turbo to spool up, nothing. Just press a little harder with your big toe and it completely smoothly and quietly speeds up. Regen down hills is about 80% as good as an exhaust brake and regen on normal roads towing means you almost never touch the brake at all.

 

This is an interesting article about what happens if you completely run out of battery. It’s not fun.
https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/...attery/?lid=saq335zrjtdm&eml=organic:eml:brz2

 

Makes you wonder how many people would run out of gas if ICE cars did the same things to try and save itself from a stupid driver.

 

Do many people run out of gas? Seems pretty rare.

 

If you do happen to run out of gas you just pour more in and continue on. I never would have thought that much chaos would come from running the Rivian to 0.

 

I've seen people run both drive wheels down to the rim and kept on going, that has got to be noticeable from the driver's seat.

 

Moral of the story - don’t be an idiot and you’ll be ok.

 

Nope, it’s the same idiot light on the dash for TPMS. There is no escalation in indicator lights beyond that.

 

Think you would notice skirting around town in a FWD car on steel wheels and no tires. Maybe not?

 

I work for A nAtionwide Assistance company and from 2010 to 2015 worked in the roadside assistance call center. I averaged 100 calls per 6 hour shift. I can tell you that fuel is in the top 4 of quantity of calls. Men, women, young, old, city, rural, gas, diesel, car, truck, foreign, domestic. Absolutely zero difference in any of those factors. People run out of fuel in their late model cars (that have tons of warnings for the last 30 or so miles) in a city center with 14 gas stations they passed while coasting to a stop. I’ll never understand it. So yes it happens, a fuck ton.

Yes but no. They screwed the pooch when they ran the 12v batteries to 0. The high voltage battery going to 0 is an inconvenience but it’s not a death sentence. Just like German cars when the battery is dead you can’t do much. No parking brake. No door locks. No fuel door. Again my experience taking calls tells me that running an ICE car out of fuel &/or battery can very well be an entire day of multiple services in the right order to get back on the road.

 

If only we knew which roAdside AssistAnce company you worked for…

 

Dumbest is part is Rivian put the 12 volt battery in the front cowl of the truck, when there's a frunk, bed, and gear tunnel that could have easily housed a battery.

 

It’s easy to get to when required and not in the way for the other 99% of the time you don’t need to get to it. Putting it anywhere else taking up storage space is stupid.

 

Looks like you have to open the frunk to acces the cowl. Why not sacrafice a foot of cargo space at the front of the frunk?

Is the EV 12v going to last longer than an ice 12v? Batteries need to be accessed quite frequently.

Edit:

The other week I drove past a Tesla on the side of the road with in the span of 3-4 hours. I think it only had a flat tire. First it was sitting by itself. Second time, there was a roll back in front of it. Came back the other direction it's sitting there by itsrlf again. Pass it going the other way a road service truck is behind it, and they got a jack under it. The last time I pass it there's a truck with a trailer infront off it, guess that was after they couldn't find the spare. Situations like this are usually the result of the driver knowing nothing about the vehicle they are driving.