Observations from preproduction Rivian R1T test vehicle video

[aAlpine]

Bored on a Saturday morning I re-watched the "Building a Test Vehicle" video slowed down and noticed these things that I found interesting. Not all of them are new news, and of course this isn't production spec. Just observations from an impatient pre-order holder.

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[Lmirafuente]

Very cool! thanks for sharing it!!!

 

[CappyJax]

What I noticed was how low the truck is in the 2nd photo. I wonder if that is how low it can get on the highway.

 

[Coast2Coast]

I like the vinyl wrap on the test vehicle. I wonder if something like it or a non-glossy paint will be among the exterior color options. A non-glossy charcoal would be a great option.

 

[CappyJax]

I like the vinyl wrap on the test vehicle. I wonder if something like it or a non-glossy paint will be among the exterior color options. A non-glossy charcoal would be a great option.

Flat colors look awesome, but the work needed to keep them looking good is too much of a pain for me.

 

[ElectricTrucking]

Matte Paint Care Myths: DEBUNKED!

https://www.drbeasleys.com/blog/2012/05/05/matte-paint-finish-myths/

Easy read. Better than me trying to sound like I know something.

 

[CappyJax]

Matte Paint Care Myths: DEBUNKED!

https://www.drbeasleys.com/blog/2012/05/05/matte-paint-finish-myths/

Easy read. Better than me trying to sound like I know something.

This is for a Hyundai with a matte finish. I should probably mention I tend to wash my car twice a year.


"Use an alcohol-based window cleaner, or even just a 50/50 mix of alcohol and deionized water to spot clean pesky bug guts (a matte paint cleaner works too). Spray the spot and wet your microfiber cloth then let the spot soak so it softens. Don’t skip soaking the cloth, using it dry will damage the finish irreparably and it’s going to leave shiny spots that look horribly obvious. Hyundai also suggests saturating a cloth with tar remover and laying it over any stuck-on debris for five minutes to ensure safe removal.

Giving the car a full body wash isn’t really all that different from a normal car, but most people probably don’t know the proper procedure because gas station car washes are a lot faster and easier.

Wash your car in the shade with two buckets of water, one with soap and the other with clean water. Because matte paint is so sensitive, it’s especially important to put a grit guard in your soap pale. It’s just a gridded plastic piece that lets abrasive dirt settle and stay in the bucket rather than riding on your sponge.

Once this is all in place, pre-rinse your car, preferably with a fan-tipped pressure washer under 2,500 psi. Gently wash the car in small sections from the bottom up, using a back and forth motion. Rubbing in circles will leave swirls that look terrible in direct light. Once that’s done, rinse the car, dry it with a damp chamois and repeat if needed.

Finally, use a matte-safe finish like Swisswax Opaque Matte Paint Wax to discourage road muck from sticking to your car, just make sure it’s specifically made for matte paint."

 

[Pherdnut]

What I noticed was how low the truck is in the 2nd photo. I wonder if that is how low it can get on the highway.

Not sure they've demoed kneel mode yet but it wouldn't surprise me if it drives that low.

 

[Tyker]

Have you guys seen those rims before? They are certainly different then the ones on the blue show car. They resemble the rims on the grey/white trucks they have shown only blacked out and without the carbon fiber inserts.

 

[Pherdnut]

I think those are black versions of the R1S wheels. Maybe different wheel designs for street vs offroad packages?

 

[skyote]

Same 20" wheels from the silver R1T & the two Long Way Up R1Ts. Just without aero inserts & all black.

R1S wheels are 22s & different design.

 

[Pherdnut]

Same 20" wheels from the silver R1T & the two Long Way Up R1Ts. Just without aero inserts & all black.

R1S wheels are 22s & different design.

Ah, so maybe older then. Are those dates on the whiteboard at 0:05? This would be almost a year ago if they are.

 

[EyeOnRivian]

Are those dates on the whiteboard at 0:05? This would be almost a year ago if they are.

Or possibly upcoming target dates. ... That's why you can't read too much into these videos. They're more than likely made by professional companies that use whatever past footage and pictures are available and mix them in to the current video that fits the narrative. Grain of salt.

 

[skyote]

Are those dates on the whiteboard at 0:05?

Project/build phases. 5.1 far left, then 5.2, etc.

 

[MattpR1T]

It also kind of looks like we’re getting charging ports on both sides with CSS DCFC on drivers and simple J1772 on passenger. If this is true it opens up a lot of possibilities especially with possible daisy chain charging.

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