The first electric pickup truck has been unveiled. Rivian has won the race to put the first electric pickup on the automotive market. Many thought it would be Tesla, Ford, or General Motors to manage this feat. However, the electric startup Rivian took everyone by surprise.

Rivian is an American electric vehicle automaker and automotive technology company founded in 2009 by CEO R.J. Scaringe. Rivian has raised a total of $1.7 billion in funding with $700 million from Amazon.com Inc. and $500 million from Ford Motor Co.

Rivian wants to become a full-scale electric vehicle automaker. As of right now, Tesla is the only electric vehicle startup that has done that. Even Tesla has faced many different challenges and delays on their journey. Rivian does not have the same path that Tesla had. They have to forge their way through with little error because they are entering the arena with competition already in place, whereas Tesla had the ability for more trial and error when they started.

Manufacturing is the largest challenge these automakers are facing. If Rivian proves to be successful, it will be only the third American Automaker in a century not to disappear by bankruptcy. The other American automakers to do so are Chrysler and Tesla.

On September 14, their first customer vehicle was driven off the production line. This was the first Rivian built for a customer. It is the R1T pickup in Rivian Blue. The 2022 Rivian R1T has an EPA-certified range of 314 miles, has a separate electric motor for each wheel, and prices begin at $69,000.

The Rivian electric pickup will soon be rivaled by two other electric competitors: the F-150 Lightning from Ford and the Cybertruck from Tesla. Rivian has caught people’s eye not only because they are an electric automaker, but due to their commitment to making an electric adventure vehicle, which appeals to outdoor enthusiasts.

Rivian has also made a deal with Amazon to provide delivery vehicles. They will provide 100,000 delivery vans to roll out in phases through 2030. The vehicles are currently being tested in Los Angeles.