Rivian’s all-electric R1T pickup looks even better in neon green. The R1T is more than an electric truck. It’s an adventure vehicle built for “whatever you call a road.” Its latest venture will go where most wouldn’t dare, as the Rivian R1T will be used to charge up the mining industry.
Rivian R1T and electric commercial van for mining
The Rivian R1T can cruise through 3+ feet of water, rock crawl at a 100% grade, and tow up to 11,000 lbs, but can it be used for mining?
Australia’s EV mining company, MEVCO, is adding the R1T to its fleet to find out. The company announced on its social media that “2024 is going to be electric…” with a teaser of a neon green Rivian R1T.
MEVCO said it has developed an electric vehicle “fully customised for the mining environment.” You can see from the images that the Rivian features MEVCO’s signature neon green paint, roll bars, a modified gear tunnel with two slide-out drawers, and more.
Last year, MEVCO announced a partnership with SEA Electric to bring 8,500 electric models to the mining industry. The EVs are converted Toyota Hilux and Land Cruisers with SEA’s electric power system.
They are offered in an 88 kWh battery option with 300 km (186 miles) range or a 60 kWh battery delivering up to 200 km (124 miles range).
Although MEVCO didn’t reveal the purchase details, it said, “And it isn’t just the mining spec vehicles – we’re delivering a cutting-edge solution that combines insights, enhanced capabilities, and ongoing support to help mines achieve broader net-zero targets.”
MEVCO’s CEO Matt Cahir said the company was previewing the R1T in rough terrain in Perth, offering those in the mining industry a chance to test drive the vehicle.
He also posted a picture of Rivian’s commercial electric van rocking MEVCO green, suggesting it will be part of the “cutting edge solutions” the company is teasing.
The news comes after Rivian ended its exclusivity agreement with Amazon in November, enabling it to sell its electric vans to other buyers. A month later, AT&T announced plans to add its R1 models like the R1T and R1S, and its electric commercial van to its fleet.
Rivian claims its R1T with its Max Pack battery is good for up to 410 miles EPA range, which would be a major upgrade over MEVCO’s current offerings. The Standard (270 miles) and Large (352 miles) also offer decent range options.
Source: MEVCO, CEO Matt Cahir
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