Rivian R1T is first electric pickup to win MotorTrend’s ‘Truck of the Year’ award

If the rave reviews (including Mashable’s) didn’t convince you about Rivian’s first auto, an all-electric truck called the R1T, maybe this will: It was just named MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year for 2022.

The $73,00 pickup with 314 miles of range beat out other new or updated truck models like the GMC Hummer EV, Ford Maverick (a hybrid), Hyundai Santa Cruz, and others. Last year’s winner was the Ram 1500 TRX.

MotorTrend’s head of editorial Ed Loh called it a historic win. It’s the first all-electric truck to win and the first time MotorTrend has given a car maker the top title for its first vehicle. The R1T was first delivered to customers at the end of September. Rivian plans for a second car, the R1S electric SUV, to arrive later in 2022.

It’s tough competition in the truck category, as Loh explained in a recent phone call. The automotive outlet looks at six categories: safety, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function. Trucks have to be capable at hauling and off-roading and have the right mix of luxury, comfort, and technology. 

“There’s nothing else like this on the road,” Loh said about the Rivian. “It has almost no weaknesses.”

Its most glaring shortcoming is its steep price, although it still qualifies for the full federal electric vehicle tax credit. Tesla ran out of the federal discount years ago, though some state rebates still apply and its most affordable vehicle is the base Model 3 for $44,990.

Loh pointed to its fast 0-to-60-mph acceleration, off-road handling, and clever engineering. That cleverness includes its four electric motors at each wheel and efficient use of space, including a “badass camp kitchen that they built.”

As Mashable’s Chris Taylor noted after testing the R1T, “Off-roading and camping become much more doable for the eco-conscious urbanite” thanks to this new EV.

Inside, Loh noted that Rivian didn’t copy Tesla’s minimalist aesthetic. It still has some knobs and physical buttons around its screens. He called the R1T, with a wood finish on the dash, a “much warmer, friendlier place to be” than in a Tesla.

Last month, MotorTrend named the Lucid Air its “Car of the Year,” so electric vehicles are already coming out on top of the new year with 2022 still weeks away.