When Rivian mentioned its electrical pickup was constructed to “deal with all of it,” it wasn’t bluffing. A Rivian R1T proprietor in Asheville, North Carolina, had his automobile dragged 100 to 150 ft after Hurricane Helene swept by the world. To even his shock, Rivian’s electrical pickup was nonetheless able to run.
Rivian R1T survives Hurricane Helene floodwaters
Rivian has “spent years” hauling gear, loading bikes, and testing its electrical pickup to make sure it may face up to all of it.
The R1T can plow by 3 ft of water and climb a 100% grade with over 14″ of floor clearance. It even has sports activities automotive acceleration with on the spot torque to hit 0 to 60 mph in as little as 3 seconds.
Nevertheless, after Hurricane Helene left a devastating path of destruction, Rivian’s electrical pickup might have earned its title as the last word journey automobile.
Native Asheville, NC resident and Rivian R1T proprietor Joshua Vincent Sauer mentioned his Rivian R1T survived the worst of it.
After parking his electrical pickup by a U-Haul on Thursday night time, Sauer returned searching for it on Saturday, solely to search out it “100 to 150 ft” away by a neighborhood Walgreens.
In a video posted on Fb, the R1T proprietor mentioned he assumed floodwaters carried the automobile.
Though he wasn’t there to see it, Sauer mentioned he knew the R1T was not discovered the place he parked it earlier than the Hurricane.
You may see the mud caked on the facet of the automobile and water nonetheless within the mattress. After noticing the door handles opening, he knew the pickup nonetheless had electrical energy. When he acquired in, “it booted up like nothing occurred,” Sauer mentioned.
Though it was initially laborious to search out charging stations (like working fuel stations), Sauer mentioned there was an open Electrify America charger at a neighborhood Sam’s Membership. He additionally talked about a Tesla Supercharger at a close-by park.
Electrek’s Take
Asheville was one of many hardest-hit areas by Hurricane Helene, because the dying toll rises to almost 180. It was one of many worst storms in US historical past, based on AP Information, in different phrases a pure catastrophe.
Many individuals misplaced the whole lot, together with their houses, private belongings, and family members. Many are nonetheless with out energy, operating water, or cell service. Some are stranded with roads washed away by floodwaters. Authorities cargo planes are unloading meals and water to a few of the hardest-hit areas this week.
Automobiles should not anticipated to outlive a pure catastrophe like this, however Rivian’s R1T’s potential to resist a few of the worst of it’s a main accomplishment for the EV maker.
Rivian continues advancing safer, extra environment friendly EV tech. Final month, it turned the one pickup within the US with an IIHS Prime Security Choose+ award in 2024. Rivian’s 2024 R1T electrical pickup scored “Good” on all crash rankings, besides the usual Ahead Collision Avoidance system, which earned an “Acceptable” ranking.
And Rivian isn’t the one one. Automakers, startups, and governments around the globe are teaming as much as develop safer EV tech as adoption charges proceed climbing.
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