Rivian edges closer to Australia

The links between electric vehicle start-up Rivian and Australia are growing.

Despite official statements from the company playing down the prospects of the eagerly-anticipated Rivian R1T full-size pick-up and R1S seven-seat SUV soon being sold in Australia, evidence is mounting of its intended local presence.

The company has just registered a slew of model names in Australia only a month after registering them in the USA.

And a pair of Rivian R1T and R1S prototypes were recently photographed on the tarmac at Sydney’s Mascot airport.

First published by ChasingCars.com.au, the photos appear to show the same left-hand drive blue R1T and camouflaged R1S that were recently seen testing on the south island of New Zealand.

The vehicles were likely in NZ to test at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds (or Snowfarm) near Wanaka.

Sources familiar with automotive manufacturer testing in the Australia-NZ region told carsales it was likely the vehicles had been testing driver assist systems such as stability control at the Snowfarm.

They would have then been shipped to Australia for testing of these systems on very different surfaces in very different temperatures in the Australian bush.

Our experts reckon it’s unlikely the vehicles would have simply been transiting through Australia on their way back to the USA from NZ. Usually, prototypes such as these are flown direct.

The local presence of the R1T comes just ahead of first deliveries to US customers in September. The R1S becomes available in the US in January 2022.

Meanwhile, the names registered in Australia on August 17 were R3S, R4S, R5S, R3T, R4T and R5T.

That’s in addition to previously registered names R1V, R2X, R1S, R1T and R1X.

In the USA, Rivian has also previously secured the R1A, R1C, R2A, R2C and R2R trademarks.

The brand has previously said it wants to add models smaller than the full-size R1T and R1S.

At this stage it is unclear how many of these names will actually turn into production vehicles. Auto manufacturers sometimes make registrations as a defensive measure against rivals.

But there is no doubt at least some of them will be manufactured by 2025.

Other recent Rivian news includes confirmation of studies to build a second US assembly plant and add another in the UK or Europe. It has also confirmed European sales in 2022.

Rivian’s burst of recent news and announcements come as it prepares to go public.

The US EV-maker already has substantial backing from Amazon, Ford, fund manager Blackrock, Cox Automotive and others.

The R1T and R1S use the same in-house-designed skateboard architecture that bundles batteries into the chassis.

In North America, the R1T ute is priced from $US67,500 ($A93,100) and the R1S starts at $US70,000 ($A96,550).

There are four 147kW/350Nm motors making a combined 588kW and 1400Nm, which Rivian says will propel the ute to 60mph (96km/h) in three seconds.

Tow capacity is claimed to be five tonnes and the range is at least 300 miles (483km).

The Rivian models will soon face plenty of rivals in the fledgling full-size EV pick-up and SUV market including the Ford F-150 Lightning, the GMC Hummer and the delayed Tesla Cybertruck.