A Rivian electric ute has been spotted in Victoria, giving a rare glimpse into the popular American-built EV on Australian roads.
Two photos of the white ute were taken and shared by EV enthusiast Ben J on the Electric Vehicle for Australia Facebook group, showing the parked vehicle with its door opened. The sighting was in a suburb near Geelong.
The spotted vehicle was in a left-hand-drive configuration and was parked fairly close to the kerb with its driver-side door opened.Ā
From the front, the Rivian R1T had its light bar and headlights on at the time which clearly sets it apart from any other utes currently for sale in Australia.
There was also a photo of the rear with its rear tail light bar illuminated underneath which Rivian branding can be spotted.
On the back of this post, another electric car fan also spotted the vehicle in Geelong: āWas charging tonight in Geelongā. Another fan of the Rivian said: āWould buy one of thoseā.
Some even compared it to Teslaās Cybertruck which has been on a roadshow in Australia over the last couple of months: āThis looks a lot better than the CT, not that its a hard featā.
This is quite a rare sight as previous Rivian vehicles in Australia had been for mining applications as bought by a partnership between Mining Electric Vehicle Company (MEVCO) and Rivian Automotive.Ā
The vehicle spotted near Geelong is likely a test vehicle that has been bought in by manufacturers for benchmark testing but thatās yet to be confirmed.
In its local market of the US, the Rivian R1T has a starting price of $US71,700 and is around $US10,000 more than the F150 Lightning truck.
The R1T went on sale in the US nearly 4 years ago in November 2020. At that time it was announced with a āLaunch Editionā as well as the Adventure Package and Explore Package which were delivered from 2022 onwards.
Since then, multiple iterations of the Rivian R1T have been released with the latest version being offered in dual-motor, tri-motor and quad-motor configurations.
Itās also available in three variants with the base āAdventureā variant.Ā It is followed by the Premium and top-spec Ascend variant.
On top of that for the 2025 version, Rivian has also shifted its battery chemistry to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) helping it reduce costs as the brand plans to roll out multiple more affordable models in the coming years.
Rivian has also created a website for the UK which features these upcoming affordable models, hinting at right-hand-drive production down the track.
While we wait for updates from the company on right-hand-drive Rivians, itās still good to see a ground-up electric ute on Australian roads.
RizĀ is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.
We should not be welcoming these enormous trucks (they’re not utes) onto urban streets. An electric behemoth is still a behemoth.
Better send a letter to your local member then.
Until then, the more EVs, the better.
There’s sort of an urgency around not burning cancer juice.
You seem under the illusion that a modified form of business as usual will avert a climate catastrophe. Think again.
Size of the EV has a very weak link to global heating.
LOL. As always, you are the master of a naive world view. If the tipping point hasn’t already been reached… then any investment in a super-sized EV that isn’t total energy positive in the next 3 years may well be on the other side of the scales.
ps: amusing to see that you’ve finally dumped your Elon bromance š
If everyone in the world drove a big, SUV or truck, the planet would be screwed. You must know this fact.
Solar Fan is obviously somebody that doesn’t know about the Kantian Categorical Imperative. But once he’s googled it or asked ChatGPT then he’ll be an expert and a convert. Just like he is about the Osborne Effect now. He’s even talking like one of us Elon Haters now š so there’s hope for growth in us all.
At least it’s a step in the best direction.
An electric ‘truck’ is still an electric ‘truck’.
The Rivian is not the size of the F150, Ram or Cybertruck. Its marginally bigger than the utes we currently have – ie Ranger, Hilux, etc.
The Rivian and Cybertruck are far more manoeuvrable due to their advanced technology and engineering than the thai built/Japanese developed utes.
This isn’t much bigger than a Ford Ranger. Much smaller than the F150, Rams, Chevy et al.
And uses zero imported fuel.
The lights seem bright enough to dazzle people. Already too many of those on the road.
Meanwhile here in QLD we are constantly bombarded with glare after dark by drivers who seem blissfully unaware that using fog lights as well as headlights is totally fine, when in fact it’s illegal to use fog lights when it’s not foggy or raining.
Much like drivers who don’t indicate left when taking an exit off a roundabout …..
or indeed leaving it far too late to indicate any turn into another road.
It makes you wonder why we have a driving test at all.
this isn’t a ute bro, once you reach that F150 size it’s a truck. but I’d personally love to see Rivian roll out in Australia and personally would heavily consider buying an R1T, very very well built EV truck
I would also strongly consider buying one, at the right price.
Smaller than an F150
We’ve had one for 12months here with full vic rego
One for the mining industries with MEVCO?
I’ve seen 2 Rivian SUV in Melbourne, got plenty of pics
I’ve driven both the R1S and a CT. Both fabulous to drive but in different ways.
We saw it driving out of the Woollies car park on Pako street last Friday night. Very impressive
You can’t get more attention seeking behaviour than that.
TO LATE THEY ARE ALREAY HERE , JUST NICE TO SEE SOME THAT ARE NOT PUMPING CRAP OUT THE TAIL PIPE FOR US TO BREATH IN.
Calm down JIM, you’ll bust one of the blood vessels that isn’t already clogged.
You need to fix your keyboard, eyesight or hearing. Caps Lock is the equivalent of SHOUTING!!!
I should know because I write using capitals because my once beautiful cursive has become illegible, forcing me to conclude that I really ought to have been born a doctor.