California-based electric bakkie startup, Rivian, has released a series of videos showing its forthcoming electric bakkie, the R1T, testing (and drifting) in the Arizona desert and it’s performance looks mighty impressive.

How far has the world come that we can watch a 562 kW electric bakkie drifting at high speed in the desert? Isn’t it just wonderful?

Rivian is preparing to bring its R1T to market towards the end of 2020 and the Tesla-rivalling electric bakkie has been doing performance testing in the Arizona desert. If you have ever doubted the performance of an electric bakkie, just watch the videos below before passing judgment too soon.

Apart from its impressive electric road presence, the Rivian R1T features a quad motor system with an electric motor at each wheel and with a total output of 563 kW 1 124 Nm of torque and equipped with active torque vectoring, the R1T is able to adapt to the demands of the terrain it finds itself in. A battery pack size of up to 180 kWh (105 kWh and 135 kWh also offered) allows for an electric range of over 644 km. In terms of acceleration, Rivian says the R1T can sprint from zero to 100 kph in just over 3 seconds which is incredibly fast for a bakkie. More so, the R1T is said to have a towing capacity of 4 990 kg!

Of interest to outdoor enthusiasts, and in particular, those of you who like to take the kitchen with you when you go camping, well, with the Rivian, you can. The R1T can be equipped with a pull-out kitchen with a dual hotplate, a sink, countertop and a set of drawers. Very cool indeed!

Anyway, watch the 4 short videos below to see how the Rivian R1T performs in the dirt.

Also see:Ford Invests In Rivian: What It Means