Sam Krahn 
Everyone loves seeing Christmas lights around the holidays, but they are usually confined to people’s homes or towns. No electrical socket, no lights, right? Not the case for Rivian, as their promotional holiday video showed the R1T electric pickup powering a beautiful lighting display in the middle of the forest. Generators and electrical power are rising in popularity in EV and traditional trucks alike, so it’s no surprise to see Rivian showing what their initial product can do.
But the Christmas lights are no small feat, as Rivian says a single outlet on the R1T is powering 20,000 lights. As impressive as that is, however, Ford’s new F-150 with the most powerful Power Pro Onboard generator equipped has far more power. The Rivian R1T has an impressive four 110 volt outlets in and around the truck, but Ford’s 7.2 kW generator has four 120 volt sockets in the tailgate alone, as well as a 240 volt outlet found in the F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid. Less powerful F-150 generators are offered on the non-hybrid versions, and have output more similar to Rivian. Drawing huge power is probably possible for Rivian, but the cost in range likely isn’t worth it.
Underneath 20,000 lights in the middle of the woods — all powered by a single outlet in the R1T — we invited our families in Normal out to see what we’ve been building. Special thanks to our hosts at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center. Happy holidays everyone. pic.twitter.com/vqbb3FVK8t
— Rivian (@Rivian) December 22, 2020
The video also shows people checking out the some of the Rivian’s coolest features. Our favorite is the center storage tunnel. The R1T’s electric skateboard platform allows for a tunnel running through the middle of the car, perfect for storing gear in a secure, dry area, and can even hold Rivian’s optional Camp Kitchen. In the video, it’s used as a seat for a dog to get a drink of water. Kids in the video also check out the unique storage solutions in the Rivian R1T, such as the front truck.
In November, Rivian officially opened up ordering for the 2021 R1T and R1S SUV, and deliveries are slated to begin next summer. This will likely make Rivian the first company to get a mass-market EV pickup on the road, beating out the Tesla Cybertruck, GMC Hummer EV, and Ford’s upcoming electric F-150.
