Watch Rivian R1S climb a hill with ease

Robert Joseph ‘RJ’ Scaringe, the CEO of automotive startup firm Rivian, has shared some test footage featuring the company’s R1S off-roader effortlessly ascending a steep slope.

The R1S is an SUV built on the same technological platform as the R1T pickup truck. It comes with 3,075 mm (120 inches) of wheelbase, which is slightly shorter than that of the truck, and goes from its normal ground clearance of 205 mm (8 inches) to 365 mm (14.25 inches) thanks to air suspension parts. The ramp angle amounts to 29 degrees, enabling it to wade water up to 1 m (3.1 ft.) deep and climb slopes as steep as 45 degrees.

Power comes from quad electric motors mounted one per wheel. The cumulative output amounts to 710 PS (700 hp / 522 kW). The SUV supports torque vectoring and can turn around on the spot using the dedicated Tank Mode. Bottom-mounted batteries give it up to 660 km (410 miles) of range.

The R1S should go on sale later this year starting from U.S. $70,000 for a 400-horsepower (300-kW) version with 380 km (236 miles) of driving range.

Earlier on, Rivian reported successfully testing the R1T pickup in Arizona wilderness.