A brand new Rivian R1T all-electric pickup, one of only about 1,000+ on the roads, crashed into a traffic pole.
According to County News TV, the unfortunate incident happened yesterday (February 9, 2022) in Irvine, California – “on Sand Canyon Avenue at the end of the southbound I-405 Freeway off ramp around 9:54 PM.”
The report explains that the driver lost control and crashed into a pole, causing the vehicle to catch fire (quickly extinguished by firefighters, which seems to indicate it was not a battery-related fire). It appears to be a total loss. The driver left the vehicle mostly unscathed.
“When authorities arrived on scene they located a grey Rivian R1T that had collided with a traffic pole causing the vehicle to catch fire.
At least one caller reported the vehicle was exiting the freeway at high speeds when it lost control and collided with the pole, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log.
Firefighters quickly doused the flames before they could spread but the vehicle appeared to be a total loss.
The driver of the vehicle, a male adult, declined medical treatment at the scene and appeared to be cooperating with law enforcement.”
Rivian R1T crash (source: County News TV)
The cause of the crash might be high speeds, according to the report. Rivian R1T is one of the quickest electric vehicles on the market, which can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just around 3 seconds. Its top speed is 125 mph (200 km/h). That’s a lot for a vehicle that weighs about 6,950 lbs (3,150 kg).
Well, it is probably the first serious crash of the Rivian R1T (customer vehicle) ever. In September, we heard about a R1T pre-production prototype, which crashed into two other parked cars.
