Rivian R1T picks up IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.
Rivian entered the market with the electric R1T pickup truck, and there has been mounting evidence the company got a lot right with its opening act. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the vehicle the highest possible rating. The institute got a delivery of the truck in October and has now released its safety ratings.
According to the IIHS, the R1T scaled all its requirements, earning “Good” in each of the six crashworthiness tests. Even the front small overlap test, which could be challenging, did not faze the battery-powered truck.
Other tests the Rivian R1T underwent included driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength, and heated restraint tests.
The truck also performed well in its vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-person crash prevention system effectiveness test, gaining a “Superior” rating.
The IIHS commented, “We’re very pleased to see that Rivian has clearly prioritized safety in the design of the R1T. In addition to performing well in our suite of challenging crash tests, it’s great to see the pickup scoring top marks for its front crash prevention system, which can help keep drivers out of a crash in the first place and help protect other road users.
“We’d also give kudos to Rivian for the R1T’s good headlight rating. This is notable because pickups and other higher-riding vehicles have struggled historically to find the right balance between providing enough visibility without glaring other drivers. Rivian has gotten that right with the R1T right off the bat. They’ve also made those headlights standard so that consumers don’t have to opt for a specific package or trim to get good headlights. We love to see that because good headlights are critical safety equipment and shouldn’t be an add-on.”
Rivian continues to improve its EVs via software updates. The latest one increased the driving range for some variants of both the R1T truck and the R1S SUV. An earlier update added Snow Mode and popular music streaming services.
You can watch videos of IIHS’s tests below:
