With 2022 underway, the rise of electric vehicle (EV) companies is flourishing. With new names like Rivian and Lucid, hypercars, more advancements for the electric vehicle industry, and even Jeffery Bezos and his proposed fleet of Amazon EVs, this year there will be some intriguing developments in the practicality and usefulness of electric vehicles in today’s America.
At the end of 2021 an EV company called Rivian Automotive quickly gained traction in the media for their R1T electric truck. It had many advanced features, including four electric motors that make a bit more than 400 horsepower each and off-roading capabilities complete with different trim levels for specific customer needs. With a range from 230 miles up to 400 miles for the biggest battery size, these batteries can also be recharged from another R1T truck if a charging station is not available. Named the Truck of the Year by Motor Trend, this impressive truck has a reported 71,000 pre-orders as of December, 2021.
Rivian also created the R1S sport SUV from the R1T chassis. They incorporate a center-of-gravity chassis, as well as all sorts of braking, suspension, and cooling systems associated with it. Rivian projected their SUV to share at least 91% of components with the R1T truck.
If Rivian is successful with this truck and their ventures, then they’ve got to prepare to line their pockets this year. They’ve got the perfect setup from the press, their design, and their motives. This could be the future off-roader for many enthusiasts or the favorite truck for anyone who hauls items around often.
However, gas-powered trucks are still beating not just Rivian vehicles but electric vehicles as a whole in this regard, as driving an EV across the entire country is less than ideal. Filling up an empty tank and being back on the road pretty much instantly compared to charging an electric vehicle is quite the significant difference. However, I project there will be innovations to finally address the range problem with electric vehicles in the near future.
Before Rivian became a pretty significant name in the car scene in late 2021, they struck a deal with Amazon back in 2019 to design and produce specially-made Amazon delivery vans for the Amazon Logistics Division and their fleet of delivery vans for them to field. With three sizes of the van for different loads, a range of 150 miles as of a current prototype, and other quirks, the Amazon delivery van’s purpose is to reduce Amazon’s carbon footprint as well as provide quicker, more efficient delivery. Amazon expects 10,000 of these vehicles to be operational by the end of this year.
Another EV company, Lucid, has also popped up in the media recently. Lucid began as a battery company. With their luxury Air sedan, this could be a big step for EVs as a whole. Lucid dreams of a luxury driving experience in an electric vehicle. They aim to be more environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint while keeping drivers and passengers safe and comfortable in their vehicles. Lucid claims the car has a range of up to 520 miles per charge, with a fast-charge feature adding 300 miles in just 20 minutes. That’s pretty significant for an EV. They also claim the Dream Edition trim level of the car generates up to 1,111 horsepower and can reach 60mph in just 2.5 seconds. The Air currently has four trim models, ranging from $77,400 with the Air Pure up to $169,000 with the Air Dream Edition.
One company seeks pure performance with the technology of electric motors in their vehicles. That company is RAESR (Rice Advanced Engineering Systems and Research), and they put forth to the world their efforts to create a truly powerful vehicle. Based in Los Angeles, California, RAESR has been testing a vehicle called the Tachyon Speed. It is currently in its prototype stage, but the initial results are quite impressive. They claim that their electric motors can produce over 1,250 horsepower with 3,650 lb ft of torque. With a top speed of 240 mph, this car and this company both have many great things ahead of them. Their production model is planned to sell at an MSRP of $750,000.
With EVs on the rise, it’s good that you check out how these companies are advancing, inventing, innovating, and conquering this year. Their rates of progress will only become faster, and soon EVs will be seen everywhere around the world, not just on every California street.
With that said, I believe it may still be too early to invest in an EV right now. Gas-powered range and utility just can’t be beaten as of now, even accounting for Lucid’s workings around the problem.
Overall, EVs have lots more to come to them, and I can’t wait to see that hypercar roll off those West Coast factory floors.