Rivian Sr. Performance Test Engineer Gardner Nichols successfully piloted his 1025 hp second-generation quad-motor Rivian R1T at the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. During his run, Nichols was able to complete the treacherous hill climb in 10:53.883, beating his previous record by 30 seconds.
With Nichols’ 10:53.883 run, Rivian has once again set a production truck record at Pikes Peak. This is quite impressive considering that the R1T is a very heavy vehicle that pretty much has no business going that fast up a mountain. Rivian announced the feat in a post from its official account on X.
Gardner Nichols and his 1025hp second generation Quad-Motor R1T are ready to attack @PPIHC this Sunday and we can’t wait to see what happens.
Watch live race coverage starting at 7:30am MT at https://t.co/yjyy8h5PU1. pic.twitter.com/x0y6rx6Pzc
— Rivian (@Rivian) June 21, 2024
“What a thrilling day at PPIHC! Gardner Nichols and his Quad-Motor Gen 2 R1T blazed across the finish line in 10:53.883 — beating the time he set last year by 30 seconds and yet again claiming the record for fastest production truck to ever summit this iconic course,” Rivian wrote in its post.
What a thrilling day at @PPIHC! Gardner Nichols and his Quad-Motor Gen 2 R1T blazed across the finish line in 10:53.883 — beating the time he set last year by 30 seconds and yet again claiming the record for fastest production truck to ever summit this iconic course. pic.twitter.com/All7mKab56
— Rivian (@Rivian) June 24, 2024
For context, Rivian’s run at the 2023 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was completed at 11:23.983. Nichols later noted that the battery temperature of the R1T climbed faster than he expected during his climb, which resulted in him driving conservatively to avoid overheating issues. Such issues did not seem to be present this time around.
Loved being at Pikes Peak today. Amazing job to Gardner and the team. Also Gardner’s race suit is pure magic 🙂 pic.twitter.com/4e9lfiBYXL
— RJ Scaringe (@RJScaringe) June 23, 2024
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe shared his excitement about the Rivian R1T’s feat in a post on X. Scaringe shared several images of the R1T and its driver, who happened to be wearing a Rivian Gear Guard-inspired racing suit. “Loved being at Pikes Peak today. Amazing job to Gardner and the team. Also Gardner’s race suit is pure magic,” Scaringe wrote.
Awesome shots of our new Quad R1T at Pikes Peak practicing for Sunday’s big race!! pic.twitter.com/vm2sba8mzc
— RJ Scaringe (@RJScaringe) June 20, 2024
While the 1025 hp second-generation quad-motor Rivian R1T was not the only all-electric truck that raced at the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, its feat is impressive nonetheless. Rivian’s vehicle, after all, is mostly in its stock form save for some optimizations like a semi-stripped interior. The other all-electric pickup truck in this year’s race was the Ford F-150 Lightning Supertruck, but that vehicle is a purpose-built racing machine with custom electric motors and a really aggressive aero kit.
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