This week on Electrified’s EV Feature Friday we hear from Mandy B. who owns a 2022 Rivian truck. EV Feature Friday is a look at EV ownership from the owner’s point of view. We report on each owner’s shared experiences and topics include charging and range to real-world reports on their EVs performance and reliability. EV Feature Friday is open to any BEV, PHEV, or hybrid vehicle. Here’s what Mandy has to say about her 2022 Rivian R1T.

Mandy Was Impressed by The Rivian in Action

Mandy resides in Jessup, Maryland. She’s a Department of Defense Data Tagging Subject Matter Expert and she’s the owner, manager, and coach of a CrossFit gym. Mandy’s story of how she purchased the Rivian R1T includes seeing the vehicle in action, a deposit, and a brand-new vehicle with issues. “I had put down the deposit because I loved the vehicle after seeing it in the Rebelle Rally, talking to some of the employees and hearing about the company culture, and seeing the prototypes do so well in the Long Way Up.” For context, the Rebelle Rally is the first women’s off-road navigation raid in the U.S., and it encompasses eight days. The Long Way Up reference is regarding Rivian R1Ts being used as chase vehicles for a 13,000-mile trip from the tip of South America to Los Angeles.

Mandy’s 2022 Rivian Truck Went from Deposit to Delivery

Even though Mandy had placed a deposit on a new Rivian R1T she didn’t think it would happen. But when a new vehicle she had purchased turned out to be problematic, she was in. “I didn’t actually think that I would go through with the purchase, but when my brand new other vehicle (which will not be named), started giving me issues that new vehicles should not experience, I went through with the purchase and decided to give EVs a try,” she says. This jump into the all-electric world turned out to be a good thing.

Bone Stock, For Now

At this point, Mandy has left her 2022 Rivian truck stock. The reason? It does everything she wants. “The stock version of this truck has everything that I need. I can go from sports mode (I like to call Mini Cooper mode, as a former Mini Cooper owner) to off-roading mode that gives me tons of clearance.” You see, the R1T has eight drive modes. The Sport mode that Mandy refers to includes a low ride height of 10.5 inches, a stiff ride setting, and standard brake regen. Off-road Rock Crawl mode increases the ride height by 3 inches, uses high brake regen, and a stiff ride setting. Other R1T modes include Off-Road Drift, All Purpose, Off-Road Auto, Off-Road Rally, Conserve, and Towing. Each makes changes to enhance performance for the intended use.

Mandy’s 2022 Rivian Truck Charging Experiences

Mandy reports that most of her R1T’s charging is completed at home using a Rivian charger. “It’s been great! No issues since installing it,” she says. To take advantage of lower rates she usually charges it from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. For normal driving she programs the system to charge the truck’s battery to 70 percent. Mandy’s 2022 Rivian truck has about 17,600 miles on the odometer, and she has accrued about 90 percent of those.

Best Range and Longest Trip

On the topic of best range, Mandy reports that her truck traveled over 260 miles on one charge. That’s been the longest distance so far and it drew the battery to 20 percent. We asked about the R1T’s longest trip and as it turned out, it was happening as Mandy was completing the EV Feature Friday form. “I’m enroute to California now for the 2023 Rebelle Rally. This will be about 2,642 miles,” she says. She notes that things weren’t going all that well on the charging front during this trip. It wasn’t due to problems with the Rivian but with the unreliability of the charging network she was utilizing. She was frustrated overall with the chargers’ lack of reliability and the number of apps necessary to find what’s available.

Weather Extremes and How It Relates to EV Performance

Temperature extremes can be a challenge for EVs. To help decrease this, EVs are often fitted with systems to moderate battery temperatures. At this point, Mandy says she hasn’t had any problems with her Rivian regarding temperature. However, she’s going to be in hot weather traversing sand soon, so she says she’ll report back.

Mandy Has Opinions About Her R1T

So far, Mandy is very pleased with her Rivian truck. “The R1T is such a well thought out, intuitive vehicle. The design had the consumer in mind, ensuring that they have a great driving experience. I love this truck – it’s comfortable and does everything that I need it to do,” she says. Is there anything she doesn’t like about her truck? Nope.

Best Part of Owning an EV

What’s the best part of owning an EV? Mandy says, “Feeling like you’re helping the world move toward alternative methods of powering vehicles. It’s clean, quiet, and I love that I am supporting a startup that has put together a great company culture and therefore made an amazing vehicle.” The less-liked aspect of owning an EV is road trips. “Road trips are much different because the charging infrastructure (especially on the East Coast) has a way to go,” she notes.

More EV Opinions

If Mandy were to buy an EV today, which one would it be? “The R1S. I love my R1T and will always be a truck girl (I use the cargo bed weekly!), but the R1S is a sharp looking vehicle and I love the shorter wheelbase (about 14 inches shorter than the R1T) – better for off-roading!” If money were no object, Mandy says a Rivian would get the thumbs up. “Anything Rivian – I love this vehicle and believe they are doing a great job delivering what consumers want in a vehicle and are helping reduce the range anxiety I think so many experience. The range estimates are pretty on point and the customer support is great!”

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Electrified’s EV Feature Friday is open to any BEV, PHEV, or hybrid street-legal production vehicle. It’s an opportunity to read about electrified vehicle ownership directly from the vehicle owner. If you’re an electrified vehicle owner, you can submit your vehicle information and your EV experiences by completing this online form and providing photos. Thank you!