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Rivian previews LA-bound electric pickup concept

Rivian previews LA-bound electric pickup concept

The concept will preview one of its first production models.

Electric car start-up Rivian will introduce two concepts at the upcoming 2018 Los Angeles auto show. The company released a brief, slightly puzzling teaser video to preview one of them.

The video is our first official look at an electric pickup truck named R1T. We only see the model at the very end of the flick, and Rivian did a good job of hiding the overall design to maintain an element of surprise. However, a look at its lighting signature suggests it's like nothing else on the market. The front end appears to be dominated by a thin, horizontal strip of LEDs intersected by two smaller strips with round inserts.

All told, the teaser asks more questions than it answers. However, it seemingly confirms Rivian is taking its design department in a completely different direction than Bollinger, the other company currently aiming for a slice of the electric off-roader segment.

The company's official website notes the R1T will offer up to 400 miles of range -- enough to drive from San Francisco to Yosemite -- and a zero-to-60-mph time of under three seconds. Rivian also promises "superior capability" on and off the road. The truck will ride on a skateboard-like platform built around a battery pack that zaps a pair of electric motors (one over each axle).

The R1T concept will make its public debut at the 2018 Los Angeles auto show. Rivial will also show an electric SUV built using the same tech as the pickup. Both will enter production in about 2020 in a former Mitsubishi factory located in Normal, Illinois. Pricing hasn't been announced yet.