VIDEO – Rivian Touches the Clouds

Rivian has set a new record at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, known as “The Race to the Clouds.”

The special time trial Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck driven by Frenchman Romain Dumas may have been the fastest in Colorado during the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this Sunday, but it was not the only electric pickup involved in the competition.

A Rivian R1T Quad-Motor version benefiting from the 2025 updates was also entered this year, with Rivian’s lead performance test engineer, Gardner Nichols, at the wheel. It competed in the Exhibition category and completed the ascent in 10’53″883. This is a new record for a strictly production electric pickup, significantly beating the previous mark of 11’23″983 set by Nichols in a 2024 R1T last year. And yes, Rivian broke its own record, but it should be noted that this electric pickup category is not particularly crowded! Aside from the Ford F-150 and the Tesla Cybertruck, it’s hard to see who could challenge Rivian.

And above all, it’s hard to see who could beat Rivian! The 2025 R1T develops a maximum power of 1,025 hp and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2.5 seconds. Its only weakness might be a top speed limited to 210 km/h, but that didn’t seem to disrupt its performance at Pikes Peak too much. In short, it’s a demonic tool, not a straight-line racing car. It should be noted that the vehicle was strictly production with the exception of a safety cage installed to protect the driver. A small handicap due to its weight, but with over 1,000 horsepower, who cares.

ALSO READ: VIDEO – Romain Dumas’ onboard camera and his Ford F-150 at Pikes Peak