When Rivian said its electric pickup was built to “handle it all,” it wasn’t bluffing. A Rivian R1T owner in Asheville, North Carolina, had his vehicle dragged 100 to 150 feet after Hurricane Helene swept through the area. To even his surprise, Rivian’s electric pickup was still ready to run.
Rivian R1T survives Hurricane Helene floodwaters
Rivian has “spent years” hauling gear, loading bikes, and testing its electric pickup to ensure it can withstand it all.
The R1T can plow through 3 feet of water and climb a 100% grade with over 14″ of ground clearance. It even has sports car acceleration with instant torque to hit 0 to 60 mph in as little as 3 seconds.
However, after Hurricane Helene left a devastating trail of destruction, Rivian’s electric pickup may have earned its title as the ultimate adventure vehicle.
Local Asheville, NC resident and Rivian R1T owner Joshua Vincent Sauer said his Rivian R1T survived the worst of it.
After parking his electric pickup by a U-Haul on Thursday night, Sauer returned looking for it on Saturday, only to find it “100 to 150 feet” away by a local Walgreens.
In a video posted on Facebook, the R1T owner said he assumed floodwaters carried the vehicle.
Although he wasn’t there to see it, Sauer said he knew the R1T was not found where he parked it before the Hurricane.
You can see the mud caked on the side of the vehicle and water still in the bed. After noticing the door handles opening, he knew the pickup still had electricity. When he got in, “it booted up like nothing happened,” Sauer said.
Although it was initially hard to find charging stations (like working gas stations), Sauer said there was an open Electrify America charger at a local Sam’s Club. He also mentioned a Tesla Supercharger at a nearby park.
Electrek’s Take
Asheville was one of the hardest-hit areas by Hurricane Helene, as the death toll rises to nearly 180. It was one of the worst storms in US history, according to AP News, in other words a natural disaster.
Many people lost everything, including their homes, personal belongings, and loved ones. Many are still without power, running water, or cell service. Some are stranded with roads washed away by floodwaters. Government cargo planes are unloading food and water to some of the hardest-hit areas this week.
Vehicles are not expected to survive a natural disaster like this, but Rivian’s R1T’s ability to withstand some of the worst of it is a major accomplishment for the EV maker.
Rivian continues advancing safer, more efficient EV tech. Last month, it became the only pickup in the US with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award in 2024. Rivian’s 2024 R1T electric pickup scored “Good” on all crash ratings, except the standard Forward Collision Avoidance system, which earned an “Acceptable” rating.
And Rivian isn’t the only one. Automakers, startups, and governments around the world are teaming up to develop safer EV tech as adoption rates continue climbing.
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