It’s time to put the all-new 2022 Rivian R1T to a trailer-towing range test. How far can an all-electric pickup truck tow a 2,000 lbs trailer on a full charge, and how does a new 2022 Toyota Tundra internal-combustion-engine truck compare with the same trailer on the exact same loop? Let’s find out right now.
The Rivian pickup is equipped with (approximately) a 135 kWh battery pack and four electric motors for a total of 835 horsepower and 906 lb-ft of torque. When not towing, the Rivian’s EPA driving range is rated at 314 miles (or around 280 miles for this one with all-terrain tires).
The new Toyota Tundra TRD Off-Road truck you see here is equipped with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission. The engine is rated at 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. The Tundra has a 32-gallon fuel tank. The minimum fuel octane requirement is 87-octane. The EPA rates this 4×4 Tundra at 17 MPG city / 22 MPG highway and 19 MPG combined.
Rivian R1T Results
The R1T towed the trailer for 153 miles and used 91% of its battery. My overall average speed was 56 MPH because the loop also includes some city driving. The majority of highway driving was done at 70 MPH.
The Rivian R1T efficiency calculates to 1.25 miles/kWh or (42.0 MPG*) on average for this trip. If you extrapolate these results to a full 100% of battery, the total towing driving range comes out to 168 miles.
*the MPG conversion assumes the EPA-stated 1 gallon of gasoline is equivalent to 33.7 kWh.
Toyota Tundra Results
The Tundra pulled the exact same trailer on the same day on the same driving loop. After driving the same 153 miles, the Tundra used about 32.5% of its fuel tank (it used 10.348 gallons of fuel). Using the EPA energy conversion, the Tundra used 348.7 kWh to go the same 153 miles.
The Tundra efficiency calculates to 14.8 MPG or (0.44 miles/kWh) on average for this trip. If you extrapolate these results to a full fuel tank, the total towing driving range comes out to 473 miles.
Using the latest technology in both trucks (EV vs ICE), the ICE pickup truck can go about 2.8 times further on a full tank when towing a small trailer. However, the EV pickup is far more energy-efficient (about 2.8 times more efficient to do the same job).
If you want to learn more about the new Rivian R1T pickup – we also published an Ike Gauntlet™ review – pulling an 8,100 lbs trailer on the world’s toughest towing test.
