TRADITION, RATHER THAN
innovation, generally drives
the pickup market, where
brand loyalty reigns su-
preme. But with the Rivian R1T, we’re
about to see the category upended.
This groundbreaking ride will be anelectric pickup with a range of up to
400 miles—enough to round-trip it
from San Francisco to Yosemite with-
out stopping to plug in.
Rivian VP of design Jeff Hammoud—
formerly of Jeep—held the stylus for
this project and had a hell of a time.
“It’s a category that didn’t exist,” he
says. So Hammoud and team reimag-
ined the truck as an adventurous and
fun cargo hauler, putting plenty of
thought into how it will be used. Theunderpinnings are impressive: Its elec-
tric powertrain uses a motor for each
wheel to maneuver over terrain, and will
be able to tow over 11,000 pounds—like
a full-size gas truck—and ford nearly
40 inches of water.
So it’s capable, but has a minimalist
front end since the lack of a gas engine
means there’s no need for a massive
grille. In its place are some distinctive
LEDs, including a horizontal light that
glows green, signifying its charge level
when plugged in. In some ways, Ham-
moud used the R1T to correct the flaws
in existing pickups, like interiors that
instantly look dirtied up. “I grabbed
swatch materials, wiped them on my
shoe, and rejected them if they turned
even a little bit white or gray,” Ham-
moud says. Then there was the lack of
protected cargo space, remedied here
by a pass-through storage tunnel and
a front trunk, both options for stashing
groceries that were previously unavail-
able in a gas pickup.
Hammoud says that Rivian might find
a whole new truck buyer. “We’re not try-
ing to sell half a million of these a year,
so we have a tighter demographic,” he
says. “They see the R1T and say, ‘Wow, I
get this.’ ” From $69,000; rivian.comJEFF HAMMOUD
Vice President of
Design, RivianAn EV for Adventuring
INNOVATORSTHE REBOOTED BEAN
The L.L.Bean duck boot has been an outdoor icon for more than a
century—virtually unchanged since 1911. But last year, the company
took a chance by collaborating with Flowfold on a refresh that
included new colors and materials. Flowfold, another Maine-based
manufacturer, made its name nearly a decade ago by stitching
tough, lightweight, minimalist wallets out of recycled sailcloth. The
material was new to Bean and impressive for its strength and water
resistance. So the 2019 Flowfold Bean Boot replaces the traditional
leather upper with a double-thick layer of sailcloth. The new duck
boots are just as waterproof as the original while shedding
about a pound per pair. A lot of what we love about the old
boots remain: the same grippy rubber outsole,
short heel, and mid-ankle
height—all still hand-
made in Maine. $139;
llbean.com