Rivian teases electric pickup and SUV planned for LA auto show

Rivian R1T electric pickup concept teaser

A new startup automaker, Rivian, plans to beat Tesla to the punch with an electric pickup truck.

After years of stealth, the company is finally poised to reveal its new pickup and SUV at the LA auto show later this month.

This week, the company set up a media site complete with space for pictures of its upcoming vehicles, and released a teaser video that gives a glimpse what its truck might look like.

Paralleling the four-door R1T pickup debut in LA, Rivian will also show a full-size, three-row, seven passenger SUV called the R1S, based on the same platform.

In May, the company released some target numbers—that in top trim both the electric truck and SUV will have 800 horsepower and will go up to 450 miles on a charge. The most capable model is expected to sell for $90,000.

With a smaller, 80-kilowatt-hour battery pack, the vehicles will have 200 miles of range, with a lower-power motor, and will start at about $50,000

The company claims they will be able to ford 3.5 feet of water and climb a 45-degree incline.

Rivian R1T electric pickup concept teaser

Rivian has bought and begun outfitting a former Mitsubishi factory in Illinois to build the machines and is headquartered in Michigan. It also has engineering centers in Northern and Southern California.

It also said in May that it will build its own battery packs for the trucks (with cells purchased from a supplier) and will also sell stationary battery packs for homes and businesses as Tesla does.

Rivian isn't the only company developing an electric pickup. Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk has said he is excited about building a pickup and has asked buyers for suggestions about its capabilities. It's not clear how soon Tesla is planning to build a pickup, but it would likely come after the planned Model Y SUV and the second-generation Roadster.

Rivian R1T electric pickup concept teaser

Bollinger Motors is also working on a larger, heavy-duty pickup and SUV. Timing is also uncertain.

While Rivian has not announced when its models will go into production, the easier logistics of preparing its manufacturing site could make it the first with an electric pickup in the U.S. market. Timing could be announced at the trucks' LA show unveiling.