Does Rivian's R1T Keep Up Off-Road? Team Venom Racing Think So

Vehicle Features Adam Gordon

When it comes to off-roading - or frankly, trucks in general - EVs can be a bit of a hotly contested topic. Whether you care for EVs or not, it's hard to deny some of the potential when it comes to specific motorsports and hobby applications, and some people are ahead of the curve with their testing, putting EVs through their paces and getting them dirty.

Walter Cheney of Team Venom Racing has already broken the mold of truck motorsports with his record-setting Nissan Titan, making it the world's quickest Titan which was featured in PASMAG not too long ago. Now, he's set his sights on the Rivian R1T to see what he can do with the big EV when it comes to racing, off-roading, truck pulls and more. Currently, Cheney and his team are the only EV Rivian family race team in the US, and the process of putting this EV truck - codenamed "Volt-Tron" through its paces is well underway.

Cheney is two years into daily driving and adventuring in the R1T, which includes two full winters of below freezing temperatures and multiple feet of snow, which he says has not yet been enough to stop the Rivian even once. Outside of daily driving duties, truck pulls, and drag races, he's also been using his Rivian for hunting, fishing, camping, and even road trips out to the ocean from their home in Essex County, New York. He's also towed 10,000 pounds with the truck numerous times, and was especially impressed by the regenerative braking while going through the Adirondack Mountains, saying he almost never had to touch the brake pedal!

Leaving the pavement behind for a while, Cheney has set his sights on the Rivian's off-road capabilties as well. He frequently takes the R1T out to Class 4 and up trails with some of the most off-road capable Jeeps and trucks, and has yet to encounter any major issues. The fully adjustable air suspension, which offers about 9 inches of suspesion travel overall, has been a game-changer for off-roading, surprising even some of the most die-hard EV skeptics on the trails.

Now two years into ownership, the itch to do more has taken over once again, and we expect so see some exciting stuff from Cheney in the near future. He's already modified the R1T to his specifications as the perfect overlanding and camping adventure rig, settling the doubts of any would-be skeptics on the viability of EVs in general for this type of adventuring duty.

2022 Rivian R1T

WHEELS / TIRES
1EV Bronze wheels
BFGoodrich K03 AT tires

EXTERIOR
Custom vinyl wrap
Ruff Rax (roof rack, bed rack, rack lighting, overland grab handles)
Ironman4x4 (rooftop tent, yellow ditch lights)
Yellow roof rack light
Custom mud flaps
Rmaxx rock sliders from EV sportline
Yellow front fog tint
Yellow front tow hook covers
Traction boards
Custom light tint front and back
Yakima tool holders
BestEVmod window visors

INTERIOR
Twraps (center console insert, screen protector, yellow vinyl lettering inserts)

Kurenai: Jason Helmick's Show-Stopping 2015 Scion FR-S

Photography by Paul Delapena. “It’s a daily. I’ll just keep it stock.” A sentiment we’ve heard time and time again. One that may be true for a moment...

Wilwood Disc Brakes BBKs for CPP Chevy C10 Trucks 2.5-inch Drop Spindle

Wilwood Disc Brakes has engineered complete brake kits explicitly for the 1963-87 Chevy/GMC C10 truck 2.5-inch drop spindles manufactured by Classic...

RAYS GramLIGHTS 57DR-X

This 57DR-X is developed for vehicles which runs larger P.C.D. like Jimny, Hiace, and Cross country 4WDs. And, it keeps the RAYS’s traditional 6 spoke...

Powered by a Subaru EJ25 Engine Swap: Austin Barnett’s 1976 Porsche 911

One of my Top 10 favorites of SEMA 2022 is Austin Barnett’s 1976 Porsche 911 in the Toyo Tires Treadpass. Sporting a rare TBK front bumper, a la Mid-...