Rivian owner: R1T still operational after being swept away by Hurricane Helene
A Rivian R1T owner from Asheville, North Carolina has shared a remarkable story about his all-electric truck. As per the EV owner, his R1T got swept away by Hurricane Helene's floodwaters, but much to his surprise, the all-electric pickup truck was still operational.
Hurricane Helene carved a deadly and destructive path across several states as it made landfall last week. As per the Associated Press, the death toll from the storm has passed 160, and this number is expected to rise. Videos and photos of the storm's aftermath are harrowing, with images of whole houses destroyed and vehicles submerged in floodwaters being shared on social media.
As shared by Facebook user Joshua Vincent Sauer, a Rivian R1T from Asheville, North Carolina, ended up feeling the brunt of Hurricane Helene. Michael, the R1T's owner, noted that he parked his Rivian across the street from a U-Haul in Asheville on Swannanoa River Road. This proved to be a mistake as the vehicle ended up being swept away by floodwaters.
The Rivian owner noted that when he came to retrieve his all-electric pickup truck, the R1T was no longer where he left it. Instead, the vehicle was about 100-150 feet away.
Credit: Joshua Vincent Sauer/Facebook
"Saturday afternoon, we came back for the vehicle, and it was over by the Walgreens. It must have floated a good 100, 150 feet from where we originally parked it. I assume it floated. All I can tell you is that it wasn't where I parked it. But we hopped right in and put in it drive and just took off," the R1T owner noted.
The Rivian owner shared a photo from his phone of the R1T when he found it after the storm, which showed the vehicle being covered all over in a thick layer of mud. He also noted that when he and his friend saw the R1T all caked in mud, his friend thought that the vehicle was most certainly totaled. But much to his surprise, the R1T's door handles responded, and the vehicle turned out to still be operational.
Rivians are designed to be extremely durable vehicles, but this is something else.
Watch the Rivian R1T owner recount his experience in the video below.
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