The 2024 Rivian R1T electric pickup truck was designated a Top Safety Pick+, the highest award from ... [+]
Earlier this month, the 2024 Rivian R1T electric pickup truck continued its safety legacy.
The battery-powered truck from the U.S.-based EV startup was once again the only pickup truck (and only electric truck) to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The award recognizes vehicles that perform well in a series of safety tests, which have been updated with more stringent criteria for 2024.
In an email about the designation last week, Rivian wrote the company was “proud” to be the only pickup truck to earn the highest rating so far this year. It earned the award in 2022 and 2023. The only other truck that qualifies for the lower-level Top Safety Pick (no Plus) is the 2024 Toyota Tundra. Other Top Safety Pick+ winners in other categories include EVs like the 2024 Tesla Model Y, 2024 Genesis GV60, 2024 Genesis Electrified G80 and 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6.
A spokesperson for the IIHS said in an email this week, “As a newer automaker, it’s encouraging to see that Rivian is clearly prioritizing good performance in IIHS safety tests.”
To qualify for a Top Safety Pick+ designation a vehicle must achieve “good” ratings in the small overlap front test, “acceptable” or “good” in an updated moderate overlap front test, “good” in the updated side test, “acceptable” or “good” in the pedestrian front crash prevention test and have “acceptable” or “good” headlights.
The updated moderate overlap test now has a dummy in the back seat to encourage second row safety. The R1T received a “good” rating in this test with sensors determining low risk of head, neck and chest injury during a crash. Seat belts stayed properly positioned and the dummy’s head stayed away from the front seatback.
An updated front crash test involving motorcycles and other vehicles offered weak results for most ... [+]
Tougher Testing
On Wednesday night, the IIHS released results from a tougher front crash test for 2024. Initial findings concluded most small SUVs don’t pass the updated vehicle-to-vehicle test, which examines high-speed crashes and those involving a motorcycle or large truck. The tougher front crash prevention test puts cars at 31, 37 and 43 mph instead of the previous 12 and 25 mph speeds.
Of the first 10 small SUVs that underwent the updated testing, only one received a “good” rating: the Subaru Forester. The Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 were rated as “acceptable.” The Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson and Jeep Compass earned “marginal” ratings, while the Chevrolet Equinox, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander and Volkswagen Taos all rated “poor.”
The R1T hasn’t undergone this new test, but in its pedestrian front crash prevention test it earned an Acceptable rating for 2024.
The other American testing agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has yet to rate the 2024 Rivian R1T. Most pickups have weak safety ratings.
