Electric adventure vehicle manufacturer Rivian has officially expanded into Canada, marking the milestone by holding a meet and greet event with buyers at East Van’s Rocky Mountaineer Station in late November. And though it’s the first time these zero-emissions products are making their way here, the brand actually already has a presence in the city that also happens to provide the perfect environment to enjoy them.

“We’re stoked to be in Vancouver and Yaletown. Especially because we have an office here — this is actually one of our software hubs. So all told we have over 150 people working in the area including service and customer support. We do mobile app development here, we do Alexa integration here, and a ton of the essential software functions of the vehicle,” says Peeble Squires, corporate communications manager, during a tour of the open house.

Over 10 examples of the R1T truck and R1S crossover, in several refreshing bright colours like Red Canyon and Compass Yellow, were parked in and outside the large indoor conference space for people to check out and poke around in while they await delivery of orders taking place through the end of the year and into 2023. Outside, representatives offered guests short ride-alongs around the neighbourhood to get a feel for the drive.

One feature of the former especially popular with the kids was its Gear Tunnel, a completely weatherproof lockable rubber-lined storage compartment behind the rear doors running right through the width of the pickup. Children (and adults) crawled in one end and out the other, though the real purpose is to store recreational equipment, strollers or other oddly-shaped accessories. Inside are two 110-volt outlets to juice up electronics or camping cookware.

Another was the latter’s optional Skyrise HD Medium Rooftop Tent co-designed by roof-rack specialist Yakima. Fitting neatly atop the crossbars, a ladder helps occupants reach the cozy three-person shelter that has two built-in skylights for stargazing and a comfy 2.5-inch thick wall-to-wall foam mattress.

Some quick facts: the all-wheel R1T starts at MSRP $100,925 CAD and utilizes one electric motor at each wheel. The four together generate a whopping 835 horsepower unlocking a 0 to 100 km/h time of approximately three seconds. The similarly-equipped but slightly pricier $107,625 R1S can be configured to seat five or up to seven passengers. Towing is rated at 11,000 pounds and 7,700 pounds, respectively. Estimated range is around 500 kilometres, depending on configuration, and will increase as larger battery options arrive later.

Both are identical from the B-pillar forward and built on the so-called skateboard platform, which packages the battery pack, drive units, suspension, braking and thermal system below the height of the wheels maximizing cabin and cargo space.

Originally founded in 2009, Rivian is starting in B.C. with future plans to push across the rest of the country. In addition to setting up offices in Vancouver, the fledgling automaker is building out a series of service centres around the province where consumers can take delivery of purchases as well as receive service. For more information and to place an order, visit rivian.com.