Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Auto
  3. Outdoors
  4. News

Rivian’s all-new California Dune Edition trucks deliver serious off-road chops

An exclusive colorway and desert-ready features take the OG R1T and R1S to next-level off-road-readiness

Two Rivian California Edition EV trucks driving through the desert.
Rivian

Overlanders and hardcore road-trippers know better than most that “range anxiety” has long been the Achilles heel of every electric vehicle. Rivian‘s line-up has gone a long way toward remedying that problem with its R1S and R1T EVs. But the well-known California brand just dropped an exclusive vehicle series that not only delivers a 325-plus-mile range, but a limited-edition colorway and serious off-road-ready chops to boot.

Rivian R1T California Dune Edition driving on a remote desert road.
Rivian

The California Dune Edition pays homage to the company’s home state with two trucks that are as “elusive as the dunes, designed for the desert.” On the outside, both trucks in the series receive a unique “desert sands”-inspired paint job that feels equal parts modern, rugged, and military-inspired. Rivian pairs the look with an exterior Darkout Package that nicely contrasts the beige colorway with blacked-out badging and accents. The interior is adorned in a matching two-tone color scheme: Sandstone on the seats and door panels and Black Mountain on the upper portion, including the dashboard, steering wheel, and roof.

Interior of Rivian's California Dune Edition electric trucks.
Rivian

Both trucks in the series are based on the OG R1S SUV and R1T pickup with an upgrade to the Ascend Tri Max trim level. That equals a seriously capable powertrain with 850 horsepower and 1,103 lb-ft of stump-pulling torque. For this new edition, Rivian adds the All-Terrain package, which includes a hardened underbody, a powered tonneau cover, and off-road recovery gear. MAXTRAX recovery boards and a full-sized spare round out the package so you can “unstuck” yourself from just about any situation. Plus, an exclusive “Soft Sand” driving mode comes standard to make quick work of hardcore desert drives.

Recommended Videos

Rivian hasn’t confirmed just how limited the limited-edition California Dune Edition series will be. We know that pricing for the R1T and R1S is $99,900 and $105,900, respectively. Both are available now with a one- to six-week lead time for delivery.

Shop Now

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
Topics
McLaren and Motul develop bespoke lubricant to keep them on top
Motul uses McLaren Racing to test the limits of their formulas
Auto Racing, Car, Formula One

My first vehicle was a 1988 Ford Ranger. It was small, reliable, and the perfect first car. However, I wasn't allowed to park it in the driveway at home because it went through as much oil as it did gas. The leak was bad enough that I had to check and refill the oil once a week. The same cadence as the gas tank. That was where I learned the importance of fluids for cars. McLaren hits the Formula 1 tracks across the globe with that importance at the forefront of mind as they compete for the championship, and will now be teaming with Motul to take their collaboration for the world's most reliable lubricant to the world of endurance racing. From the high stress of speed in Formula 1 to the endurance of long-distance racing, the perfect bespoke lubricant is on the way.

McLaren was already using a very high-performance transmission fluid, with an extremely high level of requirements. Our challenge was to go even further: decrease friction losses even more while ensuring lubricant durability over time. The formulation developed with McLaren Racing has been validated to maintain its performance over several thousand kilometers under Formula 1 conditions. And this is only the beginning: in F1, cars are constantly evolving, and the formulation will continue to progress as well. - Julien Plet, Head of R&D at Motul.

Read more
Award-winning Pininfarina documentary makes its North American debut
You can see the story behind the company that gave Ferrari its look
Architecture, Building, Factory

An award-winning documentary movie about one of the world’s best known sports car manufacturers is coming to North America. “Story of a Legend. Pininfarina” is set to make its American debut at Toronto’s Italian Contemporary Film Festival on July 10.

A winner of the 2026 Film Impresa Award, the Italian documentary has already performed well in Europe.

Read more
Charles Leclerc emerges victorious as British Grand Prix ends in controversy
It's Charles Leclerc's first win in almost two years
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc earned his first victory in almost two years for Ferrari. Unfortunately for him, all the chatter around the British Grand Prix will be about its controversial ending that resulted in the 175,000-strong crowd at Silverstone booing after they were denied a dramatic finish.

The record crowd at Silverstone was in for a thriller from the start, with Leclerc staking claim to the lead, followed by Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton behind him. 19-year-old phenom Kimi Antonelli didn't need long to take over Hamilton. And it seemed like Antonelli was positioning himself for a stunning sixth Formula 1 victory, taking the lead after Leclerc made a pit stop.

Read more