The Rivian R1T starts the electric pickup races

Whenever traffic slowed, which happens a lot when you're heading out of New York City on a Friday afternoon, people wanted to look at the bright blue pickup I was driving. Some wanted to ask questions. Fortunately, an engineer who helped design the truck was riding with me, and rolled down the window to answer them while I concentrated on maneuvering through traffic.

The Rivian R1T has recently become the first of an expected mini-stampede of electric trucks to hit the market. It has already carved out a niche for itself as a stylish -- but rather high-priced -- piece of outdoor equipment, sort of like a Tesla in flannel and hiking boots. I had been looking forward to my first chance to try it and was eager to get it out of the big city.

Besides its eye-catching color, the Rivian R1T looks like no other pickup on the road. It's not as radical as the Tesla Cybertruck but, really, the Cybertruck just follows a general industry trend in pickup design. It's scary. Angular and pointy, it looks intimidating and dangerous. Most gasoline- and diesel-powered pickups aim for similar levels of dread with massive grills and headlights that look like squinty eyes gauging your potential as a snack.