This is the car we’d give Greta Thunberg on her 18th birthday next Jan

Exactly two years ago, a ninth-grade student decided to play truant. Not for the same reason many other kids do. You see, for 15-year-old Greta Thunberg, there was more at stake than getting an A grade and getting picked last for the Lacrosse team.

Perched outside the Riksdag in Sweden, holding up a sign that demanded government compliance in reducing carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, Greta was adamant. And nobody could predict what was to follow.

A fifteen-day sea voyage aboard an eco-friendly racing yacht, a nobel prize nomination, an appearance in a children’s book, and defiant death-stare aimed at POTUS are but a few highlights in this young lady’s illustrious career. And she’s only 17.

Two years to the day she first set out to influence policy-makers to embrace pro-environment agendas, Greta has struck again. In a scalding article, she lashed out at world leaders for their inaction, claiming we have wasted time by “failing to take action against the crisis.”

We’ll save the political debate for a rainy day.

In January next year, Greta turns 18, which means she’ll be eligible for a driver’s license. And we here have got the perfect car for her 18th birthday.

Key considerations

The first, and probably most obvious one, is that it has to be electric powered. Not hybrid. And definitely not gasoline. Mention gasoline and you’ll get the Trump treatment.

But electric-engine slash motor aside, we imagine Greta may be clocking up a fair few miles on the road.

Her busy schedule includes high impact conferences, meetings with politicians, and general pro-environment rallies. The last thing she wants is to top up every 100 miles. Therefore range, in this case, is pretty important too.

And finally, it’s likely that Greta will be traveling with an entourage and some props, including signs and other tid bits. That means she would need a ride with ample space to pack it all in.

So then, are you ready to see what car we picked out?

The undisputable winner

It could have been a 2021 Tesla Roadster, with a range of 600 miles and 0 to 60 in 1.9 seconds. That’s faster than a McLaren 570S. But the thing with the Roadster is that it’s maybe a little too compact for Greta’s needs, and may not be so practical.

Unless she uses it as a getaway car? Or a track toy? Pretty sure Greta likes the speed. That yacht we mentioned earlier was a racing one, remember.

Okay, so if we’re not going for a sporty coupe, then our number one choice would have to be the Rivian R1T all-electric pickup. Offering more than 400 miles on a single charge, this is a perfect mediator between a mid-sized pickup and a full-sized truck.

At the top end, we’ve got a 180.0-kWh battery pack, which would be perfect for lugging around all those campaign materials, and towing a 5000-kg trailer for those midsummer campouts in the woods (electric fires only, please).

And Greta definitely needs to stay connected to her team at HQ, which is where the large infotainment display will come in handy. She’ll be able to access maps, put on her favourite green-themed playlist and get her people on call, benefiting from the onboard Wi-Fi hotspot feature.

Pickup or not, it’ll be an interesting few years ahead for Greta and her mission to save the world from its inevitable turmoil.

Stay up to date with the latest in the automotive world by checking out our dedicated news page!

We’re also really digging this cinematic preview of the R1T. Greta, if you’re reading, you’ll definitely enjoy this.