2023 Rivian R1S Dual Motor Large Pack outdoes projected range estimates
A poster at Rivian Forums started a thread with EPA documents detailing range for a new R1S configuration. The company recently announced availability of its new Enduro motor developed in house, and the 135-kWh Large battery pack; the Large pack is the middle unit beneath the Max and Standard batteries. The documents lay out estimated ranges for the R1S on 20-, 21-, and 22-inch wheels. The unqualified good news is that the official estimates exceed Rivian’s predicted estimates before testing. The intriguing news is that when this new R1S configuration is compared to the R1S with Quad Motors and the Max Pack, buyers might have more to think about than one might expect.
The Dual Motor comes in two versions, a base that Rivian says makes roughly 600 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque and a Performance trim that Rivian gives at about 700 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. The EPA document cites the Performance trim and pegs the rated horsepower at 708 ponies. The Quad Motor version makes 800 hp and 908 lb-ft. Getting the more powerful version adds $5,000 to the base Dual Motor price. Here are the numbers out in the open, prices taken from the Rivian configurator:
Price
Wheel Size
Range
Dual Motor
$87,600 / $92,600
20
306 Miles
Quad Motor
$95,600
20
289 Miles
Dual Motor
$84,000 / $89,000
21
352 Miles
Quad Motor
$92,000
21
321 Miles
Dual Motor
$86,500 / $91,500
22
341 Miles
Quad Motor
$94,500
22
303 Miles
Obviously, the R1S has been designed to do the most on 21-inch wheels. The 20-inchers give up so much range to the other sizes because they can only be optioned with the All-Terrain Upgrade and sport an A/T tread pattern. The others are pure street rubber.
Rivian’s figures had put the R1S Dual Motor and Large Pack at 340 miles of range, meaning the company beat its prediction by one mile on 22-inch wheels and by 12 miles on 21-inchers. Since the R1T pickup goes further on a charge than the SUV with the same powertrain, the pickup might also beat Rivian’s estimate of 350 miles with the Dual Motor and Large Pack.
The potential quandary here is that close pricing for the Performance Dual Motor encourages hard consideration of the feature and range tradeoffs. The $8,000 MSRP difference between the 600-hp Dual Motor and the Quad Motor is compelling. However, if stepping up to the Performance trim, for $3,000 more than the 708-hp powertrain a buyer could get roughly another 100 hp and 208 lb-ft. and the more refined tech features that come with four motors as opposed to two, such as individual wheel control and pure e-motor torque vectoring instead of brake-based torque vectoring. The buyer that does that sacrifices, at most, 38 miles of range — 11.3% in the worst case scenario. Anyone spending $90,000 on an EV isn’t worried about another $3,000. At that point, the delivery timetable might be a more compelling argument for choosing a trim.
While we wait on EPA testing results for the Standard battery pack, Rivian projects it will come in with a 260-mile range in Dual Motor configuration.
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