Rivian R1T Max battery with quad-motors pushed to 2024
Rivian will ultimately offer three battery packs for the R1T pickup and R1S SUV. We’ve seen one of them thus far, the 135-kWh Large pack good for an estimated range of 314 miles in the quad-motor R1T. There’s a 105-kWh Standard pack below it, a 180-kWh Max pack above. In December of last year, Rivian announced it would delay rollout of the Max pack until 2023. The automaker said just 20% of preorders for both vehicles specced the largest battery; focusing on vast majority wanting the Large pack would help accelerate production. A similar situation has come up nearly a year later, The Kilowatts posting communication from Rivian to reservation holders who ordered the Max pack quad-motor powertrain that their vehicles won’t arrive until 2024, the same year the Standard pack is anticipated to begin deliveries. The Standard battery will only be fitted to the dual-motor powertrain.
Buyers who wanted the Max pack with dual motors are scheduled to begin receiving their rides in summer 2023. Buyers who don’t want to wait for four motors can either reconfigure their trucks to the dual-motor version and save $6,000, or take the less capacious Large battery pack and save $10,000. They can also cancel their reservations. In the meantime, Rivian says their customer accounts have been updated with the revised 2024 delivery windows, and the automaker will begin notifying all customers awaiting delivery about their estimated delivery times once every three months. The company’s configurator says that any pickup or SUV ordered today shouldn’t be expected until late 2023.
Rivian’s currently testing its new Enduro motors New Zealand for use in the R1T and R1S. These are Rivian’s first in-house motors, designed for the electric delivery vans (EDV) that will use a single Enduro motor on the front axle. The e-motors in Rivian’s quad-motor powertrain are Bosch units that Rivian reengineered. The rough specs for the two-motor powertrain are at least 600 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, able to tow 11,000 pounds. Powered by the Standard battery, the two motors are estimated to be good for 260 miles of range on a charge. With the Large pack that rises to an estimated 320 miles, the Max pack gets an estimate of 400 miles or more. The automaker says “with a higher gear ratio on the rear motor, the Dual-Motor system biases more torque rearward and also features front to rear torque control, providing a high level of on-road and off-road performance, towing capability and all-weather traction.”
More updates should arrive before the year is out, the Rivian telling customers, “We plan to share more news on the Max pack later this year.”
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