Not the most efficient EV, but it has a stylish design and clever powertrain.
Enlarge / After creating the R1T adventure truck, Rivian continued with the R1S SUV. This may interest you : Crowded venues, eased restrictions and thriving business for Connecticut Food Trucks.
We drove one of Rivian’s new electric trucks last September and found its R1 platform to be very competent on and off road, with an impressive level of engineering that made driving to the top of the mountain almost effortless. Since then, it’s been a rough few months for the electric vehicle maker, with supply chain issues delaying deliveries, a former executive filing a discrimination lawsuit and shareholders upset by a rather clumsy price hike.
But Rivian remains very well funded, and its plant in Normal, Illinois, is gearing up to build electric trucks and delivery vehicles for Amazon. Now another R1-based electric vehicle is coming into production – the R1S SUV.
Like its truck counterpart, the R1S is a friendly looker, especially compared to the more aggressive SUVs coming out of Detroit. This is partly due to the design of the lights, which should emphasize your pareidolia, and partly due to what is now considered a relatively low hood height, with curved edges taking precedence over sharp creases at the corners.
Enlarge / It’s hard to avoid the face here.
Still, the R1S remains a large SUV. It’s the same width (81.8 inches/2078 mm) as the R1T truck, but at 200.8 inches (5100 mm) long, the R1S is actually 16.3 inches (414 mm) shorter, with most of that difference (14.7 inches /374 mm) comes from the wheelbase. As a result, there’s no more gear tunnel – the innovative luggage compartment located just below and behind the R1T’s rear seats – and you get a third row of seats that fold flat into the floor when not in use.
Under the hood is a large engine trunk, just like the R1T, with 11 cubic feet (313 L) of storage space. Open the split tailgate—the lower section can hold up to 1,000 lbs (454 kg), so you can sit on it—and there’s a useful 17.6 cubic feet (498 L) of cargo space, expanding to a roomy 46.7 cu. feet (1,322 L) if you don’t need to use the third-row seats. For really big loads, fold down the middle row and enjoy 88.2 cubic feet (2498 L) of cargo space.
Like the truck, the interior is stylish. I’m especially a fan of the recycled wood, as well as the thoughtful approach Rivian took to the placement of the USB-C ports and storage bays. Visibility from the driver’s seat is good without too many blind spots, but some readers may be put off by the touchscreen user interface for the infotainment system and the lack of support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It’s a no-button area, but there are plenty of USB ports and places to store your stuff. However, it could use handles and a collapsible shade.
The middle row of seats is split 40:20:40 and moves forward and backward. Even with this row back, there is room in the third row, although, as with all third rows, your feet are quite close to your hips.
There is an additional 5 cubic foot storage area under the floor.
The cabin could have grab handles to make it easier to climb aboard, but then again, the automaker has created an EV with a full-length glass roof without a sunshade. Rivian says the panoramic glass blocks 99.9 percent of UV rays as well as heat, but it would be nice to have some kind of folding fabric that could block all of that when the owner wants it. A passenger sitting in the middle row on the right side of the car can also be blinded by reflections from the main instrument display, as I discovered.
The family resemblance between a truck and an SUV is more than superficial; mechanically, the R1S we drove in New York is essentially the same as the R1T we drove in 2021. Our test R1S had a four-engine configuration with 835 hp (623 kW), 908 lb-ft (1,231 Nm), combined with a 135-kWh battery.
The front-drive unit produces 415 hp (310 kW) and 413 lb-ft (560 Nm), while the rear-drive unit generates 420 hp (313 kW) and 495 lb-ft (671 Nm). Each power unit contains two motors, one for each wheel, so the powertrain does not need a conventional differential to distribute torque from one side to the other.
How is Rivian different from Tesla?
The $50,000 twin-engine Cybertuck has a range of 300 miles. That’s just 14 miles less than what Rivian offers with its large twin-engine battery truck, which starts at $73,500. With a range of 500 miles, the $70,000 tri-motor Tesla Cybertruck nearly doubles the range Rivian offers in the similarly priced base R1T.
What makes Rivian special? Rivian designs vehicles that are strong enough to drive off-road. See the article : A state food preparation class was offered at Coffee Co.. It promises a much greater range on a single battery charge than existing electric cars.
Can Tesla be like Rivian?
Key data points. Rivian stock may never have the extraordinary returns that Tesla stock provides. But the company has a good order base and plans to ramp up to full-scale production with a total planned capacity of 600,000 units annually. Like Tesla in its early years, it has to overcome early challenges.
What advantages does Rivian have over Tesla?
Tesla and Rivian have different strengths and weaknesses. Tesla EVs tend to focus on luxury performance, self-driving features, and stylish looks. See the article : “Chinese Tesla” to run lifestyle-based Nine houses across Europe. Rivian electric vehicles focus on off-road performance, dynamic storage options and flexible features.
How much does it cost to reserve a rivian?
Reserve. Whenever you’re ready to proceed, submit a $1,000 ($1,500 CAD) refundable deposit to become a reservation holder in our system. (Don’t worry – you can continue to experiment with designs and options in the studio as your booking approaches our configuration invitation).
Can a Rivian R1T pull a boat?
The Rivian R1T can tow up to 11,000 lbs (4,990 kg), but the manufacturer warns that towing range can be reduced by about 50%. The EPA range estimate for the vehicle is 314 miles (505 km) – half of that would be 157 miles (253 km).
How much weight can the Rivian pull? The Rivian electric truck has a towing capacity of 11,000 lbs. Importantly, the truck is designed so that all four motors can simultaneously draw maximum power from the battery – when needed.
Can you tow with the rivian R1S?
Towing capabilities of the Rivian R1S. As I mentioned in the introduction above, the 7,700 lb towing capacity is better than any large electric SUV competition currently on the market.
Can you tow with a Rivian R1T?
The R1T truck is rated to tow up to 11,000 lb, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the range can go from 314 miles (505 km) to 135 miles (217 km) when additional cargo is attached.
