Improved competition: 2025 Rivian R1S (Gen 2) gets big upgrades

[Madtroniks]

Cohall member on Rivian forums has done a good job outline the upgrades / updates.

Here's what's new:

• New fastest R1T pickup truck 0-60mph time: 2.5s (from 3.0s), beating the Cybertruck's 2.6s time.
• New quad-motor: 1,025 HP
• New drive unit
• Updated exterior lighting with Adaptive Drive Beam system and RGB LEDs in the horizontal light bar.
• Interior: New materials and trim. These include exposed maple wood, brown stitching, accents of plaid textiles and ‘burnished bronze’
• Better energy management
• Enhanced and reengineered suspension (slightly smoother)
• New wheels and tires
• 1.6 miles of wiring has been stripped out
• New software design on main screen
• Dolby Atmos audio
• Keyless entry that can be added to your Apple Wallet or some Google Pixel phones
• More range: Up to 420 miles for max pack (up from 410)
• Nvidia’s AI chips in its vehicles for the first time, which should improve processing speeds.
• Camera fidelity has improved by 3X, and processing power of the internal computer is “10 times” more powerful than the previous generation
• New 22-inch aero wheels will also help reduce drag and maximize range
• Swapping the previous-generation radars for imaging radars with better accuracy and an overall more comprehensive view of the surrounding environment
• Offering LFP battery option for first time, with an estimated range of 270 miles. The LFP battery will contain 92.5 kilowatt-hours of energy, as compared to the first-gen R1’s default non-LFP battery with 105.9kWh.
• Rivian’s high-nickel battery packs have undergone an overhaul to remove “thousands of dollars of cost,” Scaringe said. The company is using a high-pressure die casting system to improve the pack’s structural integrity by consolidating a lot of the parts.
• Brand-new thermal management system in the form of a heat pump.
• Autonomy Platform will eventually enable hands-free driving by end of year
• The new tri-motor models start at $99,900 for the R1T and $105,900 for the R1S, both $1k more than before, but these both get the larger Max battery standard. Pricing for the quad-motor has yet to be released.

Starting price of second generation models (before incentives):

• R1S: $75,900
• R1T: 69,900

Video / Photos

 

[Billyk24]

Still too expensive for Jsne and Joe Sixpack. Waiting for the R2 to arrive with specifications/details.

 

[Mach1E]

I’m a horsepower junkie and I still don’t understand who is asking for 1000+
hp full size SUVs and trucks.

Did anyone who drove a Rivian before with 835 hp think, “this thing needs more horsepower??”

Only thing dumber than that would be putting that much horsepower in a lame looking sedan.

 

[Madtroniks]

Quad motor Rivian does need more power to hit 10 second quarter mile.

The new quad motor will hit 10.77 seconds.

I have always wanted a 10 second car.

The new quad motor does the trick.

I also like horsepower and I’ll gladly take an extra 200 HP.

 

[Tampamike]

So, they didn’t redesign the front end.

 

[Madtroniks]

So, they didn’t redesign the front end.

They’ve updated the headlights

it’s a mid cycle refresh mainly focused on refinement and efficiency. Cosmetic updates were mainly found in the interior.

I could see Rivian following a similar strategy to Porsche and Tesla where they keep the body lines similar refresh after refresh.

 

[Mach1E]

Quad motor Rivian does need more power to hit 10 second quarter mile.

The new quad motor will hit 10.77 seconds.

I have always wanted a 10 second car.

The new quad motor does the trick.

I also like horsepower and I’ll gladly take an extra 200 HP.

I have always wanted one too.

But it wasn’t full size 3 row SUV or a pickup truck.

I get that different people like different things, I just think the BEV manufacturers are missing the mark with what vehicles they’re throwing horsepower at.

There is a reason Hummer hasn’t sold very many vehicles and Tesla had to drop the price of their Plaid models $50,000 last year.

The market just isn’t very large for these 1000+ hp monsters. On one hand I think it’s kinda cool. On the other I just think the manufacturers aren’t going to make money this way.

The single motor Rivian should have been their FIRST model introduced. Same with the R2.

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