Rivian has produced the first dual-motor R1T electric pickup destined for a customer, marking the in-house Enduro drive unit's debut on the R1 series of adventure electric vehicles.
The first dual-motor Rivian R1T rolled off the assembly line at the Normal, Illinois plant on May 25. While the EV startup began production of Enduro drive units in February, most were fitted to Rivian's Electric Delivery Vehicles (EDV) that are being built for Amazon.
On the EDV electric van, the Enduro drive unit is applied in a single-motor, front-wheel-drive configuration, while on the R1S and R1T it comes in a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup.
Rivian said the launch of dual-motor Rivian R1S and R1T production unlocks additional manufacturing capacity for the R1 line, as its quad-motor vehicles – which feature third-party drive units – continue to ramp.
"I'm unbelievably proud of what all our teams have accomplished. Introducing our Dual-Motor variants is a major milestone in ramping our facility to its full capacity, and they have done a great job working across so many functions to make this happen."
Tim Fallon, Rivian VP, Manufacturing Operations
The automaker said that deliveries of dual-motor R1S and R1T vehicles will begin in June.
The Dual-Motor AWD powertrain makes over 600 horsepower and over 600 pound-feet (812 Newton-meters) of torque in standard guise, or over 700 hp and over 700 lb-ft (948 Nm) of torque in the optionally available Enhanced Dual-Motor AWD. The quad-motor powertrain remains the most powerful in the lineup, delivering 835 hp and 908 lb-ft (1,230 Nm) of torque.
Rivian previously said the dual-motor powertrain will be more energy-efficient than the current quad-motor setup supplied by Bosch. This is reflected in the increased range ratings of up to 400 miles for the R1T fitted with the Max Pack battery and 21-inch wheels and up to 390 miles for the R1S in the same configuration.
The quad-motor powertrain is only available with the Large Pack battery that enables a range of 328 miles for the R1T fitted with 21-inch wheels – the Dual-Motor R1T fitted with the same battery and wheels achieves 350 miles.
The dual-motor Rivian R1T and R1S are also more affordable than their quad-motor counterparts, with prices starting from $73,000 for the R1T and $78,000 for the R1S – both with the Standard battery pack and excluding $1,800 shipping. These base models qualify for up to $7,500 in federal tax credits.
