Rivian is preparing to reveal the updated R1, which includes the R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck. The revised R1 will feature subtly updated styling, new wheel designs and new technology.
The manufacturer shut down its Normal, Illinois factory in April of this year for four weeks to retool and implement new technologies that will go into the updated R1 trucks. This suggests that Rivian is updating the R1 assembly process while also paving the way to start production of the smaller R2 eventually.
Here’s everything we know so far about the revised R1T and R1S.
Battery And Power
One of the most significant changes is a switch in battery chemistry from nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) in the base battery pack. Currently, the Standard pack with NMC chemistry has a usable capacity of 106 kWh, and it is believed the new LFP pack will offer slightly less (possibly under 100 kWh), which may drop the EPA range from the current 270-mile estimate.
Rivian is also looking to cut costs, and one way it’s doing this is by simplifying the battery packs. Company boss RJ Scaringe said that they managed to bring the number of components that go into the battery pack down from 41 to 16, which “took thousands of dollars of cost” out and made manufacturing the pack cheaper.
Quad-motor R1s will get new motors in place of the Bosch drive units they’ve used so far, and Rivian will build these new motors in-house. According to one Reddit user and R1S owner who says he talked to a Rivian shop manager, the output of quad-motor trucks will rise to 1,100 horsepower, up from the current 835 horsepower. Torque will go up, too, from the current 908 lb-ft to over 1,000 lb-ft or more.
This should help shave a few tenths off the already impressive acceleration time from 0 to 60 mph, which in the current model is exactly 3 seconds for the R1T pickup and 3.1 seconds for the R1S.
Cost And Complexity Reduction
One of the big things Rivian is doing with the model refresh is streamlining and simplifying the manufacturing process for R1 trucks—it’s all about improving manufacturing efficiency and lowering costs. RJ Scaringe has made this clear through several statements, but we don’t know the extent of the changes.
Several revised R1 sightings have been reported on the road, and none of the trucks were wearing camouflage. In fact, Rivian has dozens of new R1s parked outside its factory, hiding them in plain sight as it prepares to officially introduce the updated model.
However, the fact that they look almost identical to the old model doesn’t mean a lot has remained the same under the skin. We can expect further improvements to the software, which had some issues when the truck first came out but has improved considerably through subsequent over-the-air updates.
Design Changes
The updated R1 models' biggest visual change is the redesigned light bar in the front. They will also get redesigned 22-inch wheels, and the brake calipers will go from yellow to silver. Buyers can also pick a blacked-out badge pack for a more subtle look.
With the updated light bar, Rivian has moved the indicator lights from inside the oval where the headlight projectors are to where the fog lights are in the pre-refresh model. The blinkers will also become sequential for a more modern look.
Rivian will also reportedly remove the physical interior door handles and replace them with electronic door poppers like the ones on many other EVs, including Teslas.
We will update this post once Rivian officially unveils the new R1, which should be sometime later this month.
