It may have come as no surprise to many people following electric truck startup Rivian when the company had to rethink pricing and configurations to help make ends meet going forward. As a new company that had just recently released pricing, reality hit hard when economic turmoil and inflation set in. Now, Rivian has had to dial back the number of variants available yet again.
Beginning in 2023, Rivian will no longer offer the quad-motor all-wheel-drive R1T electric pickup truck with the Max Pack battery, which is the largest battery pack Rivian currently offers. The company alerted reservation holders of the change via email.
Gallery: 2022 Rivian R1T: First Drive Review
According to the email, which was shared by Teslarati after being obtained from actual Rivian order-holders, the US startup electric automaker is still offering the long-range Max Pack with dual-motor all-wheel-drive vehicles. You simply won't be able to select the largest battery while configuring a quad-motor R1T in 2023. Rivian shared via Teslarati:
“This update introduces a more energy dense Max pack design that pairs with our Dual-Motor drive system to deliver long range with outstanding performance at a lower price point. Making this change supports our continued focus on simplifying the production process as we scale."
Again, while some people may be bothered by this change, much like the previous changes, it's not unexpected. No matter the situation with the economy, startup automakers tend to struggle, and most fail. In fact, Tesla is one of the only startups that has proven successful thus far. We're also talking about a time when virtually every automotive manufacturer across the globe is up against significant adversity.
If you visit Rivian's website, you can use the visualizer to configure an R1T to your liking without any commitment. This will give you an idea of how much it will cost before you officially configure and reserve your electric truck, which requires creating an account and providing your personal information.
As you'll see, there are two drive systems and three battery packs shown. You can choose dual-motor or quad-motor, though both offer standard AWD. The batteries are named Standard Pack, Large Pack, and Max Pack, though clearly, you can't pair every battery with the various drive systems. We found it interesting to experiment with the visualizer and see what's available, as well as pricing.
Rivian also notes in its email that people who already have a reservation for a quad-motor Max Pack vehicle will get a $4,500 price break once they switch to the dual-motor option. It also points out that they can choose an enhanced version of the dual-motor Max Pack configuration, which will cut their cost savings to $2,000. The enhanced option delivers the same range but offers upgraded performance.
