2024 Rivian R1T Dual-Motor Review: Better Range, Better Value

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EDITORS’ RATING: 9/ 10

It’s a familiar EV technique: initially, you wow them, then you reel them in. Rivian definitely didn’t stem that method– Tesla just used the high-end Model S and X for several years before the more cost effective Model 3 showed up– however its R1T electrical pickup beat competing trucks to market and with a thorough specification list befitting a new car manufacturer intending to make a splash.

The initial R1T didn’t simply have an early arrival in its favor: its 4 electrical motors and wild amounts of torque made it as much an off-road monster as it was an asphalt-chewing speed maker. The drawback– or, a minimum of, the most significant drawback– was the expense, with even a base-spec R1T quad-motor presently beginning at $87,000. Now, Rivian has a more cost effective dual-motor variation of the R1T (and the R1S SUV) to attend to that.

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Price operates on a moving scale, obviously: priced from $73,000 (plus location), the R1T dual-motor is still easily in the high-end cars and truck section. Once again, so is many of its electrical truck competitors.

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In spite of early pledges, a Cybertruck will set you back a minimum of $76k if you desire one this year; customer variations of Ford’s F-150 Lightning formally begin at $55k, however best of luck discovering one within $10k+ of that. Chevrolet’s upcoming Silverado EV will begin at $75k, and the leviathan GMC Hummer EV presently starts north of $96k. The pickup might have concerned represent American movement, however you’ll still require to be relatively upwardly mobile if you desire one that operates on batteries, not gas.

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In the strata of electrical truck style, the R1T falls someplace in the middle. Unlike the F-150 Lightning, which is nearly similar to Ford’s gas and diesel pickups, the Rivian does stand apart as something uncommon in the truck world. The distinct light bars front and rear assistance, there. Still, it’s far from the love-it-or-hate-it Cybertruck.

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The tidy shape is useful, too. Rivian’s power front hood exposes a helpful 11.1 cu-ft of storage area (larger than in a great deal of EVs, though not rather as quickly accessed as the F-150 Lightning which raises its grille, too

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The 4.5-foot bed– the only length Rivian deals presently– has a power tailgate and lots of helpful tie-down points, together with an integrated air compressor and 2 120V outlets. A manual tonneau cover is a $1,800 alternative.

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Still unequaled is the R1T’s Gear Tunnel, a truck-spanning compartment in between the taxi and the rear wheels. Accessed by a drop-down door on either side– which are each durable adequate to utilize as actions to access the trunk or optional roofing system rails– it can hold a more 11.7 cu-ft and likewise has power outlets.

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Inside, Rivian is an advocate of the touchscreen-first technique. A 16-inch display screen in the center deals with navigation, multimedia, and automobile settings like drive mode, as you ‘d anticipate; it likewise changes the HVAC system, down to the air flow from the motorized vents. A 2nd, smaller sized screen for the motorist reveals speed, a map, and driving metrics.

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Like a variety of EVs, there aren’t devoted controls for changing the guiding wheel and side mirrors: that’s accessed through a menu, and fine-tuned utilizing the guiding wheel buttons and dials. There are, a minimum of, devoted seat modification controls, and pushing any of those summons the wheel/mirror menu. As a workaround it’s practical, however real, physical controls for a great deal of this things would be even much better.

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Missing is Apple CarPlay or Android Auto assistance, though the R1T’s exceptional audio system made routine Bluetooth-streamed music noise all of a sudden excellent. Rivian spreads 6 USB-C ports around the cabin, though individuals intending to charge laptop computers or other gadgets may discover them fairly low-powered, and choose to plug their adapter into among the truck’s 2 120V outlets. A pull-out Bluetooth speaker under the front armrest functions as a camp light.

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In general, it’s a tidy and comfy cabin, with lots of nooks and cubbies for storage. Those anticipating to carry a household regularly may wish to aim to the three-row R1S SUVBoth get Rivian’s comfy seats– with an option of 5 color design, all of which utilize vegan leather– and a scenic glass roofing system. A heated guiding wheel, in addition to heated and aerated front seats, are basic.

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Rivian has actually made excellent usage of its OTA (over-the-air) upgrade assistance, utilizing the R1T’s baked-in cellular modem to provide numerous brand-new functions given that the pickup very first introduced. There are 3 car wiper speeds, now, for instance (the slowest of which I still discovered a little too excited), plus the capability to arrange cabin preconditioning. A revamped mobile app released midway through 2023, while the Gear Guard system can now conserve video footage from the truck’s numerous electronic cameras to a USB-C drive.

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That OTA system will likewise be utilized to broaden the R1T’s driver-assistance innovation. The electrical pickup is ranked to tow as much as 11,000 pounds, for example, however presently, the basic blind-spot caution system does not take into consideration what’s hanging off the tow drawback. That’ll obviously be attended to– in addition to a growth of the other ADAS– in a future upgrade.

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The initial R1T wowed with its a-motor-for-each-wheel technique, efficient in separately managing torque at each corner. For the dual-motor variation, there’s a single electrical motor for each axle, and the car manufacturer utilizes brake-based torque vectoring to press their torque to the left or best wheels.

Rivian didn’t simply slice out 2 electrical motors and stop. The distinctions in between the initial quad-motor R1T and this dual-motor variation are substantial, debuting as it does Rivian’s Enduro next-generation motorEstablished and produced internal, Enduro assures to be less expensive and more versatile to develop, more effective, and more resistant to the sort of part lack traffic jams which affected the business’s early production.

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By the way, do not hold out hope for a single-motor variation of the R1T (or the R1S, for that matter). According to Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe, the flagship positioning of the R1 series would not fit with a less expensive, single-motor setup. That’s much more most likely to occur with the upcoming R2 seriesthe car manufacturer’s vision for more mass-market EVs gotten out of around 2026.

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There are 2 variations of the R1T dual-motor: routine and, for $5k more, the Performance upgrade. The previous’s drivetrain is tuned for 533 horse power and 610 lb-ft of torque, whereas the latter gets a bump to 665 horse power and 829 lb-ft of torque.

Those numbers are below the quad-motor R1T, definitely– which has 835 horse power and 908 lb-ft to have fun with– however the fact of the matter is that these are still indecently fast trucks. Compared to the quad’s 3.0 2nd 0-60 miles per hour time, the R1T dual-motor in Performance kind takes simply 3.5 seconds. Even the “slowest” variation will still do that in 4.5 seconds.

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Put your foot down and the R1T whooshesAn easy-to-modulate accelerator pedal together with 3 levels of regenerative braking strength makes both one-pedal city driving an easygoing affair, and unexpected sports-car-shaming blasts of speed practically too easy. The Performance trim includes a devoted Sport mode to the routine All-Purpose, Snow, and All-Terrain, in addition to a Soft Sand mode, however honestly, in any setting, the electrical truck assurances you will not be doing not have punch.

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Strike the corners, and the air suspension does a remarkably great task of keeping things level, too. That’ll reduce immediately at highway speeds (or in Sport mode) for higher effectiveness or can be by hand reduced and raised depending upon roadway conditions. Rivian’s basic wheels are 21-inches and road-focused (with 22-inch variations optional). With the $3,850 All-Terrain Upgrade, they’re switched for 20-inch off-road alloys shod in 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake tires (and a full-size extra taking up the under-bed storage).

In snowy, icy Michigan, that was a welcome upgrade. The R1T is surefooted and capable, brushing off whatever from slush through to ice. In All-Purpose mode, there might be some quickly regulated (and, honestly, amusing) wiggle as the double motors’ excesses of power overwhelmed the 3-Peaks’ instant grip. Changing to Snow mode axed that.

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Missing from the drive mode carousel is the R1T quad-motor’s Conserve setting, another side-effect of the Enduro motor switch. Unlike the initial R1T (and R1S), which might just disable 2 of the 4 motors because devoted mode, the dual-motor variations can detach the rear axle on the fly. It implies the R1T dual-motor can selectively change to a more cost-effective single-motor setup when more power isn’t required, such as highway travelling, and in any of the truck’s drive modes bar Sport.

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It’s a modification that pays dividends in variety. The most affordable R1T dual-mode setup features Rivian’s 105 kWh (gross) Standard battery pack ranked for approximately 270 miles; $6,000 more gets you the 135 kWh Large pack, ranked for approximately 352 miles; the 149 kWh Max pack is $16,000, and ranked for approximately 410 miles.

Wheel and tire option likewise affect the overall possible variety. If you desire that complete 410-mile price quote from limit pack, for instance, you’ll require to stick to the basic 21-inch roadway wheels. Changing to the 22-inch variations implies compromising 30 miles of variety; the grippier rubber on the All-Terrain upgrade’s 20-inch wheels sees that dip even further, to 355 miles. With the mid-sized Large battery and the least-efficient wheels– as on this specific evaluation R1T– you’re down to 307 miles.

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There are some setup characteristics, too. You can’t get the All-Terrain upgrade with the Standard battery (and provided the effect that would have on variety, it’s most likely a smart choice), however more especially, you can’t have the Standard pack with the Performance trim. Rather, the tiniest battery alternative there is the Large pack. At $84k, that setup pushes the R1T past the $80k rate cap for the U.S. federal tax credit; stick below it, and the R1T is qualified for as much as $3,750.

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Variety is, clearly, greatly affected by how you’re driving, on what roadways and at which speeds, and ecological conditions. Winter in specific does electrical automobiles no favors, and with typical temperature levels throughout my screening at around the 35 Fahrenheit mark, this R1T dual-motor evaluation truck with the Large battery and All-Terrain upgrade had its work cut out for it.

A two-hour highway jaunt at around 70 miles per hour saw the truck clock in at 2.0 miles per kWh. Rivian does not divulge just how much of its battery capability is functional, however even if the entire of the Large pack was available, that would exercise to around 270 miles of overall variety. Consider city driving, and power usage unsurprisingly enhances.

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There was likewise a reasonable quantity of roadway sound from the off-road tires, though Rivian’s soft suspension setting did do an excellent task of separating substandard Michigan asphalt. The company setting is certainly best conserved for smoother surface areas.

Rivian’s Highway Assist– part of the basic Driver+ suite that consists of adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping support and departure cautions, blind area and rear cross-traffic informs, 360-degree parking accident signals, automated emergency situation braking and vibrant brake assistance, and forward crash cautions– constructs on the routine adaptive cruise with lane-keeping. It’s a hands-on-wheel system and presently does not have the automated lane-change maneuvers used by competing systems like GM’s Super Cruise

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With a Level 2 home battery charger, anticipate 16-25 miles of variety per hour depending upon amperage. The R1T likewise supports approximately 220 kW DC quick charging, however cold conditions showed temperature level’s large influence on speed. In theory, a quick battery charger– presently utilizing the CCS port, though Tesla Supercharger gain access to is coming— might include 140 miles of variety in about 20 minutes.

In practice, after a sluggish start, I saw a 188 kW peak at a 350 kW Electrify America station. After 24 minutes, 54 kWh had actually been provided, taking the R1T to 75% charge. A 2nd session, which struck a 150 kW peak, took 32 minutes to provide 47 kWh and take the R1T to 80%. That’s approximately 1.8 kWh per minute or about half the R1T’s theoretical optimum.

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Battery warming begins when a quick battery charger is chosen in the navigation system (you can’t by hand start that procedure, presently, if you’re headed for a battery charger not in Rivian’s database), the concept being that, by the time you plug in, it’ll remain in its 68-77 Fahrenheit peak effectiveness variety. Had actually preconditioning been running two times as long as the 15 minutes it required to drive to the Electrify America station, there’s a much more powerful opportunity that I ‘d have seen much faster speeds on very first plugging in.

There’s likewise the charging curve to think about: EV batteries charge quicker up until they get to around 80%, at which point the rates sluggish considerably so regarding avoid prospective damage. It would not be unjust to blame prevalent facilities problems too. The R1T will flash up a message if the station it’s plugged into is the reason for sluggish speeds, however more openness about possible factors for a slow charge would be welcome peace of mind.

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An electrical car is still not the best option for everybody, which applies for electrical trucks. The R1T can out-tow lots of internal combustion competitors, and out-accelerate them, and all with a cabin that matches its high-end automobile rates. At the exact same time, variety stress and anxiety and charging facilities are still genuine issues, and– though Supercharger gain access to will assist, and Rivian is developing out its own Level 2 and Level 3 network — numerous pickup purchasers merely aren’t set up to make that EV shift.

That’s a concern that affects more than simply Rivian, naturally, and similarly real is that it’s ignorant to cross out the entire electrical truck section merely since they’re not for every chauffeur. Where the R1T dual-motor prospers remains in its application of creativity: not simply accepting a brand-new energy source, however then taking advantage of the prospective advantages a battery-electric platform uses with functionality, freight, and efficiency benefits ICE trucks merely can’t match.

Would it be great if all that came less expensive? Sure. Exist times when Rivian leans a little too hard into the tech? Possibly, yes. Simply like the Lucid Air Pure seems like an imperfect however still aspirational vision of electrical high-end, the R1T dual-motor embodies electrical usefulness in such a way that’s difficult to withstand. We’re still some method from the age of mass-market EV trucks, however if they provide half as much as the Rivian R1T then that’s something to anticipate.