For the first time, Rivian has made its largest battery available on its R1S SUV, the 180 kWh unit named Max Pack.
Previously limited to the R1T pickup truck, the Max Pack battery can now be ordered on the R1S for fall delivery.
Like the R1T, the R1S Max Pack can only be configured with a two-motor drivetrain. The R1S has a Quad-Motor drivetrain, although this option is only offered with the 135 kWh Large Pack battery.
Rivian has said it plans to make the Max Pack available with an upgraded Quad-Motor powertrain at a later date, although so far only the R1T has been mentioned with this configuration.
Rivian R1S
The company is providing information on how customers with an R1S pre-order can upgrade it to the Max Pack. It didn’t say how much the R1S Max Pack will cost, but the company says customers who order the battery can expect up to 390 miles of range in the R1S or 400 miles in the R1T.
The R1S has a claimed range of 340 miles with the Large Pack (350 miles for the R1T) and 260 miles with the 105 kWh Standard Pack (270 miles for the R1T).
Rivian also makes a performance increase for the R1S and R1T Dual-Motor drivetrains. Software changes are expected to increase output to around 700 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque from the current 600 hp and 600 lb-ft ratings. The power boost cuts the Dual-Motor models’ 0-60 mph time from 4.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds, Rivian said.
In an investor update on Tuesday, Rivian said it managed to build 24,337 vehicles in 2022, the automaker’s first full year of production, but also one plagued by supply chain issues. Rivian said those issues will continue into 2023, but it expects production to more than double to 50,000 units for the year.
