Rivian has made its biggest battery, a 180-kwh unit dubbed the Max Pack, available on its R1S SUV for the first time.
Previously limited to the R1T pickup truck, the Max Pack battery can now be ordered on the R1S for fall delivery.
Like on the R1T, the Max Pack on the R1S can only be configured with a Dual-Motor powertrain. The R1S has an available Quad-Motor powertrain, though this option is offered exclusively with a 135-kwh Large Pack battery.
Rivian has said that it plans to make the Max Pack available with an enhanced Quad-Motor powertrain at a later date, though so far only the R1T with this configuration has been mentioned.
Rivian R1S
The company said it will provide an update on how customers with an R1S preorder can update it to the Max Pack. It hasn’t said how much the Max Pack for the R1S costs but the company said customers ordering this battery option can expect up to 390 miles of range in the R1S or 400 miles in the R1T.
The claimed range of the R1S with the Large Pack is 340 miles (350 miles for R1T), and with a 105-kwh Standard Pack is 260 miles (270 miles for R1T).
Rivian is also preparing a performance upgrade for the Dual-Motor powertrain in both the R1S and R1T. A software tweak is expected to boost output to around 700 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque, compared to the current ratings of 600 hp and 600 lb-ft. The performance upgrade will drop the 0-60 mph time of Dual-Motor models 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, which was the automaker’s first full year of production, but also a year beset by supply chain issues. Rivian said those issues will persist well into 2023, but that it expects to more than double production to 50,000 units for the year.
