Everything We Know About the Rivian R1S
With all the hype surrounding the electric pickup truck, you’ve probably heard of the Rivian R1T. However, did you know the same automaker has an upcoming SUV? The Rivian R1S is an electric SUV that’s coming to demolish the competition. It also might demolish your wallet based on the price of its pickup truck brother. Here’s everything we know about the Rivian R1S as of April 2022.
The Rivian R1S is a beautifully designed electric SUV
For its SUV, Rivian chose a traditional two-box design. It’s a minimalist approach that’s slowly fading away with other automakers. However, it looks very sleek and stylish, almost futuristic, the perfect design for a brand new EV. Forget the curves, cuts, creases, and other exterior complexities; the Rivian R1S is a boxy, straight-lined SUV. According to Top Electric SUV, just like the R1T, it has a full-width LED light bar in the front that indicates charging status.
Next, the front bumper has an air intake to cool the battery and features tow hooks. Moreover, a metal skid plate and horizontal fog lamps help with driving at night and off-roading. Above the 21-inch magnesium-aluminum alloy wheels with standard road tires, its hood sits a reasonable distance from the ground. There’s a wide variety of optional tire choices, like 20-inch all-terrains and 22-inch low-profile options.
Rivian R1S Electric SUV: Interior design
Inside the R1S, you’ll find seating for up to seven passengers. Both the middle and third rows are foldable, allowing owners to change the seating configuration. Additionally, the seats fold flat to provide the maximum storage space possible. The total cargo area measurement reaches as high as 105 cubic feet, with everything folded flat. We don’t know yet if the third row is comfortable and spacious enough for average-sized adults.
Every version of the electric SUV comes with vegan leather seats with premium stitching. Opting for the Explore variant adds one of two interior design themes. They are Black Mountain as standard and Ocean Coast, which costs $2,000 extra. Moving up to the Adventure trim adds the Forest Edge interior design with perforated vegan leather seats with patterned stitching, yellow accents, and natural grained ash wood finish. It’s the high-tier, luxurious interior those willing to spend extra should buy.
R1S: Infotainment and features
Inside the Rivian R1S electric SUV, you’ll first notice a massive 15.6-inch touchscreen. Furthermore, it controls excellent technology like LTE and Wi-Fi capability, Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa voice commands, and over-the-air updates. One essential item missing from the R1T repertoire is Apple CarPlay. Next, a 12.3-inch digital cluster gauge shows drivers their range, charging status, gear position, and other important information. Also available are a panoramic sunroof and a premium Meridian audio system.
R1S: Powertrain and batteries
There are two powertrain options available to Rivian R1S buyers. Firstly, a quad motor AWD system with one electric motor per wheel. Next, a dual-motor AWD system with one electric motor on each axle. Quad-motor owners will get 835 horsepower and 908 lb-ft of torque, capable of reaching 60 mph from a stop in just three seconds. On the other hand, dual-motor R1S models still make 600 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. Its 0-60 mph time of four seconds is slower than the quad-motor setup but still impressive.
Each electric SUV comes with a standard 105 kWh battery or a large 135 kWh version. However, the standard battery pack isn’t available until 2024. Those who buy the first options will have to purchase the more expensive, longer-range battery option. Moreover, the standard battery pack is said to provide 260 miles of range, while the large version can go 320 miles per charge. Most importantly, the battery pack and drivetrain on every Rivian R1S come with an eight-year/175,000-mile warranty.
R1S: Charging capabilities
Rivian says it will have 3,500 or more DC fast chargers across 600 sites by the end of 2023. Its network will have 10,000 chargers by that time. Using 100% green energy sources, their output of 200 kW will eventually increase to 300 kW. Additionally, the automaker offers connected car technology, allowing owners always to find the nearest charger or locate them along their route.
Is the Rivian R1S good for off-roading?
Overall, the Rivian R1S is built to be an excellent off-roading electric SUV. Firstly, it comes with an adaptive air suspension as standard. Using the system, the R1S can raise its ground clearance to 14.9-inches and lower it to 8.8-inches. In addition, it can wade through more than three feet of water. Next, it has eight different driving modes, including Off-Road Auto, Off-Road Rock Crawl, Off-Road Rally, and Off-Road Drift. Using a quad-motor model gives the SUV control of the torque for each wheel independently. Contrarily, the torque is split between the two axles on the dual-motor version.
| Rivian R1S Specifications | Measurement or capability |
| Approach angle | 35.6 degrees |
| Departure angle | 34.3 degrees |
| Breakover angle | 29.6 degrees |
| Ground clearance | 14.9 degrees |
How much does a Rivian R1S cost?
The cheapest version of the Rivian electric SUV is the Explore trim level. It starts at $72,500 and is an additional $6,000 for the large battery pack. Moreover, it’s more expensive than the R1T pickup truck right from the start. If you have a little extra money burning a hole in your pocket, choose the Adventure trim, which starts at $78,000 for the dual motor and standard battery. Again, adding the large battery pack and quad-motor powertrain makes this model a lot more expensive. Finally, the Launch Edition is $90,000 but comes with the quad motor and a large battery pack. Despite being very expensive, if its biggest rival is the Tesla Model X, the R1S is roughly $40,000 cheaper to start.
| Rivian R1S Trim | Price |
| Explore | $72,500 |
| Adventure | $78,000 |
| Launch Edition | $90,000 |
When will the Rivian R1S be available?
Deliveries of the Rivian R1S began in December of 2021. However, only Launch Edition models were available, and reservations were full. This summer, the automaker is ramping up production by opening a second manufacturing facility in Georgia. Furthermore, the $5 billion facility will create 7,500 jobs and produce 400,000 vehicles each year. However, production will not begin at this location until 2024.
Everything we know about the Rivian R1S electric SUV
As of April 2022, that’s everything we know about the upcoming Rivian R1S electric SUV. It seems like the perfect SUV compliment to the already well-reviewed R1T pickup truck. Will the R1S be able to handle the competition of models like the Tesla Model X? Additionally, how long before Ford releases an electric Expedition or Chevy announces a Tahoe EV? Until then, the R1S is the premier large electric SUV.
