2023 Rivian R1T, R1S See Revised Battery Availability, EPA Range

• Rivian’s largest battery pack promises a range of over 400 miles, but now it can no longer be paired with a quad-motor configuration.
• The automaker said the changes were needed to simplify production for its scaling business model.
• The EPA has revised estimates for the R1T and R1S models equipped with a quad motor setup and the second-largest battery pack.

Domestic EV automaker Rivian has announced that it is canceling both the battery and drive motor configurations for its R1T pickup and R1S SUV. For the 2023 model year, buyers will finally have the option of specifying their factory order with a bold quad motor setup and the biggest battery option yet: a 180.0 kWh unit dubbed the “Max” package. The combination is certainly eye-catching, as the former was able to rocket us to 60 miles per hour in less than 3.5 seconds during testing of the R1T Launch Edition model, and the latter promised a range of over 400 miles. Unfortunately, Riv has abandoned plans to produce such a combo, leaving the quad-motor model to go with the 135.0-kWh “Big” battery pack.

Notably, the Max battery pack has been delayed, so this cancellation is another blow to potential customers who want the most Rivian offerings. According to a report by InsideEVs, the young company emailed customers who had ordered such builds, stating that such changes “support our continued focus on simplifying production processes as we scale.” As a reminder, Rivian is still relatively new to the market; The R1T was launched in 2021 and the new R1S was launched this year.

Range Change

In addition to the aforementioned loss of the powertrain and drivetrain pairing, the Rivian duo has also received a new EPA rating. An R1T model equipped with a quad-motor setup, large battery pack, and 21-inch wheels sees its EPA estimated range of 314 to 328 miles. Meanwhile, the R1S model with the same specifications went up from 316 to 321 miles.

While the increase in battery size and the extra 80 miles or more of range will certainly be appreciated, we were still very impressed with the quad motor acceleration and all-terrain capability provided by the R1T and R1S. We’re interested to see how the models equipped with the dual motors and Max battery pack compare, and if the increased range offsets the reduced performance and versatility.