Rivian Automotive has redesigned its all-electric R1 truck and SUV models to improve range, performance and computing power with the help of NVIDIA chips, the company said Thursday.
While the 2025 model year vehicles don't look much different from current models, Rivian said it changed more than half of the second-generation products' hardware components and redesigned their batteries and electrical architectures, also known as the brain. of a vehicle.
“We continue to evolve our flagship R1 vehicles, delivering uncompromising quality and performance. Our refreshed R1S and R1T push the technical boundaries even further, creating our most capable products to date,” said Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe in a statement. release.
Among the most notable changes to the new vehicles is their computing power, which Rivian says offers 10 times the performance of the previous system.
The new system uses dual Nvidia DRIVE Orin processors to help power the “Autonomous Computing Module,” which includes driver-assist features. Rivian said a “premium version” of the system will also be available with a broader set of capabilities, such as hands-free driving “for periods of time.” Rivian said drivers should continue to pay attention to the road at all times.
The updates to its current products come as the automaker tries to boost sales of flagship models ahead of the launch of less expensive “R2” models, which are expected to start at around $45,000 when they begin shipping during the first half of 2026.
Lower-priced vehicles are crucial to Rivian's expansion, as sales of its current models have slowed amid a slow pace of industry-wide electric vehicle sales. The company cut staff, reduced operating costs and retooled its Illinois plant to be more efficient in an effort to reduce capital spending. It also halted construction of a new plant in Georgia, saving $2.25 billion.
Rivian shares have been under pressure as the automaker continues to burn cash and report significant losses. Rivian reported a loss of $1.45 billion during the first quarter of this year.
Its shares are down about 50% so far this year.
Deliveries of the 2025 R1S and R1T will begin immediately, Rivian said.
The California-based company will continue to offer three motor configurations (dual, tri and quad), as well as standard, large and maximum battery packs, with maximum ranges between 270 miles, 330 miles and 420 miles, respectively.
2025 Rivian R1T and R1S
rivian
Rivian said the price of the second-generation R1S SUV will increase by $1,000 over current models to start at $75,900, and top-of-the-line tri-motor models will start at around $106,000. The starting price of the R1T will remain the same at $69,900, but will exceed $100,000 for the tri-motor. The company did not announce specific prices for the high-end four-engine vehicles.
The updated battery packs will still use a “2170 cylindrical cell,” but the pack enclosure now uses large high-pressure castings to simplify manufacturing and reduce mass.
The three- and four-motor vehicles include new propulsion units manufactured in Rivian. The top-of-the-line quad motor will now deliver up to 1,025 horsepower and 1,198 pound-feet of torque when using launch mode and acceleration from 0 mph to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. That's an increase of 835 horsepower and 908 pound-feet of torque.
Rivian said the vehicles also feature more luxurious and updated interiors, as well as a completely redesigned software interface. Charging times have also improved, with all vehicles capable of adding up to 140 miles of range in about 20 minutes.
Correction: The Rivian Max battery lasts up to 420 miles. The large battery lasts up to 330 miles. An earlier version of the article misstated the ranges.
