Rivian is prepping an R1S with a dual-motor system that will go farther than anything the company currently offers. The new variant will be available this fall and offer 390 miles (628 km) of driving range.
Company CEO RJ Scaringe announced the new configuration on his Twitter account. He added that the SUV would retain its seven-seat setup.
Excited to share a new Max Pack + Dual-Motor AWD configuration for the 7-seat R1S is coming this fall—projecting 390 miles of range! pic.twitter.com/KB3NxYHW7J
— RJ Scaringe (@RJScaringe) February 28, 2023
The new model beats the current quad-motor R1S with the large battery pack in range. The latter offers only 321 miles (517 km). The dual-motor R1S with a standard battery pack offers even less at 260 miles (418 km).
The upcoming variant is only a bit slower than the quad-motor. It will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds, half a second slower.
Rivian already promised the dual-motor would be available in two levels. The base unit will produce an output of 600 hp (447 kW/608 PS), yielding a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of 4.5 seconds. The other dual-motor variant, Dual+, will produce 700 hp (522 kW/710 PS).
There are few details to go on with, but we expect Rivian to reveal more as fall draws nearer. However, Rivian says pre-order holders can switch to the new variant. But that might be after the company fixes the bug on its ordering website.
Rivian lost $6.75 billion in 2022 but hopes to manufacture 50,000 vehicles this year.
