When the Bugatti Veyron launched in 2005, a production car with 1,001 horsepower was earth-shattering, obscene, mesmerizing, something that would make you drop your jaw so hard, it would shatter as soon as it hit the ground. Surely, we thought, this was Concorde. This was the largest conceivable expression of the car ever to be produced. Well, nearly twenty years later, here we are with a pickup truck and an SUV that have a comma in their power outputs. Yes, the Rivian R1T and its R1S SUV brother have been updated for the 2025 model year, and they’re looking to line up at the tree with the Tesla Cybertruck.
On the outside, it’ll take an eagle eye to distinguish the new Rivian R1T and R1S from the old one. Sure, the new models get a slew of fresh wheel designs including 22-inch rollers with aerodiscs that cut the drag coefficient of the R1T down to 0.297 and new matrix LED headlights now that this advanced technology is legal in America, but that’s about it, visually.
A new tri-motor model gets the yellow badge and caliper accents previously reserved for quad-motor Rivians, which means that the quad-motor model needed a new accent color to distinguish itself. Rivian calls this new shade Laguna Beach Blue, and it comes paired with a windswept sasquatch emblem. How charming.
Speaking of the quad-motor model, it now makes a whopping 1,025 horsepower. Do electric trucks need more horsepower? Absolutely not. Is it objectively hilarious to watch something the size of a double-wide run zero-to-60 mph in 2.5? Absolutely. If you’re not looking for that much speed, Rivian also offers dual-motor and new tri-motor configurations with 665 horsepower and 850 horsepower, respectively. Those ought to still be plenty potent enough, with the tri-motor configuration reportedly good for a sub-three-second zero-to-60 mph time. As a bonus, Launch Mode briefly relaxes the top speed limiter from 110 mph to 130 mph, which should make the quad-motor Rivian R1T quicker than a tri-motor Tesla Cybertruck down the quarter mile. Rivian claims 10.5 seconds, which ought to earn these things the Dominic Toretto seal of approval.
Of course, in the real world, range trumps speed, so the optional Max Pack battery pack sees an increase of 10 miles of range for a total of 420. At the same time, the base battery pack now uses lithium iron phosphate chemistry, which offers the same 270-mile range as the old standard pack but should see improved durability and reduced manufacturing costs. Speaking of manufacturing costs, Rivian’s removed 1.6 miles of wiring from each revised R1T and R1S and simplified ECU count from 17 to 7, removing 44 pounds of weight. Despite this, Rivian’s managed to fit both CCS and NACS DC fast charging connectors on each vehicle, so there will be no need for owners to go hunting for adapters. In addition, new air springs ought to improve ride quality, while a new suite of 11 cameras and five radar units aims to improve advanced driver assist suite functionality.
On the inside, Rivian’s infotainment system gets a massive re-skin featuring whimsical cel-shaded images and increased focus on user-friendliness. Despite this substantial infotainment system revamp, Rivian isn’t offering Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a miss when you can plug your iPhone into a Lucid Air and it’ll just work. If other startups can do it, why not Rivian? Mind you, a new premium audio system now features Dolby Atmos surround sound, so that’s a neat consolation prize, as is the new electrochromic glass roof.
Speaking of the interior, tri-motor and quad-motor models start with upgraded interior trimmings, and while the green interior is no more, but it’s been replaced by a fabulous blue cabin with walnut trim. Wood is excellent, and it’s about damn time it made a comeback in car interiors. At the same time, Rivian will sell you an R1T or R1S with a black or grey interior, but the blue really is where it’s at.
With more range, more speed, more drivetrain options, and more tech, the 2025 Rivian R1T and R1S seek to improve on an already desirable package. When both start shipping later this summer, the R1T pickup truck will start at $69,900, while the revised R1S will start at $75,900. Of course, both models can be loaded up into the six-figure range, but such is the nature of luxury EVs, right? Then again, low six-figure pricing for something with 1,000 horsepower isn’t bad when the Veyron stickered for a million.
(Photo credits: Rivian)
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I love horsepower. I love speed. But this much power in such heavy vehicles is pure irresponsibility. We really need tiered drivers licenses or something like it to drive anything like this.
Hopefully, someone will show up and whine about too much HP and the need fo-SHAAAAADDDUUUUPPPPPPP!!!!!!
Why exactly do you want 1000hp on a truck? To deplete that battery in like 10 minutes?
What number should we cap it at? is 200hp enough? Should we limit all vehicles to a 0-60 time of no less than 10 seconds? Who among us gets to make that call? I will never own one, but I think pushing the boundaries of performance is cool.
I don’t mind to put some sort of hp/kg car on cars. Why not?
20 years ago a 220 HP Subara Impreza WRX was considered really fast ; doing 0-60 in less than 6s or something.
Now things need to move from 0-60 in 2 seconds or less. I think that is just too fast for most people.
Or we introduce a special driving license if you want to drive such cars.
Because I honestly think we’re going to see a lot of ugly accidents with all these (too) high powered cars and trucks.
I love horsepower. I love speed. But this much power in such heavy vehicles is pure irresponsibility. We really need tiered drivers licenses or something like it to drive anything like this.
Hopefully, someone will show up and whine about too much HP and the need fo-SHAAAAADDDUUUUPPPPPPP!!!!!!
Why exactly do you want 1000hp on a truck? To deplete that battery in like 10 minutes?
What number should we cap it at? is 200hp enough? Should we limit all vehicles to a 0-60 time of no less than 10 seconds? Who among us gets to make that call? I will never own one, but I think pushing the boundaries of performance is cool.
I don’t mind to put some sort of hp/kg car on cars. Why not?
20 years ago a 220 HP Subara Impreza WRX was considered really fast ; doing 0-60 in less than 6s or something.
Now things need to move from 0-60 in 2 seconds or less. I think that is just too fast for most people.
Or we introduce a special driving license if you want to drive such cars.
Because I honestly think we’re going to see a lot of ugly accidents with all these (too) high powered cars and trucks.
I’d be interested to see a cost and margin per additional HP comparison between some flagship gas and electric cars. Seems like adding HP for electric vehicles is very cheap, leading to these outrageous numbers (which feels even more ridiculous where Rivian is losing money hand over foot…).
Here’s the thing. In ICE vehicles,the power is determined by the size of the engine, and the range by the size of the fuel tank. In BEVs, the range and power are determined by the size of the battery. The size (and cost) of the motor is almost an aftethought; electric motors can easily produce 2x their continuous output for short bursts.
This was Tesla’s fundamental insight. If you have enough battery to give a useful range, the car is expensive and powerful — so make a sports car. All the other manufacturers thought BEVs would only appeal to tree huggers, so they made compromised cars that only appealed to tree huggers: the Leaf, i3, Bolt, eGolf,…
I’d be interested to see a cost and margin per additional HP comparison between some flagship gas and electric cars. Seems like adding HP for electric vehicles is very cheap, leading to these outrageous numbers (which feels even more ridiculous where Rivian is losing money hand over foot…).
Here’s the thing. In ICE vehicles,the power is determined by the size of the engine, and the range by the size of the fuel tank. In BEVs, the range and power are determined by the size of the battery. The size (and cost) of the motor is almost an aftethought; electric motors can easily produce 2x their continuous output for short bursts.
This was Tesla’s fundamental insight. If you have enough battery to give a useful range, the car is expensive and powerful — so make a sports car. All the other manufacturers thought BEVs would only appeal to tree huggers, so they made compromised cars that only appealed to tree huggers: the Leaf, i3, Bolt, eGolf,…
Why? Why do you need 1000 hp in a street driven car/
Why? Why do you need 1000 hp in a street driven car/
Have you confirmed they have NACS built in? Because the other articles I’ve read have said it works with NACS with an adapter since Rivian has been approved on the Tesla network
Have you confirmed they have NACS built in? Because the other articles I’ve read have said it works with NACS with an adapter since Rivian has been approved on the Tesla network
Id just like for them to make all the cool knick knack stuff to work and be more like a truck, rather than have tesla like issues such as the retractable bed cover.
Id just like for them to make all the cool knick knack stuff to work and be more like a truck, rather than have tesla like issues such as the retractable bed cover.
Did they make it a bit cheaper to repair ?
Did they make it a bit cheaper to repair ?
Can’t wait for 2029 when daddy upgrades and gives this to sonny boy to drive to school. Sixteen years old and 1k HP, 3 ton sled. What could possibly go wrong?
Can’t wait for 2029 when daddy upgrades and gives this to sonny boy to drive to school. Sixteen years old and 1k HP, 3 ton sled. What could possibly go wrong?
Rivian is the only modern vehicle I would love to own. I can’t explain that other than I admire the design excellence, feature choices, and aesthetics.
Rivian is the only modern vehicle I would love to own. I can’t explain that other than I admire the design excellence, feature choices, and aesthetics.
I personally cannot stand EV’s but I like Rivians.
I personally cannot stand EV’s but I like Rivians.
Wait, when was this?? I feel like I missed this news?
From my understanding, it is now legal, but you have to qualify your product and application, which Rivian is now in the process of doing. They are expected to be the first to market with matrix headlights that qualify.