I take the new 2025 Rivian R1T and R1S off-road to see if this new second generation of the R1 platform is better than the original. Electric vehicles generally have issues with slow speed off-road crawling due to heat build up. Rivian says they improved this by redesigning the electric motors with “oil spray cooling”. Let’s dig in!
Rivian calls this the second generation of the R1 platform, but it’s more of a very thorough refresh. These trucks look very much the same as before on the outside and inside. Rivian redesigned the battery enclosures and made them more easily serviceable.
All motors are redesigned and built by Rivian at their Normal, Illinois facility. The electrical architecture is still a 400-volt system, but the control system is greatly simplified and improved. Rivian reduced 17 ECUs down to seven. This eliminated up to 1.6 miles of wiring which is equivalent to about 40 lbs of copper. Simplified wiring harnesses mean it’s easier and cheaper to build these new R1 vehicles.
The second-generation vehicles have a new 8-times higher resolution 11-camera system and a much more capable image processing system. The driver assistance system uses dual Nvidia processors for up to 250 trillion operations per second capability.
There will be four powertrains and three battery options for the new R1T and R1S. The powertrains are: dual-motor, dual-motor performance, tri-motor, and quad-motor. There is a new LFP battery option for base dual-motor models. It offers 270 miles of range. The “Max” battery pack offers up to 420 miles of range.
Here is the new R1T lineup.
Here is how the performance figures break down.
| Dual-Motor | Dual-Motor Perf. | Tri-Motor | Quad-Motor | |
| Power | 533 hp | 665 hp | 850 hp | 1,025 hp |
| Torque | 610 lb-ft | 829 lb-ft | 1,103 lb-ft | 1,198 lb-ft |
| 0-60 MPH | 4.4 sec | 3.4 sec | 2.9 sec | 2.5 sec |
| 1/4-mile | 10.5 sec @ 130 mph | |||
| R1T Start Price | $69,900 | $76,900 | $99,900 | n/a |
| R1S Start Price | $75,900 | $82,900 | $105,900 | n/a |
Here is the new R1S lineup.
The user interface is now rendered with new cartoon-like graphics that look really good in person. The 2nd-gen R1 suspension has been reworked with new air-spring rates and damper tuning. Several trim levels get new tire options. The crazy quick quad-motor 0-60 mph and 1/4-mile performance is enabled by new Michelin Pilot Sport S5 tires that are 275-wide in the front and 305-wide in the rear. The new base R1 will be offered with a 20-inch wheels and Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT tires.
Rivian also offers an optional panoramic roof that can turn opaque with a push of a screen button. There is also an optional new Dolby Atmos stereo system that is powered by Apple Music. There is still no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto integration.
After driving several version of the new R1 vehicles off-road, I came away impressed. They indeed improved its slow speed crawling ability. These R1s can still drift with the best of them. These new vehicles are pricey, but they are worth a look if you are interested in a premium pickup truck or SUV without many compromises.
Some of the downsides include the fast charging speed that remains the same as before. The new R1T and R1S price range quickly reaches above $100,000 and we do not yet know the new quad-motor vehicle pricing.
Join me in the video below.
