Dual-Motor Max-Pack Rivian R1T Fails To Impress in Real-World Highway Range Test

There are two things that I like the most about Rivian: its EVs and the community that formed around them. If you said something negative about Tesla a couple of years ago, you would immediately attract the fans' anger. That's not happening when Rivian is mentioned, and I'm grateful for that.

So, a little bit of context is important before looking at the outcome of the test. If you're already familiar with what the Irvine-based automaker has been doing lately, scroll down.

Earlier this year, Rivian confirmed that it would offer customers the option to equip their dual-motor R1T or R1S with a 180-kWh high-voltage energy storage unit dubbed the max pack. That was supposed to be a literally larger battery with more cells.

While the EV maker was figuring out the ropes of installing the max pack on its EVs, it's alleged that Samsung SDI developed a much-improved chemistry that enabled a higher energy density without a generous size increase. Rivian did not confirm this happened, so take it with a grain of salt.

What we know for sure is that Samsung SDI updated the cell design and named 53G. It was one gram heavier than the 50G cell but could store 6% more energy. Estimates heard through the grapevine showed that the new, more capable battery cost Rivian around $850.

Later, the young automaker confirmed for autoevolution that the max pack's size was 149 kWh, not 180 kWh. Still, the $10,000 premium remained.

So, today, there are two battery options prospective R1T or R1S customers can opt for: the $6,000 large pack with a usable capacity of 135 kWh (141 kWh gross) or the 143.1-kWh (149.6 kWh gross) max pack. The latter is a $16,000 upgrade over the yet-to-be-launched standard pack (which might be LFP) or $10,000 if you want to discard the large pack.

Between the large pack and the max pack, there is a weight difference of 17.2 lb (1754.6 lb vs. 1771.8 lb). Besides a slightly improved energy density (which means more range) and a few more pounds, you're not getting anything else if you pick the max pack. The voltage (392V), the number of modules (nine), and the nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide (NCA) chemistry are the same.

Rivian and the EPA say that going with the max pack instead of the large pack gets dual-motor R1T customers 58 miles of extra range. It's not much, but it's something. The zero-emission pickup truck can theoretically go 410 miles on a single charge.

The Out of Spec Reviews team put that official figure to the test. It was as good as any real-world range verification can be. Both R1Ts rode on the same wheels, the tire pressure was set to the recommended psi, and the extras (like the spare wheel) were removed to ensure a fair fight. Both EVs were charged to 100%, and off they went to the nearest highway.

The dual-motor large-pack R1T reached 0% state of charge (without entering turtle mode) after covering a distance of 308.3 miles at an average speed of 68 mph with an efficiency of 2.41 mi per kWh (41.49 kWh/100 mi). The total energy consumption was 128.2 kWh. But there was a buffer of almost four kWh available.

The dual-motor max-pack R1T reached 0% state of charge (without entering turtle mode) after driving 337.5 miles at an average speed of 66 mph with an efficiency of 2.36 mi per kWh (42.37 kWh/100 mi). The total energy consumption was 143 kWh. But there was a buffer of 0.2 kWh available.

This real-world highway range test revealed that customers will pay $10,000 to upgrade from the large-pack battery to the max-pack energy storage unit, and what they'll enjoy is 29.2 miles of extra range. That's very close to half of what is shown on the manufacturer's and EPA's websites.

Besides that conflictingly low figure, the more expensive dual-motor R1T is also not to be trusted after the vehicle computer says there's no more juice left in the battery. If it's nearing depletion, you must find a place to charge quickly.

But did Rivian lie, or did it do something wrong? No. It was clear from the get-go that the $10,000 upgrade wasn't a must or a revolutionary change.

The only thing this test truly reveals is that the dual-motor large-pack R1T is the best choice for people who need a posh workhorse or a rather cool and envinronmentally-friendly commuting appliance. It's nice to have some extra range, but not at a cost of $334.5 per mile. Rivian should bring forward a larger battery pack with better voltage. Maybe it'll happen after the R2-series' debut.