Photo: Rivian
Rivian recently introduced the Dual Motor variants of the R1T and R1S in its configurator, allowing people to place an order. Surprisingly, reservation holders noticed that both models were listed with less power than initially announced. In the case of the Dual Motor AWD (non-Performance) versions, the power dropped by 67 horsepower.
Rivian has put behind the supply-chain problems that plagued production for much of 2022. Thanks to better availability, the Enduro motors developed in-house by the EV startup contributed significantly. The Enduro drive units also have reduced costs compared to the Bosch motors used in the Quad-Motor variants. Rivian used them first in the EDV delivery vans for Amazon and, following intensive testing, is now ready to offer them in its mainstream EVs, the R1S SUV and R1T pickup.
The Enduro motors develop 264 kW, or 354 horsepower (359 PS), so Rivian can easily get 700 horsepower for the dual-motor configurations. In fact, that was exactly the power level that Rivian promised for the Performance Dual-Motor AWD versions of R1S and R1T. Meanwhile, the non-Performance versions, retailing for $5,000 less, were promised to deliver 600 horsepower. This is not different from what other carmakers do with their ICE models, with different power levels enabled in software from the same physical engine.
The Enduro motors appear to be a lot more potent than their Bosch counterparts Rivian used until now. If the EV maker decides to use Enduro units in a quad-motor configuration, they could develop much more than the current 835 horsepower. Still, Rivian doesn't use them, so the Enduro production level is insufficient to cover current needs. The EV startup aims to produce 50,000 electric vehicles by the end of 2023, but it's unclear how many are EDV vans (single-motor) or quad-motor R1 EVs.
Still, after advertising 600/700 horsepower throughout 2023, Rivian changed its mind when it started selling the Dual-Motor variants of its EVs. Hawk-eyed Rivian fans noticed that the company's website, visualizer, and configurator list now lower power levels. The most significant drop is for the Dual-Motor AWD, which only delivers 533 horsepower instead of the advertised 600 horsepower. The Performance Dual-Motor AWD versions have lost only 35 horsepower and are now listed with 665 horsepower.
Intriguingly, the drive units themselves did not lose power. Rivian listed them in the EPA documents filed for R1S and R1T EPA range certification as having 264 kW. The drop in power suggests that Rivian doesn't trust them with all the power and has limited the output in software to make them last longer. This is not different than it did with the Quad-Motor variants, which could've easily developed more than 900 horsepower. Still, Rivian played it safe and limited the power to 835 horsepower to improve durability.
Rivian will likely unlock more power via a software update once it's confident the motors can handle it. Still, this is unpleasant for those who planned to order a Dual-Motor Rivian. On the plus side, the 0-60 mph time hasn't changed, and it's listed at 4.5 seconds for the basic version and 3.5 seconds for the Performance variant. We've contacted Rivian and asked what caused the change, and we'll update the article when we get their statement. However, based on previous experience, Rivian is no better at replying to emails than Tesla.
The Enduro motors develop 264 kW, or 354 horsepower (359 PS), so Rivian can easily get 700 horsepower for the dual-motor configurations. In fact, that was exactly the power level that Rivian promised for the Performance Dual-Motor AWD versions of R1S and R1T. Meanwhile, the non-Performance versions, retailing for $5,000 less, were promised to deliver 600 horsepower. This is not different from what other carmakers do with their ICE models, with different power levels enabled in software from the same physical engine.
The Enduro motors appear to be a lot more potent than their Bosch counterparts Rivian used until now. If the EV maker decides to use Enduro units in a quad-motor configuration, they could develop much more than the current 835 horsepower. Still, Rivian doesn't use them, so the Enduro production level is insufficient to cover current needs. The EV startup aims to produce 50,000 electric vehicles by the end of 2023, but it's unclear how many are EDV vans (single-motor) or quad-motor R1 EVs.
Still, after advertising 600/700 horsepower throughout 2023, Rivian changed its mind when it started selling the Dual-Motor variants of its EVs. Hawk-eyed Rivian fans noticed that the company's website, visualizer, and configurator list now lower power levels. The most significant drop is for the Dual-Motor AWD, which only delivers 533 horsepower instead of the advertised 600 horsepower. The Performance Dual-Motor AWD versions have lost only 35 horsepower and are now listed with 665 horsepower.
Intriguingly, the drive units themselves did not lose power. Rivian listed them in the EPA documents filed for R1S and R1T EPA range certification as having 264 kW. The drop in power suggests that Rivian doesn't trust them with all the power and has limited the output in software to make them last longer. This is not different than it did with the Quad-Motor variants, which could've easily developed more than 900 horsepower. Still, Rivian played it safe and limited the power to 835 horsepower to improve durability.
Rivian will likely unlock more power via a software update once it's confident the motors can handle it. Still, this is unpleasant for those who planned to order a Dual-Motor Rivian. On the plus side, the 0-60 mph time hasn't changed, and it's listed at 4.5 seconds for the basic version and 3.5 seconds for the Performance variant. We've contacted Rivian and asked what caused the change, and we'll update the article when we get their statement. However, based on previous experience, Rivian is no better at replying to emails than Tesla.
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