Rivian R1S review: second time's the charm

The Verge

2 days ago

Just four years after Rivian began selling its R1T truck, 2025 marks the beginning of the R1T and R1S' second generation. Considering they look essentially the same on the outside, it might be hard to decipher what warrants a new generation. But underneath, it's actually quite easy: all-new electric architecture, a new motor arrangement, retuned suspension, and more. Kicking off at $107,700, here's how all these revisions make the 2025 Rivian R1S Premium Tri-Motor a true frontrunner in the modern EV space.
The tri-motor arrangement fits in between the base dual and top-level quad, and was my tester's powertrain for a whole week. All together, output is rated at 805 horsepower and 1,105 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to hit 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds. The sole battery available is the brand's Max spec at 141.5 kWh, possessing a charging rate of 220 kW and range of 371 to 405 miles depending on power settings and driving habits. During my week with it, I saw 340 miles in an even split between highway, off-road, and around-town driving.
But this isn't the only significant update to the R1S' EV architecture.
'We clean-sheeted all of the electronics and harnesses in the vehicle, and placed controllers in zones where we could reduce the overall number of wires,' Kyle Lobo, Director of Electrical Architecture at Rivian explained in a recent interview. Lobo and his team laid them out in an east, west, and south orientation, where they're local to what they control, and then networked them all together. Going from 17 ECUs to just seven, the overall system weight was reduced by 44 pounds and cut out over 1.6 miles of harness. This also improves manufacturability; less parts and wiring to install means faster production time. Not only that, but all ECUs are now built in-house, speeding up production even further and increasing autonomy from outside suppliers.
Another big change is software-resettable e-fuses which monitor current and voltage on every line. When something goes wrong, Rivian relays this information to its service team and the owner. This further bolsters overall simplicity, and lays the groundwork for the company's future R2 and R3 models.
When it comes to a screen-heavy user interface, I'm usually a bit of a Luddite; the more physical buttons the better. However, Rivian's infotainment system was quite refreshing and easy-to-use, with no lag moving between screens and settings and great response. Its 15.6-inch screen's resolution followed suit, and while I thought I'd miss the familiarity of Apple CarPlay, the brand's in-house software was an excellent substitute. Besides some lag while scrolling through a particularly large Spotify playlist, it was all quite intuitive. Going one further, this was my first time utilizing an app-based digital key to start and stop the vehicle, and Rivian's software made it a seamless and trouble-free transition.
Additionally, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control are standard, and just as seamless and smooth in their operation as getting up to speed with the rest of the R1S' tech. Automatic emergency braking came in clutch on one occasion, in the rain and in response to a clueless Los Angeles driver—it hauled all 7000+ lbs down to a stop in an assured manner.
Overall, the 2025 Rivian R1S possessed an everyday SUV-like driving experience. It didn't feel like a forward-thinking, futuristic concept of mobility, but rather drove as if it were part of GMC or Lincoln's traditional ICE lineups. Though, with one caveat: Its standard, re-tuned-for-2025 air suspension had an excellent overall ride quality, and even felt agile in its more performance-oriented setting.
Then, of all the EVs I've driven over the years with one-pedal driving, the R1S was the easiest to master. Some systems require a bit more brain-to-throttle calibration than usual, but I enjoyed my tester's three levels of intensity, and altered them frequently depending on the mood or amount of regeneration I was aiming for.
Besides being marketed as a spacious, three-row full-size EV truck, the R1S is also designed for off-the-pavement work, which I got the chance to try out up north of Los Angeles in a series of mountainside trails. With a 35.8-degree approach, 29.6-degree breakover, and 34.4-degree departure angle, plus an impressive 15 inches of ground clearance, it shrugged off some tricky sections where pitch and roll became rather excessive. One-pedal driving made the experience all-the-more enjoyable, too, as it allowed for incredibly precise throttle control.
Sporting Rivian's All-Terrain package, my tester's 20-inch Pirelli tires never lost their footing while ascending some properly brutal ascents. I was glad to have such trail-ready treads as added insurance against any potential sidewall cuts over particularly rocky bits. Finally, there weren't any downsides in terms of road noise when I returned to paved tarmac, though Rivian says this package will reduce range by 10-15 percent.
Besides an ever-so-slight software glitch using Spotify, I had a hard time finding anything annoying or lacking in the 2025 Rivian R1S. I never drove any previous iteration of the R1, but it's cool to see that, in just a few short years, this smaller—yet increasingly larger—name in EVs has made something this good, and makes me all-the-more excited to see how the R2 and R3 shake out when they arrive.
Photography by Peter Nelson / The Verge