Latest news with #RivianR1
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2026 Rivian R1T And R1S Quad-Motor Make More Than 1,000 HP, But Their Off-Road Capabilities Are The Bigger Story
You absolutely do not, under any circumstances, need a Rivian R1 with the new quad-motor setup. With all four motors combined, you get 1,025 horsepower and 1,198 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to shoot to R1S to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, while the R1T is ever so slightly quicker, coming in with a 0-to-60 time of 2.5 seconds. Whether you choose the truck or the SUV, though, you get the same 10.5-second quarter-mile time. No one on earth needs a vehicle that quick, and you definitely don't need a truck or SUV that quick. Then again, even if you somehow convinced yourself that you did need one, good luck paying for it. The quad-motor R1T starts at $117,885 if you include the $1,895 destination charge, with the R1S starting at $123,885. If you want one of the Launch Editions, you'll pay an extra $4,000 on top of that. You could also argue no one needs an electric pickup truck in the first place, but at least the dual-motor R1T starts at a far more affordable $71,795, including destination. It also comes with 553 hp and a 0-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds, while still getting 270 miles of range. I assume a lot of people go ahead and pay the extra $8,000 to get the version with 329 miles of range, but it probably isn't necessary unless you go on a lot of road trips or plan to tow or haul heavy loads. But just because you don't need a particular car doesn't mean you won't still want it, and after spending a few hours with the quad-motor R1T and R1S, I promise you it's the kind of EV that will have you trying to convince yourself that maybe a 96-month loan wouldn't be so bad. Full Disclosure: Rivian wanted me to drive the new R1 quads so badly, it flew me to Lake Tahoe, put me up in a hotel, paid for my food and drinks and let me drive both the truck and SUV. Then they very rudely took away the keys and made me go back home to Georgia, which isn't nearly as pretty as Lake Tahoe. Read more: Buy One Of These Electric Pickup Trucks Instead Of Humiliating Yourself With A Tesla Cybertruck Rivian also knows nobody needs an electric truck or crossover with more than 1,000 hp and a six-figure price tag. CEO RJ Scaringe will tell you himself that these are halo vehicles, meant to show off what Rivian can do, even if it goes beyond what anyone could actually use on a day-to-day basis. The R2 and eventually the R3 will be the ones that more people can afford, with the R1 sitting at the top of the range and the R1 Quad at the top of the R1 range. In that sense, it's supposed to be too much for daily driving, although you could absolutely daily drive either car. You get an EPA-estimated range of 374 miles, although Rivian claims 400 miles is possible in Conserve mode, and they're both plenty comfortable enough for the occasional road trip, as well as all that weekly commuting and errand-running. Then again, that isn't much of a surprise, since we already drove the Gen 2 R1T and R1S about a year ago. Sadly, this time around, we didn't get to spend any time at the drag strip. I can, however, confirm the R1 Quads are truly, ridiculously quick. As in, I punched it in an R1S and immediately felt guilty for not warning my drive partner, because the acceleration was just that absurd. And we're both auto journalists who drive incredibly quick cars regularly enough that you'd think we would be numb to a mere 1,000 hp. Turns out, that's not the case, at least not yet. Still, even that description probably doesn't do justice to just how quick the R1 Quad is. And since it's an EV, there's no shifting involved. You just put your foot down, and you're immediately pinned to the seat as the R1 launches its way to a top speed of 130 mph. Other cars that are similarly quick exist, but there aren't many, and basically all of them cost a lot more than $120,000. Instead of a driving day that focused more on how quick the R1 Quads are, Rivian instead had us spend the majority of our time off-roading. They may be EVs, but we're still talking about an adventure-focused truck and SUV, so it makes sense. Plus, Rivian already established the R1's off-road credentials the first time around. The thing about a lot of off-road media drives is that the automaker wants to make their vehicle look good, so they typically set them up to ensure you won't struggle. They also know they'll be dealing with varying levels of off-road experience on these drives, so they make sure even an idiot like me can't mess anything up too badly, which does make sense. A journalist who drives off a cliff can't write a review from beyond the grave, and they don't want to spend all that money on a press trip to not get a review. So even though you're unlikely to find the limits of what an off-roader can do on a media drive, you can definitely get a sense for how confident the automaker is in its truck or SUV's capabilities based on how serious the off-road portion of the drive ends up being. And let me tell you, I don't think a media drive has ever included anything as serious as what we did with these R1s. We didn't just drive over obstacles that I'm pretty sure a stock Subaru Forester could handle. We straight-up rock crawled. Rivian had spotters along the route, which did take some of the challenge out of it, but climbing that rock face without them would have been beyond reckless. I'm also pretty sure a Forester would've been out before the rock-crawling section even began, because the climb was just that steep. Since there's a motor for each wheel and a bunch of fancy computers monitoring everything, you might assume that would eliminate wheelspin on the trail, but apparently some wheelspin is actually good, since it helps reduce wear on the drivetrain. Sudden shocks to the suspension and other components can cause problems down the line, and letting the wheels that lose traction continue spinning is better overall. Other than a little wheelspin in a few sections, though, both R1s sailed through the rock-crawling portion. And when the incline was too steep to see the spotter, the front-facing camera proved sharp enough that I could still see their hand signals without having to guess, which only added to my confidence in the R1. The spotter who told me I had "excellent throttle control" certainly didn't hurt that confidence or my ego, either. After lunch, it was time to try out a feature exclusive to the R1 Quad that Rivian calls Kick Turn. Basically, it spins the driver's side wheels one direction and the passenger-side wheels the opposite direction, allowing you to do an extremely tight turn on a trail. Technically, you could probably do it in a gravel parking lot, too, but you also probably shouldn't, since it's a great way to shoot gravel everywhere and make a whole lot of people mad. Once you activate Kick Turn on the center screen, as long as you're driving below the top speed — for now Rivian demonstrated it with a 15-mph speed limit but said that limit may get raised in the future — you can push the directional buttons on the steering wheel to initiate a turn in that direction. Push both buttons left, and you'll go left. Push both buttons right, and you'll go right, no steering input required. In fact, if you try to turn the steering wheel while performing a Kick Turn, it cancels the maneuver. Since you usually turn a car with the steering wheel, it isn't the most intuitive thing in the world. Everything in you wants to turn the wheel, but you can't do that. Instead, you have to almost treat it like you're driving in a video game. At least, that's what worked for me. And once I got it, oh my is it fun. Maybe too much fun. It's also one of the few practical features exclusive to the Quad. Sure, there's the whole "1,000 horsepower" thing, but even the slowest Rivian is pretty darn quick. The Quad is just quicker. Kick Turn, though? That's something you can't do without four motors, and while it probably has some uses in Rallycross, the main benefit is on trails with the kinds of tight sections where you would otherwise make a multi-point turn. It's like a more refined version of what other off-roaders accomplish by dragging an inside wheel. Surprisingly, at least for me, Rivian didn't just set up cones on a dirt lot and let us play with its new trick feature. That part was just practice before we set out on a trail that included multiple spots where we could use Kick Turn. Having never used it on a trail before (and also having just gotten out of an R1S one of the PR folks nearly crashed into a pole twice), I was pretty nervous to try it out, but it just worked. Obviously, much of that can be attributed to my incredible Xbox skills, but I'm also not going to pretend I wasn't impressed by just how easy it was to control with just a short introduction on a dirt lot. I very much do not recommend trying it for the first time on a trail, but once you get the hang of it, I guarantee you'll be looking for any opportunity you can find to use it. That would mean actually off-roading your brand-new, $120,000 EV and potentially scratching the paint, but at least you know it's an option. Once we were done, it was time to head back to the hotel in far more comfort than you'd get from a Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep is probably still the better off-roader, but it isn't nearly as refined on the road. Granted, the Rivian isn't quite as luxurious as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but in addition to never feeling like a passing truck is going to knock it off the road, the interior is still ridiculously nice. It's also a cabin that takes some time to truly appreciate. Initially, when you hop in you'll notice everything is nice and well-designed, but the more you poke around, the more you see the stuff that isn't obvious at first. For example, a lot of the lower sections that would be bare plastic, even in a lot of luxury cars, are instead covered in leather. There are little bits of plaid cloth hidden throughout the cabin, even in the grab handles on the ceiling and door storage. Those are the kinds of details Rivian probably could have skipped without anyone even thinking to complain, but it did it anyway. Ultimately, unless you want the R1 Quad to be a completely different vehicle, there isn't much to complain about. It isn't as agile or eager to turn in as a proper sports car, and it doesn't have a V8 or a manual transmission, but of course it doesn't. It's an electric truck/SUV. That said, it would still be nice if Rivian offered Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, as well as at least giving customers the option to add a head-up display. Both would add to the R1's cost and complexity, which Rivian probably can't afford to do right now, but regular people love CarPlay and Android users exist, too, even if we only exist in small numbers. My wish for a head-up display, on the other hand, is less about the price point and more about how useful it would be while using Kick Turn. It's easy to go faster than 15 mph, even on a trail, so putting your speed right in your line of sight would make it both easier and safer to use. Still, those are pretty minor gripes. The quad-motor Rivian R1T and R1S look great, go like hell, and can handle some serious off-roading. And when you need them to be a regular, old daily driver, they're still quiet, comfortable and composed. Heck, unless you demonstrated just how quick it was, your passengers would probably have no idea they were in a vehicle that could launch to 60 mph in well under three seconds. As you have the money and are interested in an electric truck or SUV, it's hard to see how you wouldn't fall for the R1 Quad's charms. I certainly did. It's just too bad I don't have any money. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Motor Trend
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Rivian's New "Kick Turn" Is the Original "Tank Turn" Kicked Up in Usefulness—Here's How It Works
Six years ago, Rivian blew up the internet with its preview of "Tank Turn." Everyone wanted the vehicle-spinning wonder feature, but Rivian would eventually declare it delayed without reason. Two years later, we brought you an exclusive deep dive on why Tank Turn, well, tanked. But now it's back, better than ever, and renamed "Kick Turn." Rivian's Tank Turn is now Kick Turn, a practical off-road tool that allows precise vehicle pivoting. Available on Gen 2 Quad Motor R1 vehicles via OTA update, it features safety measures and requires specific terrain. It's exclusive to Gen 2 vehicles due to advanced hardware and software. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next What's Tank Turn? If you haven't seen the original video, watch it. Tank Turn took advantage of the then-standard quad drive motor setup (one per wheel) in the original Rivian R1S and R1T models to spin the wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle in opposite directions, forcing the Rivian to spin like a top in a muddy field. It's the same way a tracked vehicle like a tank turns, hence the name. After Rivian put the feature on ice over safety and environmental damage concerns, Mercedes-Benz engineers plowed ahead and brought the same basic idea to market as "G-Turn" on the new quad-motor G580 EV. GMC also promised to do a version of it called 'Hurricane Turn' but has yet to release the feature. Rivian kept quiet, and kept working, even as it lost its first-mover advantage. What's Kick Turn? The result, Kick Turn, is Tank Turn, but better. Tank Turn was, frankly, a gimmick and Rivian decided if the company were to expend engineering resources on making it safe, it also needed to be a useful tool, not just a toy. Rather than just spin like a top, Kick Turn is designed to help you pivot the vehicle around tight switchbacks on the trail rather than making a 17-point turn. By giving the driver control over how quickly the vehicle spins and how much it rotates, they can turn it exactly enough to get the job done putting the least wear and tear on the trail. It was inspired by Rivian engineers' experience on the switchbacks of Black Bear Pass in Colorado during our Trans-America Trail off-road adventure, in which we drove coast-to-coast off-road in all-electric Rivians almost entirely off-pavement. Final tuning is still ongoing, so Kick Turn will be uploaded to Gen 2 Quad Motor R1 vehicles via an over-the-air (OTA) update in September. How Do You Use It? Using Kick Turn takes four steps: activate, confirm, select, and accelerate. Activation is done on the drive mode pop-out window on the central touchscreen. Select the off-road mode All Terrain or Rock Crawl, then press the new button in the bottom right corner of the window with a top-down view of the vehicle and arrows indicating a spinning action. Once activated, the pop-up window will be replaced with the confirmation window. Gear Guard, Rivian's Yeti mascot, appears in a fighting stance and will do a leaping spin kick if you tap on him (tap him four times and he'll get dizzy and sick). Use the slider at the bottom of the window to confirm you want to use Kick Turn (at which point he'll do a multi-spin kick causing his shoe to fly off). Now, switch your attention to the left side of the instrument cluster. A picture of the steering wheel will have appeared as a guide with blinking dots on the left-right rocker switches on the steering wheel spokes. Press and hold the two left buttons to spin left or the two right buttons to spin right. Kick Turn will only work as long as you press and hold both buttons, a safety feature meant to keep both of your hands on the wheel during the spin. To actually initiate a Kick Turn, slowly press the accelerator pedal down until the truck begins to spin. The amount of pedal you give it determines how quickly the truck will rotate. When you're ready to stop spinning, gently release the pedal for the smoothest stop. Releasing either button on the steering wheel will also cancel the spin immediately, which will throw you and your passengers around a bit. Kick Turn doesn't just work when you're at a stop, either. You can initiate it while rolling at up to 15 mph, though be aware that as soon as you've held down the buttons, any input on the accelerator will begin a Kick Turn so you want to coast until you're actually ready to turn. Not only does it work, but it's actually useful. Rivian had us drive up a narrow mountain trail with tight switchbacks which would normally require a multi-point turn to get around. Instead, we positioned ourselves, activated Kick Turn, and rotated until we were pointed around the corner, then continued on. We also used the feature to navigate a 90-degree turn around a tree which likewise would've taken a number of turns to get around normally. The hardest part about using Kick Turn is getting used to the controls. Anyone who's done a power slide before wants to turn the steering wheel, but turning it more 150 degrees cancels Kick Turn. Training yourself to keep the wheel straight and turn with the buttons and the accelerator pedal takes practice, especially when you're initiating it while moving. After that, it's learning to time your rolling Kick Turns so you don't initiate them too early, and also get yourself slowed down below the 15 mph limit in time. Then, it's ignoring your instinct to counter steer to end the turn. Of course, you can still use it as a party trick like the original Tank Turn. Hold down the buttons and the accelerator long enough and the vehicle will do a full 360—or more. Kick Turn is limited to 20 seconds, a failsafe in case the buttons or accelerator were to get stuck and also to keep people from wantonly destroying trails and parking lots. If you just want to spin around in a field, though, it'll let you. We strongly recommend you do it away from people and other vehicles, because it throws rocks a good distance. It'll also wear out your tires more quickly, though with so many variables at play, engineers couldn't offer an estimate. Rivian also ran us through a course where we drove around a box making perfect 90 degree turns, then ran through a slalom using only Kick Turn. Once you're comfortable with the controls, you can change spin directions as often as you like just by switching which buttons you're holding. So long as you're not holding the buttons, you can drive normally between Kick Turns without turning the system off. The Safeties There are other limitations to make Kick Turn safer, too. The motors are programmed to recognize how grippy a surface is and will refuse to do a Kick Turn if you're on asphalt. Even wet asphalt is out. You need to be on dirt, gravel, or snow. The ground also needs to be relatively flat. If the onboard pitch and roll sensors detect the truck is tilted more than 10 degrees in any direction, Kick Turn won't activate. There's also an unspecified yaw limit which keeps the vehicle from rotating too quickly, so it's ok if you floor it during a Kick Turn, it won't spin dangerously fast. Kick Turn also works with stability control fully on, reduced, or turned all the way off. What Took So Long? Rivian engineers tell us it wasn't as simple as making time to work on Kick Turn. The new hardware in the Gen 2 R1T and R1S was key to making the whole thing work safely and smoothly. On Gen 1 vehicles with their original electrical architecture and Bosch-supplied motors, there was too much latency (we're talking hundredths of a second) between driver commands and motor response. It could do Tank Turns, but more precise Kick Turns were almost impossible. The new zonal architecture, new inverters, and in-house motors on the Gen 2 vehicles respond far more quickly to commands, allowing much finer control over the spin. In order to take advantage of this, the software created for Tank Turn had to be completely rewritten for Kick Turn. This, unfortunately, means Gen 1 trucks are unlikely to ever get Kick Turn uploaded to them retroactively. A Rivian representative confirmed to us it is exclusive to Gen 2 vehicles. As of right now, the software requires a quad-motor powertrain in order to work. Both front and rear wheels need to drive forwards or backwards on each side of the vehicle in order to do a proper Kick Turn. This means tri-motor and dual-motor powertrains won't be getting it, either, which means the R2 and R3 won't get it as neither is slated to offer quad motors. That doesn't mean those other powertrains will never get some kind of Kick Turn, though. Engineers told us their looking into ways to offer a similar function with fewer motors, perhaps using individual brakes to at offer a feature like Toyota, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz have developed to force the vehicle to turn tighter, but not do an actual Kick Turn. And the new name? Partly intended to communicate it's different and better than Tank Turn, and partly to sound less militaristic. Kick-ass, we say.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maybe 2025 Won't Be Such a Quiet Year for Rivian
The EV maker is launching a leasing deal with $0 down. Rivian is also initiating its first major marketing campaign. The R2 launch will be a critical turning point for the company. 10 stocks we like better than Rivian Automotive › Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) has come a long way in such a short time. It's challenging to produce vehicles, let alone make high-quality ones that are well-received by critics and consumers alike -- and Rivian has achieved that goal. 2025 was setting up to be a quiet year, with its next vehicle launch, the highly anticipated R2, not until 2026. But don't tell Rivian it's supposed to be a quiet year, as the company is attempting to spark lackluster sales in two ways. Come one, come all, Rivian is seemingly yelling at potential consumers as the company is bringing in spring with a new offer designed to boost sales. Through May, consumers can lease any Rivian R1 dual-motor electric vehicle (EV) with a Max battery and performance upgrade for $0 down. Rivian announced the "Nothing But Adventure" lease offer program, noting that it would cover your lease down payment with a $6,500 offer. Even better, consumers can also pair this savings with the usual $7,500 EV credit that is written into each lease. This is a move often seen when demand wanes, but it could be just the move Rivian needs right now to boost sales that have been lackluster in recent quarters. But its leasing offer isn't the only way Rivian is attempting to spark sales, and its second move will also build brand awareness. Investors know that Rivian's R1 vehicles have been a hit with consumers and critics, but what investors might not know is just how much consumers are invested in their Rivians. There are independently run Rivian Clubs of America spanning 35 states, which often include trips and other gatherings. Rivian is attempting to tap into this unique brand passion with its first major marketing campaign. The campaign, named "Real Rivian Adventures," will use actual stories from real Rivian consumers and turn them into advertisements. One example is the "Last Lemonade Standing," inspired by an owner's Facebook post. The ad situates a neighborhood boy using a Rivian vehicle outlet, in a feature unique to some EVs, to blend lemonade slushies to compete against another stand. The paid media plan will include spots on streaming services and social media, with possible buys on broadcast TV, per Rivian's vice president of marketing, Denise Cherry. This is a bigger move than investors might think, as Rivian has largely relied on word of mouth to grow its brand awareness. It's barely dipped its toes in advertising prior to this, and it could be just the move the young EV automaker needs in 2025 to spark sales in an otherwise quiet year. Now, investors can sit back and see how these moves impact sales throughout 2025. At the same time, investors will want to watch the development of the R2 launch coming in 2026. So far, everything is on pace for launch, and construction on the company's original plant for its additional production capacity is on track. Right now, it's all aboard for a marketing push, branding building, and launching the R2 -- maybe 2025 won't be so quiet for Rivian after all. Before you buy stock in Rivian Automotive, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Rivian Automotive wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $598,613!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $753,878!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 922% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 169% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 12, 2025 Daniel Miller has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Maybe 2025 Won't Be Such a Quiet Year for Rivian was originally published by The Motley Fool
Forbes
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Rivian Offers Massive Lease Discount, Making The R1S More Affordable
Rivian R1S in the Mojave Desert. Credit: Brooke Crothers Rivian EVs are expensive. But Rivian is trying to make them more affordable with hefty discounts. The R1S SUV is now the Irvine, Calif.-based EV manufacturer's best selling model. It's outselling the R1T pickup by about 2 to 1, according to Cox Automotive's Electric Vehicle Sales Report Q1 2025. And Rivian is now promoting the 2025 Dual Motor Rivian R1 vehicle with the tagline 'your down payment's on us, so you can start exploring.' 'Rivian will contribute $6,500 toward each lease of a new 2025 Dual Motor Rivian R1 vehicle with Max battery and Performance Upgrade ordered through R1 Shop between May 1, 2025 and May 31, 2025,' according to the Rivian website. Other vehicle configurations are excluded, Rivan says. Here's what makes the deal potentially very sweet. The $6,500 lease offer 'may be combined with the $7,500 EV Lease Credit,' according to Rivian. That would add up to a tidy $14,000 discount. I confirmed this lease pricing with a Rivian salesperson. Note that Rivians won't always be out of the reach for more price sensitive buyers. The upcoming Rivian R2 SUV is expected to have a starting price of approximately $45,000 before taxes and fees. That is due in 2026.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
See the 2025 Rivian R1S & R1T California Dune Editions from Every Angle
With last year's introduction of the second generation of Rivian R1 products, we didn't expect much from the R1 in 2025. Rivian took that opportunity to release the brand's first special edition since the launch of the truck. Known as the California Dune Edition, the model features off-road hardware, a unique exterior hue, and a bespoke two-tone interior. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
