Rivian will look to prioritize manufacturing of its electrical SUV, the R1S, within the second half of 2023. Talking on the World Auto Trade Convention, Rivian CFO Claire McDonough defined that demand for the startup’s automobiles stays robust regardless of rising financial uncertainty. McDonough additionally acknowledged that the R1S would be the agency’s most-produced automobile in Q2 2023, with the SUV now accounting for roughly 70% of buyer demand.
Given the R1S shares a lot in frequent with the R1T, manufacturing is simple to ramp up with little to no bottlenecks. At the moment, three variations of the R1S could be ordered - Twin-Motor All-Wheel Drive, Efficiency Twin-Motor AWD, and Quad-Motor AWD.
The entry-level Twin-Motor AWD R1S has a variety of between 260 and 390 miles relying on what battery you spec. It additionally produces 600 horsepower and might dash from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds.
In the meantime, the Efficiency variant provides one other 100 hp and lowers the 0-60 time to three.5 seconds. The highest-of-the-line Quad-Motor AWD R1S produces 835 hp and might launch from 0-60 in simply 3 seconds. It additionally has an EPA vary of 321 miles – a formidable determine given how briskly it’s. All variations of the R1S can tow as much as 7,700 lbs (3,492 kg).
McDonough additionally touched on Rivian’s upcoming R2 fashions. The R2 collection can be revealed in full subsequent yr with costs starting from $40,000 to $60,000. Though unconfirmed, the R2 lineup is anticipated to include a crossover and Ford Maverick-sized pickup truck. When quizzed on Ford and GM’s choice to associate with Tesla and change to NACS, McDonough stated that Rivian stays open to partnerships and is happy to see extra EV homeowners have entry to quick charging.