Rivian R1S Electric SUV Review.

Rivian is an American EV startup that is set to launch an upscale, electric SUV upscale electric SUV with three-row seating by the end of 2020 with it’s sights squarely set on the corner of the EV market currently dominated by the Tesla Model X. There are three battery size is that Rivian is offering with this SUV – 105 kWh, 135kWh 180kWh. The first two come standard with seven passenger seating and the large battery only offers seating for five. I assume some space is taken up by the larger battery hence the 1 row less seating.

The R1S is a four motor electric all-wheel-drive which means that each of the wheels has it’s own motor, giving the driver independent control of each wheel. This allows the Rivian to do some pretty awesome things like the tank turn. This is where the vehicle from a standing position can rotate 360 degrees. It’s really impressive to watch this thing in action. Check out the Rivian tank turn video below.

The vehicle’s torque is 560 newton meters for the 105kWh battery pack, and for the 135kWH and 180kWh packs is 1120 newton meters. Total grounded torque in newton meters is 7000 for the 105kWh battery pack while the 135kWh and 180kWh battery packs both have 14,000 Newton meters.

The range on the the smallest battery pack level of the Rivian R1S is 240+ miles, and 135kWh pack is 210+ miles. Range on the largest battery pack – the 180 kWh battery, is about 410+ miles. The top speed for this R1S is about 120mph and it can get you from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds for the smallest battery, 3 seconds for the mid-range battery and 3.2 seconds for the 180 kW battery pack. Again the larger battery comes with some drawbacks namely space and range.

The curb weight for the R1S is 5842 pounds or 2650 kg. The weight distribution for this car is 52% to 48% and the gross vehicle weight is 7650 pounds or 3470 kg. That means the R1S will qualify for Section 179 tax deductions specifically carved out for heavy trucks. The understanding is that for businesses, this truck can very likely be used for work purposes and thus businesses can leverage the $25,000 maximum tax credit for this vehicle. Please consult with a tax professionals when making tax decisions. We can thank the R1S’s massive battery pack for that extra weight.

Just like the R1T before it, the R1S is also incredibly resilient and it’s going to be super versatile for off-road driving. The front volume in this R1S is actually pretty impressive at 330 L liters which puts any Tesla model frunk to shame. The battery is designed for fast charging rates up to 160kWh and Rivian says this will enable owners to charge up to 200 miles in about 30 minutes. In addition to the DC fast charging, it is also equipped for Level 2 11 kWh charging speeds.

I think this vehicle is going to appeal to people who love to get out into the outdoors but would rather buy the best car for their family as well. The trunk spaces in the R1S is more than enough to fit in all the gear and belongings that come along with a family road trip to the great outdoors. This appeal to families like mine I suspect is the reason Rivian went for and SUV soon after debuting the R1T pickup truck and for that, I am excited and grateful. Until now, there was only one reasonable choice in the market for an all electric SUV and that was the Tesla Model X one of which I currently one. If you had to choose between the Rivian R1s and the R1T, I would definitely go with the R1S SUV because it is just more practical for a family with kids like mine unless it’s the Cybertruck then all bets are off.

In regards to charging, I think Rivian would have to really put a lot of thought and effort into the charging infrastructure for their vehicles especially if they expect people to take their SUV’s and pickup trucks to the great outdoors. People are going to be taking these vehicles to the outdoors and you don’t wanna be caught without charger nearby while in a remote part of the desert. So fast charging will be the key to winning over those outdoor enthusiast because it gives them the confidence that their vehicles can outlast their endurance.

So I think if Rivian wants people to adopt their SUV like they have the Model X, then it is paramount that Rivian start planning and building out their fast charging network. Rivian also has to decide whether to work with third-party players for fast charging so that they can get this fast charging stations installed and up and running relatively quickely or build it out themselves as Tesla has done.

Also worth a mention is Rivian’s unique color-coded battery charge indicator patent makes charging extra-convenient. “It would be advantageous to provide a user with an easy way to read a charge indicator of an electric vehicle. It would also be advantageous to provide a charge indicator that is visible a short or longer distance away from an electric vehicle. It would also be advantageous to utilize existing exterior lighting or lighting areas to provide a charge indicator,” the patent states.

The Rivian R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV are both equipped with a long light strip running across the middle of where the grill will normally be placed, flanked by two rounded lights on either side. This light strip will be used as a primary battery charge indicator if the vehicle is charging and light up in corresponding colors to indicate charging states, much like you have in the Tesla charging dock.

The question is whether Rivian should focus on creating their own charging infrastructure or work with third-party charging infrastructure companies like ChargePoint to build out a charging network is a difficult one. The benefit of doing it like Tesla did which is to create your own charging infrastructure is that you can seamlessly incorporate charging information and granular data into the vehicles navigation system which can be easily accessed and viewed by the driver from the vehicle’s touchscreen.

People who buy this vehicle and want to take it to the outdoors and plan on going to remote places, need to consider the lay of the land in terms of available fast charging options for their Rivian vehicles. I think this will be a key hurdle for Rivian to overcome if their cars (especially their R1T pickup) is to become synonymous with the outdoors and rugged living. Checkout this rendering of a US Forest Ranged R1S Edition.

The Rivian R1S is going to cost you $75,500 before US tax incentives at the federal level. Of course if you live in a state like California where they offer an additional state tax incentive, that will further reduce the total price that you pay for this vehicle. So if you factor in federal and state as incentives, the R1S could (depending on where you live) cost you less than $60,000 which is right about where you want to be when purchasing a non-electric SUV of any kind. This is important because for the R1S to compete in the SUV market, it will be going against not only the Tesla Model X, but also ICE SUV’s.

At the end of the day, it does mean the Rivian R1S will be less expensive than Tesla‘s Model X. However I do think that it’s a fair comparison because the Tesla‘s model X is far more refined and elegant. This SUV from Rivian feels more like a Cybertruck or Hummer EV rival than a Model X rival because it is built to very rugged and tank-like specs. Whereas the Model X which is far more sleek, far more refined, far more efficient in terms of aerodynamic design and so much more of a technology showstopper.

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