Rivian Shares More Details About Upcoming R1T and R1S Dual-Motor Configurations

Rivian has developed all the major components for the dual-motor variants in-house.

Rivian has crossed some rough water in 2022, with deliveries affected by chip shortages and other supply chain disruptions. Nevertheless, the EV startup has been working relentlessly to improve its products, mainly by developing new electric motors and power electronics. The efforts will certainly pay off because the vertical integration will allow Rivian to better weather down the problems in the auto industry.

Unlike the Quad-Motor configurations of the R1 EVs, which used off-the-shelf electric motors and power electronics, the Dual-motor versions will feature new parts developed in-house. Rivian claims that all the major components, including the motors, gearboxes, and inverters used to build the Dual-Motor configurations, are developed and manufactured entirely by Rivian.

We’ve already seen the R1T and the R1S undergoing testing with the new drive components, and Rivian is adamant that they will prove at least as good as the ones bought from third-party suppliers for the quad-motor variants. According to previous information, the dual-motor R1T and R1S will be offered in two power variants, a standard version with 600+ horsepower and an enhanced version with about 700 horsepower.

The difference is made in software, which unlocks additional power and acceleration. This means that the enhanced version will only need 3.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96 kph) instead of the 4.5 seconds for the standard variant. There are no differences between the two Dual-Motor flavors related to the off-road driving dynamics, including front-to-rear torque vectoring and independent brake actuation at each wheel. Also, the towing capabilities are identical, keeping the good ratings received by the Quad-Motor specification. As such, the dual-motor Rivian R1T maintains an 11,000-lb towing rating, while the R1S has a 7,700-lb rating.

The dual-motor system continues to offer all-wheel-drive capabilities, and Rivian reveals that the AWD system is rear-biased. However, it can distribute torque continuously between the front and rear drive units. The Rivian R1T and R1S Dual Motor are also capable of left-to-right torque vectoring using brake technology. This is an interesting take, as carmakers usually use a differential to split power between the wheels of an axle. Nevertheless, Rivian claims its solution is superior, with brake actuation at every wheel allowing to send just enough torque for “confident handling dynamics on-road and the ability to overcome obstacles and loose terrain off-road.”

The standard Dual Motor configurations of the R1T and R1S are $8,000 more affordable when ordered with the same Large battery pack as the Quad Motor variants. Thus, the R1T Dual Motor starts at $79,000, while the R1S Dual Motor starts at $84,000. Nevertheless, since you can also order both with the Standard battery pack, they are even more affordable, cutting another $6,000 from the price tag.