In recent years, many new startups have sought to enter the automotive industry. In addition to sports cars with extremely high-performance figures and ultra-luxury SUVs, some manufacturers also relied on the supposedly most difficult overall package - the combination of a large pickup truck and electric drive. But surprisingly, this concept seems to be one of the few ones to catch on with the masses, allowing its manufacturers to survive in one of the most competitive industries in the world. A flagship startup in this space is California-based Rivian, which has been one of the first startups to successfully sell its R1T pickup truck and a companion SUV called R1S in the North American market since last year. According to Teslarati, Rivian has now come up with another update for its models that should improve the range, further fueling the battle for market share in the segment.
The Software Update Will Let You Drive For 14 More Miles
The most important new feature with the software update is likely to be an updated EPA range, which customers say could be at least 14 miles higher than before. According to further customer experience, the three driving modes after the update could thus deliver a range of 347 miles in Conserve driving mode, 315 miles in All-Purpose, and still 311 miles in Sport mode. One reason for the increased range of the R1T and R1S models is probably a battery update that Rivian is also performing with the software update.
The manufacturer confirmed that the battery is now characterized by an increased depth of discharge, which increases the usable energy of the battery. This is likely to be accompanied in particular by the practical effect of providing customers with a higher available mileage at the top end of the charge. Other enhancements as part of the update will also bring new infotainment features as well as a new steering system designed to improve straight-line stability.
Max Pack For The R1T Will Be Available Later This Year
Currently, Rivian offers its R1T pickup exclusively with a 135 kWh battery. Previously, 128.9 kWh of that capacity was net usable, but that is likely to have increased with the update. However, the Californian company did not yet provide more precise information on the new usable capacity. Besides this battery pack, two other new options will be available in the next few months. One is a cheaper version of the R1T with a smaller 105 kWh battery, and the other is the long-awaited "Max Pack" with 180 kWh, which is supposed to generate a maximum range of over 400 miles.
Customers save $8,000 with the smaller battery pack compared with the Large Range variant with 135 kWh, but they also have to accept a reduction in performance and do without four motors in favor of a two-motor system. The Max Pack, on the other hand, costs $8,000 more, but does not provide any profound changes to the model besides the increased range. The upgrade to the "Max Pack" should therefore definitely be worthwhile from a performance point of view, as it provides increased reserves, especially for sporty drivers.