Rivian presently sells two high-voltage batteries for its R1T and R1S: the big pack and the max pack. You would possibly wish to keep away from the latter. Here is what this impartial check revealed. It is eye-opening.
So, a bit of little bit of context is necessary earlier than trying on the final result of the check. When you’re already accustomed to what the Irvine-based automaker has been doing currently, scroll down.
Earlier this yr, Rivian confirmed that it will supply clients the choice to equip their dual-motor R1T or R1S with a 180-kWh high-voltage power storage unit dubbed the max pack. That was speculated to be a actually bigger battery with extra cells.
Whereas the EV maker was determining the ropes of putting in the max pack on its EVs, it is alleged that Samsung SDI developed a much-improved chemistry that enabled a better power density with no beneficiant measurement enhance. Rivian didn’t verify this occurred, so take it with a grain of salt.
What we all know for certain is that Samsung SDI up to date the cell design and named 53G. It was one gram heavier than the 50G cell however may retailer 6% extra power. Estimates heard via the grapevine confirmed that the brand new, extra succesful battery price Rivian round $850.
Later, the younger automaker confirmed for autoevolution that the max pack’s measurement was 149 kWh, not 180 kWh. Nonetheless, the $10,000 premium remained.
Picture: Rivian Automotive LLC
So, right now, there are two battery choices potential R1T or R1S clients can go for: the $6,000 massive pack with a usable capability of 135 kWh (141 kWh gross) or the 143.1-kWh (149.6 kWh gross) max pack. The latter is a $16,000 improve over the yet-to-be-launched commonplace pack (which is likely to be LFP) or $10,000 if you wish to discard the big pack.
Between the big pack and the max pack, there’s a weight distinction of 17.2 lb (1754.6 lb vs. 1771.8 lb). Apart from a barely improved power density (which suggests extra vary) and some extra kilos, you are not getting the rest if you happen to choose the max pack. The voltage (392V), the variety of modules (9), and the nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide (NCA) chemistry are the identical.
Rivian and the EPA say that going with the max pack as a substitute of the big pack will get dual-motor R1T clients 58 miles of additional vary. It is not a lot, but it surely’s one thing. The zero-emission pickup truck can theoretically go 410 miles on a single cost.
The Out of Spec Evaluations group put that official determine to the check. It was pretty much as good as any real-world vary verification could be. Each R1Ts rode on the identical wheels, the tire strain was set to the beneficial psi, and the extras (just like the spare wheel) have been eliminated to make sure a good struggle. Each EVs have been charged to 100%, and off they went to the closest freeway.
The twin-motor large-pack R1T reached 0% state of cost (with out getting into turtle mode) after masking a distance of 308.3 miles at a mean velocity of 68 mph with an effectivity of two.41 mi per kWh (41.49 kWh/100 mi). The overall power consumption was 128.2 kWh. However there was a buffer of virtually 4 kWh out there.
Picture: Out of Spec Evaluations on YouTube
The twin-motor max-pack R1T reached 0% state of cost (with out getting into turtle mode) after driving 337.5 miles at a mean velocity of 66 mph with an effectivity of two.36 mi per kWh (42.37 kWh/100 mi). The overall power consumption was 143 kWh. However there was a buffer of 0.2 kWh out there.
This real-world freeway vary check revealed that clients can pay $10,000 to improve from the large-pack battery to the max-pack power storage unit, and what they will get pleasure from is 29.2 miles of additional vary. That is very near half of what’s proven on the producer’s and EPA’s web sites.
Apart from that conflictingly low determine, the dearer dual-motor R1T can be to not be trusted after the car pc says there is no extra juice left within the battery. If it is nearing depletion, you have to discover a place to cost rapidly.
However did Rivian lie, or did it do one thing fallacious? No. It was clear from the get-go that the $10,000 improve wasn’t a should or a revolutionary change.
The one factor this check actually reveals is that the dual-motor large-pack R1T is your best option for individuals who want a complicated workhorse or a quite cool and envinronmentally-friendly commuting equipment. It is good to have some further vary, however not at a price of $334.5 per mile. Rivian ought to convey ahead a bigger battery pack with higher voltage. Perhaps it’s going to occur after the R2-series’ debut.