- Rivian has also reworked the battery and propulsion hardware, increasing range and efficiency
- The R1S and R1T get improved ride and handling, quieter cabins
- Simple electrical structure, updated interface, new methods
Yes, the 2025 Rivian R1S electric SUV is almost exactly the same as last year. And yet it is the Best Car to Buy 2025 Car Reports.
So with that elephant out of the room, what makes the R1S back in the lineup, three years after its R1T counterpart?
Two reasons: Rivian started delivering the R1S about a year after it started delivering the R1T, so the R1S wasn't even out of final production form at the time we named the Rivian R1T our 2022 Best Car Buy.
That's the simple one, the first one. The second reason is more complicated, and shows the story of this brand as it looks in the future: Although the R1S looks the same as it did two years ago, almost everything you can do. I won't take a look at these new 2025 Rivian R1S and R1T electric trucks.
Rivian motor systems
One of the biggest changes here is that Rivian has included its own oil cooler, in-house designed motor systems and inverter tech across the R1 model line. It brings a new Tri-motor model, with a combined 850 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds, and an upcoming Quad-motor model that offers a combined combination. 1,025 hp and a 0-60 mph time of just 2.5 seconds. New versions in Tri and Quad are available Rally and Drift modeswhat we can prove is a hoot in the mud, a special Rock Crawl mode, and a Conserve reception mode that swaps all-wheel drive with front-wheel drive to increase range.
The battery packs are technically new, based on what's inside, with capacities of 92.5, 109.4, and 141.5 kwh available in Standard, Large, and Max sizes, respectively. That equates to a standard battery of 270 miles, from 329 miles and 410 milesrespectively, with Bigger and Bigger batteries and a Dual-motor setup. Standard versions get lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic cells while the rest of the system has nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA) cylindrical cells.
2025 Rivian R1S
The new packs save weight, make it easier to make, and reduce costs, but they have not changed their base of 400 watts, and they still charge at a maximum of 220-kw (or 200 kw of Standard) which means 10-80% charging it will take 30-41 minutes at best, depending on the package.
In addition, Rivian made some big changes to the suspension this year, dialing back some of the bouncier body movement in softer street modes while also making the tuning quieter and more lively. Even the body structure under the sheet metal has changed for ease of assembly and weight saving, and what results are simply more advanced, better driving, better riding electric SUV.
Rivian R1S in the mud, DirtFish
We have really put these trucks in this year. From dual- and tri-motor on-road driving, to an off-road dynamics course, to a quad-motor drag strip, to a time trial at Atlanta Motorsports Park with a tri-motor, we found these trucks to be capable. very, very strong, forgiving, and sweet.
The redesign goes beyond traditional chassis and propulsion engineering. It is also updated simplify the electrical design inside these vehicles, it switches to a simpler structure with 7 ECUs compared to 17, removing 1.6 miles of wiring from the system and adding a separate DC-DC converter for low-power supplies. A a whole new field of hearing it adds 11 cameras, five radar units, and AI algorithms.
2025 Rivian R1S
2025 Rivian R1
2025 Rivian R1
The packaging of this large SUV is thoughtful and focused on lifestyle every step of the way, with a low, flat cargo floor, a large 9.9-cubic-foot frunk, plenty of storage space, solid materials, and details such as integrated flashlights in the driver's door.
All in all it's an understated message—and perhaps a hard sell in the traditional automotive sense. But the elements that can be increased, the reduction of costs, the intelligent design, it is all part of what the company needs to do, and it seems to be doing well, before its launch Rivian R2 lineup in a few years. The company's survival depends on it, and we can't wait to see those products take form.
2025 Rivian R1S
2025 Rivian R1S
2025 Rivian R1S
Meanwhile, the bottom line of all these goodies is that it not only makes the R1 trucks better and closer to being profitable. It will create perhaps millions of efficient, affordable, profitable, and hopefully impressive American-designed and engineered electric trucks in the future—something we're totally rooting for.