Rivian Max Pack doesn’t deliver much extra range in first real world test, especially for $10k
Two months after Rivian started delivering EVs with its long-anticipated Max battery pack, we’ve seen our first real-world range comparison, and the results are… just ok. Despite over 50 miles more EPA range than the Large Pack, the first real-world tests show that the gap is significantly narrower.
Rivian ($RIVN) is exiting 2023, a lot better off than it began the year. After pausing EV production to optimize its assembly lines early on, the American automaker has continued to scale in Normal, IL, as it erects its second plant in Georgia.
The automaker’s Q3 report offered better-than-expected production numbers, alongside steady interest from US consumers, allowing Rivian to maintain its price points while continuing to ramp up production of EDVs and R1 EVs.
Rivian is currently contribution margin positive on both its EDVs and R1 vehicles and its CFO Claire McDonough expects the automaker to become gross margin positive in 2024. Some of the appeal to consumers eyeing a new Rivian R1T or R1S purchase has been the arrival of the Max battery pack, which finally started reaching customers this past October.
Promising an EPA range of 410 miles on a single charge, the Max Pack looks like a monster on paper compared to Rivian’s other battery options. However, a recent video showing a real-world range comparison with the Large Pack might soon have consumers thinking twice.
Is Rivian’s $10k Max battery pack upgrade worth it?
Until October 2023, Rivian customers could only obtain delivery of their shiny new R1S or R1T if they opted for the Standard or Large battery packs, delivering 270 and 352 miles of electric range, respectively.
However, many reservation holders held out for an electric truck with Rivian’s Max pack, promising a whopping 410 miles of EPA estimated range. Kyle Conner and the team at Out of Spec Reviews took two R1Ts – one with the Large Pack and one with the Max Pack – and put them through the same tests, only to find a marginal difference in real-world range, despite the $10K price difference.
While the EPA range difference between the Large and Max Packs is listed at 58 miles, Out of Spec’s comparison detailed a much closer race – a mere 22 miles. Since the Max Pack is significantly more expensive (an additional $16,000 compared to $6,000 for the Large battery), it begs the question if it is worth it to would-be Rivian customers.
Here’s another kicker. We’ve learned the Max Pack is the same size as the $6k option, just more efficient and energy-dense. A spokesperson for Rivian told Electrek that the automaker does not divulge battery capacities in its EV specs but did confirm the Max Pack offers a total battery capacity of 149 kWh – all in the same footprint as the Large Pack without adding weight.
The spokesperson shared that Rivian’s engineers achieved this by implementing a proprietary battery management system unique to the Max Pack that optimizes and increases its usable energy from a new version of Rivian’s 2170 battery cells. The result is higher energy density and absolute energy without requiring more modules or significantly more weight.
That, again, sounds promising on paper, but the real-world results appear much more marginal as the Max Pack offers 11-12 additional kWh of battery capacity that translates to 22 miles of range. This is obviously one test and not gospel, but it does beg the question of whether Rivian’s Max battery pack is worth shelling out an extra $10k. Following the real-world tests, the Out of Spec team even questioned whether their Max Pack R1T test vehicle was defective. Or perhaps it needs a software update to see the full advantages of the new battery?
What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments below.
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Environment
U.S. crude oil falls below $60 a barrel to lowest since 2021 on tariff-fueled recession fears
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025.
Pavel Mikheyev | Reuters
U.S. oil prices dropped below $60 a barrel on Sunday on fears President Donald Trump’s global tariffs would push the U.S., and maybe the world, into a recession.
Futures tied to U.S. West Texas intermediate crude fell more than 3% to $59.74 on Sunday night. The move comes after back-to-back 6% declines last week. WTI is now at the lowest since April 2021.
Worries are mounting that tariffs could lead to higher prices for businesses, which could lead to a slowdown in economic activity that would ultimately hurt demand for oil.
Oil futures, 5 years
The tariffs, which are set to take effect this week, “would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year,” according to JPMorgan. The firm on Thursday raised its odds of a recession this year to 60% following the tariff rollout, up from 40%.
Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.
Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.
Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)
What’s going on in Illinois?
While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.
At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).
We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.
SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.
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The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.
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