Rivian unveils next-gen R1 EVs to cut cost without affecting driver experience
Rivian has unveiled its next-generation R1S and R1T electric vehicles to cut cost without affecting the driver experience negatively.
In fact, the automaker is improving it.
It’s no secret that Rivian needs to cut costs. The automaker is currently losing about $36,000 on every vehicle it delivers.
The company has guided turning that into a slightly positive gross margin in Q4, which is coming fast.
Rivian has been approaching this issue from many different angles, including renegotiating with suppliers, but the biggest impact is expected to come with this redesigned next-gen version of the R1 platform.
Next-Gen Rivian R1
Today, Rivian is officially unveiling and starting deliveries of the next-gen R1S and R1T.
From a design perspective, the vehicles are fairly similar, with mostly a few new design accents, like beautiful new plaid accents throughout the vehicles, updated front and back lighting, and many UI changes.
However, the bulk of the update is under the hood, so to speak.
Rivian focused on updating hardware for efficiency, manufacturability, and cost. Here are a few examples:
The company updated its battery module. Here’s the first generation versus the second:
The new module design, along with the electronics system, have been updated for better efficiency and easier manufacturability.
Rivian commented:
New Large and Max battery packs have redesigned modules and more efficient packaging, making them easier to manufacture and service, while offering up to an estimated 420 miles of range.
The company also has a new module design for its Standard pack that now allows the use of LFP battery cells. Rivian is talking about an EPA-estimated 270 miles of range for this new pack.
Rivian also updated its drive units:
The company brought more motor design and manufacturing in-house, allowing for a more efficient packaging and implementation in its vehicles.
Rivian wrote about its new drive units:
The new R1 platform offers more power, performance, and range, thanks to a Rivian-designed and built drive unit offered in Tri-Motor and Quad-Motor configurations. The 1,025 horsepower Quad-Motor R1T delivers 0-60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds and a staggering 1,198lb ft of torque when using Launch Mode.A Rivian-built Dual-Motor is available as well. These motors are now designed, engineered, and manufactured fully in-house.
These new motors and batteries enabled an insane 2.5 seconds 0-60 time for the R1T quad motor. I managed to do a 2.7 seconds run on a drag strip last week, but some people were able to get 2.5:
Either way, it is insane for a pickup truck and enough to snap your neck back.
Where Rivian made some of the biggest improvements are in its electrical architecture and compute platform.
The company went from 17 ECUs found in first-generation vehicles down to 7 in this new one.
The new architecture allowed Rivian to remove 1.6 miles (2.6km) of wiring from each vehicle. For example, the automaker was able to eliminate this entire harness:
I lifted that thing up, and it was heavy. That’s great for the efficiency of the vehicle, but it also enabled Rivian to eliminate a lot of steps in its manufacturing, which should improve its manufacturing costs greatly.
A fear that I had with this next-gen platform from Rivian is that since cost-cutting was a priority, I thought it might lose some of its premia, but that’s not the case.
For example, the automaker greatly improved its ADAS hardware suite in the second-generation Rivian R1:
We are talking about 8 times the amount of megapixels in the cameras all around the vehicles and Rivian decided not to go vision-only. The automaker also has 5 radars and ultrasonics all around the vehicle.
Rivian also has a new on-board computer to handle all the data coming from those sensors:
The automaker plans to release increasingly more advanced driver-assist features, starting with autonomous lane changes, but it expects that its hardware suite will enable up to level 3 autonomous driving in the future.
One of the rare design changes to the next-generation R1 is the lighting system. For example, the automaker updated its lighting to communicate the charging state with this new design:
There are also a few new colors, both inside and outside, and Rivian is not cutting down on its premium feel there, which is great news.
The UI and software have been greatly updated with the new generation. Here’s a list of some of the new features:
- Car keys in Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, and some Google Pixel devices
- Connect+, a new subscription service, supports streaming video through Google Cast and provides access to more than 3,000 apps
- Apple Music with Dolby Atmos support in Connect+
The new second-gen R1S will start at $75,900, and the new R1T will start at $69,900. Prices go up fairly quickly if you want the bigger battery packs and tri- or quad-motor powertrains. Rivian is already producing and delivering the new generation.
However, the bigger question is how much it costs Rivian to build them. We won’t have a complete answer on that for another few months.
Stay tuned for my first drive experience in the second-generation R1S and R1T later today.
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The world’s leading electric vehicle (EV) maker is rapidly expanding overseas. After taking control of vehicle sales in Germany last year, BYD is about to do the same in another key overseas EV market.
BYD to take control of EV distribution in Australia
Last August, BYD reached an agreement with Heden Mobility Group to acquire Heden Electric, which was responsible for importing its vehicles and spare parts for sale in Germany.
The move gives BYD more control over pricing and other areas of distribution as it expands the brand overseas. By taking over control, the company can sell its vehicles directly to buyers. And, it can also set prices.
According to EVDirect, BYD’s official distributor in Australia, the company is preparing for a similar move in the region. Luke Todd, founder and chairman of EVDirect, said the takeover would help unlock BYD’s potential in Australia.
Todd said the first phase was proving that the “BYD brand would thrive here,” and the next phase will make EV ownership “easier and more accessible than ever.”
Since launching its first vehicle, the Atto 3 SUV, in 2022, BYD has become one of the fastest-growing car brands in Australia.
BYD now offers a complete lineup of six vehicles, ranging from the low-cost Dolphin and Atto 3 to mid-size SUVs (Sealion 6 and 7), electric sedans (Seal), and even a pickup (Shark 6).
Earlier this year, the company introduced a new entry-level “Essentials” trim, slashing prices across its entire lineup.
According to TheDriven, BYD has three of the top 10 best-selling electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia as of April. The Sealion 7, launched in just February, placed fifth with 1,473 units sold, trailing the Tesla Model Y (3,394), Model 3 (2,266), MG4 (1,698), and Kia EV5 (1,509).
BYD’s Atto 3 took sixth (956) while the Seal (637) and Dolphin (431) placed ninth and 14th through the first four months of 2025, respectively.
Taking control of distribution is expected to help improve service for current BYD drivers and will likely boost EV adoption in Australia.
Electrek’s Take
BYD’s sales are surging in China and overseas. In April, BYD sold more electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe than Tesla for the first time. Now, it’s launching its best-selling and most affordable electric car, the Dolphin Surf (also known as the Seagull EV in China).
S&P Global Mobility is calling for BYD to more than double its sales in Europe this year to around 186,000 units.
And clearly it’s not just Europe. BYD is quickly establishing its presence in major overseas markets, including Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and many others.
With local production coming online and new, custom-tailored vehicles launching, BYD is laying the groundwork to continue gaining global market share over the next few years as the industry shifts toward electric vehicles. And that’s not even scratching the surface, with BYD’s new battery and ultra-fast EV charging technology set to change the game.
Source: EVDirect, TheDriven
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Environment
RJ Scaringe teases R2’s rear suspension, telling followers the new Rivian EV is ‘sooo good’
Less than a week after sending a beautifully wrapped fleet of R2 validation prototypes out into the wild, Rivian founder and CEO has shared more of the design work at HQ, including a look at the EV’s multi-link rear suspension.
We will be able to assemble the upcoming Rivian R2 EV with our mind’s eye if RJ Scaringe keeps posting updates with images of key components.
Over the past month, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has shared several social media posts centered around Rivian’s next flagship EV model, the R2, which is scheduled to hit the market next year.
Recent posts included two looks at Rivian’s Maximus Drive Unit that will power the R2s, the EV’s body harness, and a fleet of validation models assembled on a pilot line at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois, production facility (complete with some fantastic “validation-only” wheels).
Rivian’s company account has also joined the social media onslaught, sharing a video last week of Senior Director of Exterior Design Jonathan Szczupak walking through the unique wraps on the R2 validation EVs before they left Normal, Illinois, for real-world testing.
Today’s post from RJ isn’t as visually pleasing as last week’s camouflage wraps, but it is exciting nonetheless, especially for the CEO behind the new model.
RJ “can’t wait” for people to drive the new Rivian R2 EV
RJ posted the two images above, showcasing the R2’s multi-link rear suspension alongside a brief caption:
The R2 multi-link rear suspension includes 5 stamped steel links and uses an isolated rear subframe to deliver incredible ride quality and handling, while achieving our optimized cost structure. Our “starfish” forged aluminum rear knuckle integrates bushings for each of the 5 rear suspension links to reduce unsprung mass to support enhanced ride quality.
The Rivian founder always does an excellent job of breaking down exactly what is in each photo he posts and explaining the design benefits of said component in a more easily digestible way, especially if you’re not a “gear head.”
What is just as exciting is RJ’s continued enthusiasm for the upcoming Rivian R2 EV. Its hype train is chugging at full speed, and on paper, it has the makings to skyrocket Rivian’s sales reports and set the company up for a nice run of additional models, like the R3 and R3X.
At the end of RJ’s post, he shared this excitement:
Can’t wait for folks to get to drive R2 — it’s sooo good!!
Of course, Rivian’s founder is going to say the R2 is good, but when RJ says it, it’s easy to genuinely believe him. Everything Scaringe and Rivian have shown us of the R2 so far has been impressive, so it’s not unreasonable to think that this new EV won’t just be “so good,” it could be utterly amazing.
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Floating offshore wind tech company Aikido is working with Norway’s Marin Energy Test Centre (METCentre) to launch a massive 15-megawatt (MW) demonstration project called AO60. Scheduled for deployment in 2027 off the coast of Haugesund, AO60 will be one of the largest floating wind platforms ever built.
The METCentre has a track record of supporting pioneering floating wind projects, including the world’s first floating turbine deployed by Equinor (then Statoil) in 2009. Now, it’s getting ready to host another first: Aikido’s innovative platform is designed to slash costs and make assembly and deployment a whole lot faster and simpler.
At the heart of Aikido’s approach is its compact, modular platform made up of 13 steel components – columns and trusses – that can be fabricated at standard offshore wind or steel manufacturing sites. Thanks to a clever “flat-pack” design and pin-joint connections that act like hinges, the platform can fold up to take up just one-third of the space of conventional designs during transport.
There’s no heavy-duty welding or painting during assembly, and the platform can be completed in days, not months. Once it’s in the water, a ballasting process unfolds the structure into its full size, ready to go.
It can also use Norway’s existing ports, infrastructure, and vessels, keeping things local, faster, and cheaper.
“We are proud to announce our partnership with the METCentre,” said Aikido CEO Sam Kanner. “This project will show how Aikido can leverage existing infrastructure and vessels to reduce risks and accelerate the deployment of floating wind in Norway and around the world.”
METCentre director Cecilia Girard-Vika added, “This project offers valuable industry experience and supports the development of a full-scale, innovative, and cost-effective solution. We are very excited to welcome Aikido to our site in Norway and connect them with Norway’s strong floating offshore wind supply chain.”
Read more: The world’s largest single-capacity floating wind platform has two turbines
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