Rivian recently invited a group of quad-motor R1T owners and dual-motor reservation holders to test out its new performance dual-motor R1T model. Check out the first look at the electric truck and how customers reacted in Rivian’s latest video.
EV maker Rivian is now offering its R1 series in three different drive system configurations. Its flagship, the quad-motor, powers many Rivian R1T models on the road today.
The quad-motor AWD configuration offers max on and off-road performance. With 835 hp and 908 lb-ft of instant torque, Rivian quad-motor vehicles can achieve 0 to 60 mph in as quick as three seconds and climb a 100% grade. It also provides up to 328 mi est EPA range in the R1T and up to 321 mi in the R1S electric SUV.
The company revealed last March it was working on a cheaper dual-motor configuration and battery.
The dual-motor version is powered by Rivian’s in-house Enduro drive units. Rivian began production of the drive units in February as the EV maker shut down a portion of its EDV assembly line to make room.
In May, Rivian revealed the first customer dual-motor R1T truck fitted with the Enduro drive units rolled off the assembly with deliveries beginning this past month.
The dual-motor AWD is for the everyday driver and adventurer with less overall horsepower (533) and torque (610) but still offers between 270 and 400 mi range.
As Rivian’s senior director of powertrain and thermal, Henry Huang, explains, the “dual-motor isn’t a product that does most things for the average customer,” but “a product that does everything for most customers.”
After removing the quad-motor max pack R1T from its configuration last December, Rivian vowed to deliver a more powerful “performance” dual-motor configuration.
Rivian unveils its performance dual-motor R1T
The performance version unlocks the full potential of Rivian’s Enduro drive units with 428 lb-ft of torque and 350 hp (at its peak, it can deliver 829 lb-ft of torque and 665 hp). With the added power, the Rivian dual motor performance version can tow up to 11,000 lbs in the R1T and 7,700 lbs in the R1S, reaching 0 to 60 in as little as 3.5 seconds.
See how customers reacted to the performance dual-motor R1T in Rivian’s latest video posted on social media.
Huang explains that the “performance dual-motor is an absolutely incredible, high-performing drive unit, and still capable of mind-blowing acceleration. The only thing that you would probably see taillights on is a Quad-Motor R1.”
Rivian says the Enduro Drive units and LFP battery packs have already reduced the cost of materials on its EDVs by roughly 25%.
After crushing analyst estimates, delivering 12,640 EVs, and producing 13,992 units in the second quarter, Rivian’s stock has rallied off its lows as analysts predict Rivian has reached a “major turn” on executing its long-term strategy.
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With 615 horsepower, the Cadillac Lyriq-V is the quickest Caddie to date. Cadillac’s first V-Series EV will outsprint a CT5-V Blackwing, and it can be yours for under $80,000.
The 2026 Lyriq-V EV is the fastest Cadillac ever
We knew it was coming soon. Cadillac teased the Lyriq-V for the first time in late October, giving a sneak peek at its first electric V-Series vehicle.
Cadillac’s performance brand is known for iconic sports cars like the CT5-V Blackwing, but the new EV pushes the “V-Series sub-brand to new heights,” boasted John Roth, vice president of Global Cadillac.
As the first EV to wear the V-Series badge, Cadillac promised the Lyriq-V would be powerful, but we didn’t know it would be this fast.
Cadillac officially introduced the 2026 Lyriq-V on Thursday, revealing additional specs, prices, and more. With an estimated 615 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque and a standard dual motor AWD powertrain, the EV is expected to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, making it the quickest Cadillac to date.
At that speed, it would outrun the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing with a 0 to 60 mph sprint time in 3.4 seconds. Although the CT-5 packs slightly more horsepower (668 hp), the Lyriq-V’s EV powertrain unlocks more powerful, instant acceleration.
The added power is enabled by an added Velocity Max feature, which “unleashes the vehicle’s full performance capability” with a surge of power and acceleration.
Interior and exterior design, prices, and features
The V-Series model differs from the traditional Lyriq with a lower center of gravity and custom front and rear bumpers. It also features V-Series badging on the rear doors and tailgate, V-pattern mesh on the lower grille, and 22″ wheels with the logo etched into the side.
Inside, the performance EV borrows features from the Lyriq, such as a panoramic fixed glass roof, a 23-speaker AKG sound system, and a massive 33″ LED display screen.
Cadillac distinguishes the V-Series from the traditional Lyriq by adding the V-Series logo, a V-mode button, and a sports rim with hand grips. Other unique features include a custom infotainment experience with a “V-Series persona,” a signature V-Series illuminated sill plate and V-pattern detailing on the seatbacks.
A 102 kWh battery pack is expected to provide a range of up to 285 miles. The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V starts at $79,990, including the destination fee.
In comparison, the Tesla Model Y Performance starts at $51,490 and has an EPA-estimated range of up to 277 miles. It also includes AWD and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
Cadillac’s new performance EV will be sold in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Other markets will be announced closer to launch. GM will begin producing the new Lyriq-V at its Spring Hill, TN, manufacturing plant in early 2025.
What do you think of the Cadillac’s new performance EV? Would you buy one for $80,000? Or are you sticking with the Model Y Performance? Drop us a comment below to let us know.
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U.S. President Donald Trump makes a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump said Thursday he will approve the construction of power plants for artificial intelligence through an emergency declaration.
“We’re going to build electric generating facilities. I’m going to get the approval under emergency declaration. I can get the approvals done myself without having to go through years of waiting,” Trump said in a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“They can fuel it with anything they want, and they may have coal as a backup,” he said of the plants.
The president declared a national energy emergency on Monday, directing federal agencies to use whatever emergency authorities they have at their disposal to expedite energy infrastructure projects.
Power demand from artificial intelligence data centers is forecast to surge in the coming years. The tech companies building the centers that support AI have primarily focused on procuring renewable energy to meet their climate goals, though they have shown a growing interest in nuclear power to meet their growing energy needs.
While the tech sector has focused on carbon-free power to meet their climate goals, analysts believe natural gas will play a pivotal role in powering AI because it’s in plentiful supply, is more reliable than renewables and can be deployed much faster than nuclear.
Trump said he wants power plants to connect directly to data centers rather than supplying electricity through the grid.
“You don’t have to hook into the grid, which is old and could be taken out,” Trump said. This setup, called co-location, has faced opposition from some utilities who are worried about losing fees and have warned taking power off the grid could lead to supply shortages.
Tesla has announced some important price hikes across its entire lineup in Canada amid incentives going away and a struggling Canadian dollar.
The Canadian EV market is already having problems amid announcements that the federal incentive program will be eliminated. The same thing is happening to Quebec’s own program, which was the most generous in the country—making the province the leader in EV adoption in Canada.
Now, Tesla, which sells more EVs than anyone in Canada, announced that it is increasing prices on all its lineup.
Here are the price increases for each Tesla model:
Model 3:
Long Range RWD: $4,000
Long Range AWD: $8,000
Performance: $9,000
Model Y: $4,000
Model S: $4,000
Model X: $4,000
Buyers can still get $1,300 CAD off of new Model Y, Model S, or Model X purchases with a referral code.
Tesla never comments on price changes and therefore, we don’t know the official reasons for these specific price increases, but we can make some educated guesses.
First off, the Canadian dollar has crashed in comparison to USD over the last few months:
Furthermore, the timing of announcing that the price increases will take place on February 1st has led some to link this to the upcoming tariff wars that President Trump signaled against Canada.
The US President said that he plans to impose 25% tariffs on any goods coming from Canada, and Canada said that it would retaliate.
Electrek’s Take
Obviously, this is not good for the EV market in Canada.
The removal of incentives is already hurting the market, and now the base price of the most popular EVs in the country, Tesla vehicles, is also going up before incentives.
This will be a bad year for EVs in Canada.
Hopefully, things will settle down and we will get more clarity once the tariff war actually starts.
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