Rivian has changed 600 parts in the R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck in an effort to reduce manufacturing costs while improving the performance of its flagship vehicles.
The ultimate goal, to play next year, is existential. Rivian lost about $38,784 for each vehicle it delivered in the first quarter of 2024, according to his earnings report. And the automaker won’t have the new, cheaper R2 SUV on the road until the first half of 2026.
This leaves Rivian with one path: sell more R1S and R1T vehicles without losing money.
The clock starts now. Rivian recently started production of the second generation R1T and R1S, with the first deliveries starting as early as this week.
The result of Rivian’s second-generation reboot is an all-electric truck and SUV with improved ride quality, more powerful powertrain options and other bells and whistles, including an electronically tinted sunroof and a so-called “launch mode” that can fire up the new R1T quads cut from a standstill to 60 mph in less than a heart-pumping 2.5 seconds.
But you wouldn’t know any of this just by looking at second-generation EVs.
Rivian left the exterior of the second-generation R1 series mostly untouched — with the exception of a new lighting feature that provides a charge status bar on the front, Storm Blue paint color and wheels — a decision that executives told TechCrunch was intentional. .
Instead, Rivian has focused its efforts on reworking the guts, changing everything from the battery and suspension system to the electrical architecture, interior seats and sensor stack. There’s even a redesigned software user interface that provides detailed illustration-like graphics using the Unreal Engine as well as deeper integration with Apple and Google.
“Some changes are small, some are big, but every aspect of the R1 experience will be improved with this platform,” Rivian software chief Wassym Bensaid told reporters at a media briefing ahead of the official launch.
Vertical integration is the key issue here. Rivian still has suppliers. However, engineers, designers and factory workers are responsible for building more R1 EV components than ever before.
Rivian now designs, builds and manufactures its engines in-house, for example. The company is also responsible for redesigning a heat pump-based thermal system to improve rider temperature comfort and range savings, and developing a new electrical architecture and computer platform that reduces the number of electronic control units (ECUs ) used to control the vehicle from 17 different ECUs in its first generation to seven. This new belt architecture allows Rivian to cut more than 1.6 miles of wiring from each vehicle—a weight savings of 44 pounds—and build its vehicles faster, according to director of electrical systems Kyle Lobo.
Rivian says it even developed in-house the 11 new high-resolution cameras that, along with five radars, make up the perception stack and support the safety and advanced driver assistance system.
Drivetrain and batteries
The second-generation Rivian R1 series has four main configurations: dual-engine, dual-engine performance, tri-engine and quad-engine. Once a customer moves beyond the powertrain, there are a number of battery pack options and other features that increase the price. Rivian has also redesigned the battery modules in the large and max battery packs, which executives say make them easier to build and service.
Both the dual-motor drivetrain and the performance dual-motor drivetrain can be configured with three different battery packs. The base version, the twin motor with a standard battery, starts at $69,900 for the R1T and $75,900 for the R1S. It’s worth noting that this version is equipped with a lithium iron phosphate battery that provides an EPA-estimated 270 miles of range.
From here, batteries range and prices are higher with the dual motor big pack and dual motor max trims. The dual R1T engine and dual performance engine with a maximum package has a range of 420 miles. The R1S, in a similar configuration, can travel about 410 miles on a single charge.
Rivian has dialed down the options by adding a three-motor drivetrain trim — available only with the max battery — that uses two motors in the rear and one in the front. That combination yields 850 horsepower, 1,103 pound-feet of torque and a zero-to-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds. The tri-motor max pack trim, which has an estimated range of 380 miles, starts at $99,900 for the R1T and $105,900 for the R1S.
Rivian rounds out its offerings with a maximum all-wheel-drive package, which delivers an impressive 1,025 horsepower, 1,198 pound-feet of torque, and an off-the-line acceleration time of less than 2.5 seconds to 60 mph when using the so-called “launch mode” feature.
Google, Apple and autonomy
Rivian has put effort into developing and improving its own software stack, which includes everything related to real-time operating systems (RTOS) that manage the car, such as thermal dynamics, ADAS and safety systems, as well as another entertainment related level. System.
Engineers use free RTOS and secure RTOS as the basis of the operating system for vehicle controls.
Meanwhile, the Rivian’s infotainment system has two operating systems. QNX is the core operating system, used only for security functions and an open source version of Android Automotive for everything else. Bensaid said the company is moving away from QNX to a Linux-based software.
On the autonomy front, Rivian uses a combination of Linux and free software RTOS.
“It was really a continuation. From day one we were extremely intentional about owning our own ECUs, our own computers and our own software,” said Bensaid, outlining the company’s long-term approach. “Gen one increased internal knowledge to arrive at a domain-based architecture. And now that we have that foundation, we’re able to move to a zone-based architecture, which is much more technically challenging.”
Only two companies — Rivian and Tesla — have a true zonal architecture, Bensaid claimed.
“This is what the industry calls software-defined vehicles – a term that is absolutely abused,” he added.
The company has also developed its own middleware software, which communicates with real-time ECUs, infotainment ECUs and the cloud.
These nitty-gritty details matter because in theory, Bensaid explained, Rivian can take any function in the infotainment system and transfer it to a mobile phone or third-party app. In other words, this allows customers to have a connected car and suggests that Rivian could develop its own app store while maintaining security.
All this effort shows Rivian’s extreme interest in controlling the entire experience. So it’s perhaps no surprise that Rivian’s second-generation R1 range doesn’t offer the popular smartphone viewing capabilities of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. And it probably never will, according to Bensaid.
Instead, Rivian works with Google and Apple to integrate the products customers want most: music, maps and messaging. For example, Rivian owners will now be able to use car keys in Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, or with select Google Pixel devices, to unlock and start their vehicles or share their keys digitally.
Rivian is also launching a new subscription service called Connect+ that will give customers access to more Apple and Google products for $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year. Later this summer, Connect+ customers will be able to stream video (while parked) via Googlecast, which includes 3,000 apps as well as access to Apple Music. Rivian has also partnered with Apple to bring Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos to the car.
Connect+ subscribers will also have access to Spotify, Tidal and Alexa and will be able to share their WiFi hotspot with up to eight devices.
Rivian said it also plans to integrate Siri and Google Assistant voice assistants into the vehicles.
The company has taken a similar in-house-is-best approach with its “Rivian Autonomy Platform,” which will be standard on all second-generation R1 vehicles and includes 11 cameras, five radar sensors and a computer that’s 10 times more strong. from the previous system.
Rivian may use the word “autonomy,” but its system isn’t autonomous, or even close. The advanced driver assistance system, which TechCrunch tested, requires the driver to stay alert with their hands on the wheel.
The system includes adaptive cruise control, which maintains speed and distance behind vehicles on the highway, and a highway assist function that automatically steers, brakes and accelerates on selected highways.
Rivian is also releasing a premium version called Rivian Autonomy Platform+, which will be offered free to second-generation R1 customers for one year. Later this summer, the system will introduce a lane change function on command that will automatically move the vehicle into another lane when the driver activates the turn signal.
