Rivian redesigns all-electric R1 pickup and SUV, adds Nvidia chips and improves performance

Rivian Automotive has redesigned its all-electric R1 pickup and SUV models to improve range, performance and computing power with the help of Nvidia chips, the company said Thursday.

While the 2025 model-year vehicles do not outwardly look too different than the current models, Rivian said it has changed more than half the hardware components for the second-generation products and reengineered their batteries and electrical architectures, also known as the brains of a vehicle.

“We continue to evolve our flagship R1 vehicles, offering quality and performance without compromise. Our revamped R1S and R1T push the technical boundaries further, creating our most capable products to date,” Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe said in a statement.

Amid the most notable changes to the new vehicles is their computing power, which Rivian says delivers 10 times more performance than the previous system.

The new system uses dual Nvidia DRIVE Orin processors to help power the “Autonomy Compute Module,” which includes driver-assistant features. Rivian said a “premium version” of the system also will be available with a broader set of capabilities such as hands-free driving “for periods of time.” Rivian said drivers will still need to pay attention to the road at all times.

The updates to its current products come as the automaker attempts to increase sales of the flagship models ahead of launching less-expensive “R2” models, which are expected to start at about $45,000 when they begin shipping during the first half of 2026.

The lower-priced vehicles are crucial to Rivian’s expansion as sales of its current models have slowed amid a sluggish industrywide sales pace for electric vehicles. The company has cut headcount, reduced operational costs and retooled its plant in Illinois to be more efficient in an effort to lower capital spending. It also paused construction of a new plant in Georgia, saving $2.25 billion.

Rivian’s stock has been under pressure, as the automaker continues to burn through cash and report significant losses. Rivian reported a loss of $1.45 billion during the first quarter of this year.

Its shares are down roughly 50% year to date.

Deliveries for the 2025 R1S and R1T will start immediately, Rivian said.

The California-based company will continue to offer three motor configurations — dual, tri and quad — as well as Standard, Max and Large battery packs, with top ranges of between 270 miles, 330 miles and 420 miles, respectively.

Rivian said pricing for the second-generation R1S SUV will increase $1,000 from current models to start at $75,900, with top-end trimotor models starting around $106,000. Starting pricing for the R1T will remain the same at $69,900 but top $100,000 for trimotor. The company did not announce specific pricing for the top-end quad-motor vehicles.

The updated battery packs will continue to use a “2170 cylindrical cell,” but the pack enclosure now utilizes large high-pressure die castings to simplify manufacturing and reduce mass.

The tri- and quad-motor vehicles include new Rivian-made drive units. The top-end quad-motor will now deliver up to 1,025 horsepower and 1,198 pound-foot of torque when using Launch Mode and 0 mph to 60 mph acceleration in 2.5 seconds. That is up from 835 horsepower and 908 pound-foot of torque.

Rivian said the vehicles also feature more luxurious, updated interiors as well as a fully redesigned software interface. Charging times have also improved, with all vehicles capable of adding up to 140 miles of range in about 20 minutes.