Key Takeaways
- Rivian will offer an OTA upgrade to Performance for Dual-Motor AWD models later this year.
- The upgrade increases horsepower and torque significantly for an undisclosed price.
- Using OTA updates, Rivian can enhance vehicle features post-purchase for added profit.
If you purchased a Dual-Motor AWD Rivian recently, and you started kicking yourself for not opting for the Performance Dual-Motor AWD version, we have some good news. According to an email sent to a Rivian customer, the company is gearing up to offer the Performance upgrade through an Over-The-Air (OTA) update at some point later this year.
Rivian
Rivian Automotive, Inc. is an American electric vehicle manufacturer launched in 2009 by R.J. Scaringe as Mainstream Motors before being renamed Avera Automotive and, later, Rivian in 2011. Despite initial plans to launch a sports car as its first product, Rivian changed focus to cater to the growing demand for adventure vehicles, launching the R1T and R1S in 2021 and 2022, respectively. As of the beginning of 2024, Rivian has sold a total of 82,572 EVs, with plans to grow this figure rapidly by launching new products like the R2 and R3.
- Founded
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June 2009 (as Mainstream Motors)
- Founder
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R.J. Scaringe
- Headquarters
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Irvine, California, USA
- Owned By
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Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
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R.J. Scaringe
A user posted in the RivianForums an excerpt from their interaction that stated, “I can confirm that you will have the option to upgrade to the performance dual motor later this year. I wish I had a date to share, but my team’s insight is fairly limited. The upgrade will be available via a software update, and we plan to share more information as we get closer to launch.”
What Is The Performance Update?
Whether you’ve opted for the R1T pickup or R1S SUV, both give you the option of upgrading to the Performance Dual Motor AWD version when ordering. It’s the top-of-the-line version before you get into the Quad-Motor versions of the models, and it packs quite the punch from motors produced in house by Rivian.
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Whereas the regular Dual-Motor nets you 533 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque, upgrading to the Performance version bumps those numbers to 665 horsepower and 829 lb-ft of torque, making it significantly more powerful for an extra $5,000 on the base truck. All of this new performance is only achieved with the introduction of a new “Sport” mode that isn’t on the lower truck.
If you’re not in this mode, the truck will perform exactly the same as the regular Dual-Motor version, offering the same range, power, and towing numbers. There are no aesthetic changes either, which is what makes this update possible well after you’ve purchased the truck.
This isn’t the first time Rivian has increased the performance of its models after they’ve been on the road, as last year the company increased the towing capacity to 11,000 lbs in a random update. Thanks to the integrated software systems behind these vehicles, we’re now living in a time when you go to bed one evening and wake up the next day with a vehicle that could do more before, increasing performance and making your life easier if everything goes according to plan.
Related
Rivian Uses Android Automotive As Operating System Base
Despite this, neither Android Auto nor Apple CarPlay are available in Rivian EVs.
The benefit for the manufacturer is the ability to continue making money on people who have already purchased the vehicles. Sure, not everyone is going to feel the need to spend $5,000 more for a slightly quicker 0-60 mph sprint in their R1S, but it’s a no-brainer for the company as it doesn’t take much more work to make it happen, and ensures consistent profits. We’ll have to wait and see what exactly this is going to cost customers.
Source: RivianForums
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