CarBrandLogos archive · Rivian · 2022

RivianR1S

Same skateboard, three rows, and the model that actually pays the bills.

Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Rivian history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Rivian R1S, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Announced alongside the R1T and built on the same platform at Normal, Illinois, the R1S is a full-size seven-seat SUV with a single-speed drivetrain and, depending on specification, two or four motors. Paul Hoste is credited with the 2014 design work that set its proportions.

Rivian R1S · Richard Truesdell · CC BY-SA 4.0

Design and engineering

Rivian prioritised the truck, so R1S deliveries did not begin properly until 2022, and early customers waited a long time. Once supply improved the SUV became the more important of the two: American buyers who like the idea of an electric adventure vehicle mostly want seats and a boot rather than a bed, and the R1S has consistently outsold the R1T.

Rivian SUV frunk · Lars Plougmann · CC BY-SA 2.0

In production

It shares the R1T's air suspension, tow rating and quad-motor option, but not the gear tunnel, the space instead going to the third row. A comprehensive re-engineering in 2025 simplified the wiring and brought Rivian's own motors and control units, cutting cost from a vehicle that had been expensive to build.

Rivian R1S, Howard Ave, Burlingame · Mliu92 · CC BY-SA 3.0

At a glance