U.S. carmaker Rivian is pretty famous worldwide right now thanks to its hardcore quad-motor EVs – the truck-shaped R1T and SUV-bodied R1S. In May, dual-motor versions were announced for both. Their output was expected to lie close to 700 PS (690 hp / 515 kW), but the reality proved slightly less exciting.
According to Autoevolution quoting data from the web-based configurator, the standard dual-motor powertrain produces 540 PS (533 hp / 397 kW) and the Performance spec outputs 674 PS (665 hp / 496 kW). This is significantly less than the rumored 600 and 700 U.S. horsepower, respectively.
Unlike their quad-motor counterparts equipped with Bosch motors, the new models ship with Rivian’s own Enduro motors at the wheels.
Autoevolution believes that Rivian could artificially limit the motor output in early production batches to minimize any potential issues arising from the technology being still young. Later on, should everything go smoothly, the company may release a software update to unlock the full output. That said, it has not been confirmed yet.
Despite the lower-than-expected specifications, Rivian once again confirmed the 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) acceleration times for both models at 4.5 seconds for the Standard spec and 3.5 seconds for Performance.