Rivian R1S Max pack battery with 400-mile range arrives on configurator as eye-watering US$16,000 option for dual-motor variants

When Rivian started shipping the R1S electric SUV back in August 2022, the vehicle was only available with the Standard and Large battery packs, delivering a respectable 260 miles and 352 miles of range, respectively. Now, the brand seems to be readying itself to deliver R1S units with the Max pack as well — as an eye-watering US$16,000 option. 

For now, the Max pack appears to be limited to the Dual-Motor and Performance Dual-Motor variants of the R1S, and in both vehicles, the option costs US$16,000. That's around ~US$114 per mile over the Standard pack and ~US$208 per mile over the Large pack, making it a rather expensive update. For comparison, Tesla's Model Y works out to ~US$93 per mile when opting for the Model Y Long Range over the base Model Y.

High pricing on the Max pack may be a deliberate move by Rivian in order to limit those orders to customers who sincerely need it rather than those simply looking to quell misplaced range anxiety. It could also simply be a consequence of Rivian's brute force range strategy — in which it makes up for a lack of aerodynamics by stacking the battery with more capacity — that can also lead to longer charge times.

In the case of the Max pack, it is likely a 180-kWh battery pack, which means charging from empty to full will require a considerable wait, even at DC fast chargers.

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