Rivian adds Standard and Standard+ battery options

Rivian has expanded its battery options for the R1T and R1S, at the same time lowering the entry prices for both vehicles. The Standard pack slides a 106-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery between the wheels. It can only be paired with the Dual Motor powertrain, good for a Rivian-estimated 270-mile range. Choosing Standard lowers the opening price of an R1T to $69,900 before destination and taxes. That saves $9,100 compared to the previous base option, the $79,000 R1T with the Large pack that gets an estimated 352 miles out of a full battery. The Standard battery drops the price of the R1S to $74,900, giving the same $9,100 discount off an R1S with the 135-kWh Large pack.   

Above that comes the new Standard+ pack, a 121-kWh lithium-ion battery. It's configurable with the Dual Motor and Dual Motor Performance powertrains, good for a Rivian-estimated 315 miles. In terms of results, the Standard+ costs $3,100 to get 45 miles of additional range above the Standard. The price and range rundown (before destination) is:

R1T:

• Standard Dual-Motor AWD (106 kWh, 270 miles): $69,900
• Standard+ Dual-Motor AWD (121 kWh, 315 miles): $73,000 
• Standard+ Performance Dual-Motor AWD (121 kWh, 315 miles): $78,000       

R1S:

• Standard Dual-Motor AWD (106 kWh, 270 miles): $74,900
• Standard+ Dual-Motor AWD (121 kWh, 315 miles): $78,000  
• Standard+ Performance Dual-Motor AWD (121 kWh, 315 miles): $83,000

Last we checked, Rivian charges $1,800 for destination for both vehicles. Getting at least five trims below the $80,000 barrier could open up a $3,750 federal tax incentive to buyers. 

Even lower prices could make their way into the lineups later this year. The automaker told Green Car Reports it's working on lithium-iron-phosphate batteries for the R1T and R1S, these LFP packs in the offing from several automakers as a way to lower EV prices. In general, the The LFP trades lower costs and greater longevity for being heavier and less energy-dense than Li-ion batteries.  

Next month, Rivian introduces at least one new model in the R2S SUV, and perhaps an R2T pickup at the same time, both smaller than their R1 siblings. These aren't expected to become available until later next year, though.

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