2025 Rivian R1T

There are few design tweaks here and there, but the R1 generally looks the same as before. Most of the changes are underneath the skin, or at least not immediately obvious at first glance. The available batteries and entire electronics system have been updated, promising better efficiency and more electric range. A new three-motor model joins the dual-motor and four-motor R1s, and there have been some changes to the suspension for better ride and handling. There have been changes to the tech and driver aids, too.

The R1T has been one of Edmunds' favorite EVs since it debuted, and we added one to our long-term fleet now long after it launched. We've added nearly 30,000 miles to the truck since it landed in our garage, so we have plenty of seat time in the current model. We had a chance to drive the updated R1 both on- and off-road outside of Seattle to see just how much the new truck has changed.

For 2025, the R1T Quad-Motor gets a new motor setup that was also designed and manufactured by Rivian. It has better cooling than before, and the new motor is intended to be quieter than the old one. Output is up to 1,025 horsepower and 1,198 lb-ft of torque, up 190 horsepower and 290 lb-ft over the previous Quad-Motor model. Rivian says that will drop the 0 to 60 mph to about 2.5 seconds. That's significantly quicker than the 3.3-second sprint we saw in our long-term R1T, but we'll have to wait to test one ourselves to confirm Rivian's number.

Starting with the 2025 model, Rivian will now offer a new R1T Tri-Motor. As you might expect, it combines the motors from the Dual-Motor and Quad-Motor models, with a single motor at the front axle and two at the rear. Output is a stout 850 horsepower and 1,103 lb-ft, making it more powerful than the outgoing Quad-Motor. Rivian says it should hit 60 seconds in under 3 seconds.

But the Lightning doesn't handle nearly as well as the R1T. The steering still feels tight and direct, making the R1T feel far more nimble than basically any other pickup on the road. We weren't able to really push the R1T on the street, but off-road the new Rally and Drift drive modes allow for some high-speed fun on loose surfaces.

Rivian set up a small course for us to drive the new Tri-Motor model. Rally and Drift back off the stability control and send most of the power to the rear axle. The front motor never completely shuts off, but the rear is doing most of the work. In practice, that means big slides and lots of dust. The tight steering makes it easy to control slides, and the regenerative braking helps adjust the weight transfer without ever having to touch the brake. It's great fun and easy to manage big four-wheel drifts.

The Rivian is plenty capable off-road, especially in Tri- and Quad-Motor variants. The individual electric motors can control each wheel individually, so traction is rarely an issue. That's especially true with the All-Terrain package. It adds 20-inch wheels with all-terrain Pirelli tires, a matching full-size spare and extra underbody protection. The tires do reduce electric range, but in our testing we've still seen the R1T hit its EPA estimates with the All-Terrain pack.

The seats are still comfortable and soft and should provide plenty of support, even on longer drives. There's a decent amount of adjustment, and the square body and upright position give you a good view of the road ahead. The cabin layout itself is good, with a deep center console and large bin on the floor between the passenger and driver. There's plenty of space, but the pop-out cupholders still aren't our favorite touch.

The menu layout is essentially the same, which isn't a complaint as the R1's infotainment is already pretty well laid out. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still notably absent from the list of features, but the Rivian has streaming integration with native apps for Spotify and Apple Music. The native navigation system works well, too. The map is clear and easy to read, and you can search for charging networks and available charging stations. While we would still prefer to just sync our phones and go, as with Tesla, Rivian offers an interface nice enough that we don't miss CarPlay and Android Auto that badly.

Rivian has enhanced the driver aids for 2025, adding new features for the Highway Assist system. In addition to adaptive cruise control and lane centering, Highway Assist will now change lanes with the tap of the turn signal. It will sense when traffic is clear and move over when it's safe. Rivian has added a blind-spot camera that shows a video of the truck's blind spot in the instrument cluster when you activate the signal. It's not unique to Rivian, but it's a feature we appreciate. Rivian says it's working on hands-free highway driving, though that feature will come with an update sometime down the line. The company has been quiet on when it will actually appear.

Rivian announced it will be adopting Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS), though currently the trucks use the CCS standard. For now, new R1s will come with an adapter that will allow them to be used at Tesla Supercharger stations.

Tesla has finally launched the Cybertruck, and while it fell short of what Tesla initially promised, the Cybertruck is certainly a striking and capable truck. It's got much of the same energy as the Rivian, though Tesla's truck is far more divisive as a package. Chevrolet is finally launching the Silverado EV to the masses, but until the less expensive variants go on sale, we recommend holding off on that one.