Rivian has officially launched the next-generation R1S and R1T, new versions of the company’s flagship electric vehicles.
“We continue to evolve our flagship R1 vehicles,” CEO RJ Scaringe said, “offering quality and performance without compromise. Our revamped R1S and R1T push the technical boundaries further, creating our most capable products to date.”
Rivian aimed to refine and improve performance, design, range, and overall ownership experience with the new R1T and R1S, bringing everything from new drivetrains to new interior aesthetics to the EVs without compromising any of the features that owners loved about the first generation.
Additionally, Rivian is rolling out its new Autonomy Platform, which was developed in-house and utilizes eleven internally developed cameras along with five radars that perform over 250 trillion operations per second.
“For most owners, their R1 Gen 2 will be the most powerful computer that they own,” VP of Autonomy and AI for Rivian, James Philbin, said.
Let’s dive into some of the improvements Rivian has employed:
Performance
Rivian’s next-gen R1 platform now features more power, performance, and range, all stemming from a new drive unit offered in its Tri and Quad-Motor configurations. Dual-Motor has not gone anywhere either, and still offers great performance metrics:
- Dual-Motor Our Dual-Motor delivers incredible all-wheel drive capability along with 665 horsepower and 0–60 mph in as quick as 3.4 seconds for the Performance variant
- Tri-Motor Our all-new 850 horsepower Tri-Motor packs two motors in the rear and one in front for a blend of exceptional power and range. The Tri-Motor R1T delivers 0–60 mph in 2.9 seconds while offering an estimated range of 380 miles. In Conserve Mode, the estimated range is up to 410 miles.
- Quad-Motor For peak adventure, our new 1,025 horsepower Quad-Motor delivers 0–60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds in R1T — and ¼ mile in 10.5 seconds — with a staggering 1,198 lb-ft of torque when using Launch Mode. 60–80 mph acceleration is 1.5 seconds, with incredible torque control at each wheel for superior on-road performance and off-road capability.
Ride and Handling
Rivian also focused on the ride and handling experience in the R1 lineup for this second-generation vehicle launch. The suspension system has been fully re-engineered, improving on what customers called a “sport-tuned feel” in the first-generation EVs. Rivian decided to go with a “smoother” ride for the new R1T and R1S, which is adjustable to ensure comfortable on and off-road capabilities.
Vehicle equipment has also been refined. Rivian developed new wheels and fitted them with new tires, including a redesigned 22″ aerodynamic wheel design and Pirelli-developed tires to increase range.
For Performance, Rivian is going with an Ultra-High-Performance Michelin tire that will be available on the Quad-Motor configurations. Additionally, for a “well-rounded” experience, Goodyear has a 20″ ADV tire that offers “balanced all-around capability with the rolling-resistance of an all-season,” and comes standard.
Range and Batteries
Three battery pack sizes will still be offered by Rivian, but the Max and Large batteries have been completely re-engineered and offer ranges of 420 and 330 miles, respectively, based on estimations. They will continue to use 2170 cylindrical cells, and the pack enclosure features a “large high-pressure de-casting” system to simplify manufacturing and reduce mass.
The new Standard Pack will feature lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry and provide an EPA-estimated 270-mile range.
140 miles of range can be regained in as little as 20 minutes and are compatible with all major public high-speed charging networks. This includes the Rivian Adventure Network and the Tesla Supercharger Network.
Design and Experience
Rivian honed in on new features with the R1T and R1S and also added two new premium interiors, new exterior paint options, and new darkout trim options.
These are in addition to the new wheel and tire choices, and now vehicles come with a new electronically tinted glass roof, new in-cabin storage, interior lighting themes, new digital interfaces, and new cell shading designs for the different drive modes. It has also improved on the wireless charger.
Surround Sound Audio with Dolby Atmos is available with Rivian Premium Audio.
Refined Electrical Architecture and Compute Platform
The second-gen R1 features new electrical architecture and a new compute platform that was developed in-house by the Rivian hardware and software teams.
“While the exterior of the R1 looks similar, the electrical system is completely redone, providing a significant increase in features as well as a dramatic increase in sensing and compute capability,” Rivian’s SVP of Electrical Hardware, Vidya Rajagopalan, said.
Trimming the ECU count from 17 in the first-gen to just 7 in the second-gen, the “massive simplification” was part of a shift in zonal architecture. Infotainment, autonomy, and vehicle access, as well as battery management, all have their own ECUs. Every other vehicle function is controlled by the remaining three.
Rivian Autonomy Platform
The Rivian Autonomy Platform utilizes “11 internally developed cameras and five radars performing over 250 trillion operations per second, an industry-leading level of compute power.”
The cameras are high-resolution and now include 4K HDR units, which have 360-degree visibility and can see three-times farther than the previous system, as well as 10 seconds ahead at highway speeds.
These are the most camera megapixels of any EV in North America and enable improved dynamic range and clear vision in high-contrast scenarios, like tunnel entrances and exits.
Rivian is also utilizing a cabin-facing camera in the rearview mirror to detect both driver fatigue and distraction when operating in Enhance Highway Assist mode, which will roll out later this year.
The Autonomy Compute Module is backed up by dual NVIDIA DRIVE Orin processors, delivering 10 times more compute performance than the previous system.
Pricing
The new R1S will start at $75,900 and the R1T at $69,900. Dual-Motor configurations can be ordered today and are available immediately. Tri-Max is expected to be launched in the late Summer, while Quad Max will come shortly after.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla launched the slightly larger Model Y L in China last year, and it became a hit in no time. The longer wheelbase, larger interior, and slightly more forgiving legroom area in the Model Y L became a sought-after possibility for U.S. buyers, who have been begging the company for a larger SUV.
Now, Tesla needs it more than ever, especially considering the Model X was discontinued alongside its Model S sibling earlier this year. It looks to be more likely than ever, and based on recent reports, it will fall in line with CEO Elon Musk’s prediction that it would arrive in the United States in late 2026.
Recent reports from Forbes and Not a Tesla App both have indicated Tesla plans to bring the Model Y L to the U.S. this year. The reports cite “credible sources,” and an analyst from AutoForecast Solutions named Sam Fiorani stated that the car would enter production later this year.
Fiorani said:
“China, Australia, and India are supplied by the factory in China, which will not supply vehicles to the U.S. Production of the Model Y L is expected to begin in the U.S. in September, which will lead to sales beginning before the end of 2026.”
Production would take place at Gigafactory Texas.
Additionally, a few Model Y L units have been spotted under wraps in the United States, giving more indication that Tesla plans to bring the vehicle to the U.S. When Tesla is close to launching a vehicle in the U.S., it is not uncommon to see these models with the exact car covers that you see below:
Looks like another Tesla Model Y L was spotted in the U.S.! pic.twitter.com/jhsdkcN5Go
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 26, 2026
It makes sense, especially considering Musk hinted the Model Y L would make it to the U.S. in late 2026, but it was up in the air. The CEO said the advent of self-driving might not warrant a larger SUV coming to the U.S. market specifically.
The problem is, consumers do not want to hear that. They love Tesla’s tech, FSD, and other features, but they need more space for growing families. The Model X is gone, and the most anyone can fit in a Tesla right now is seven people in the seven-seat Model Y. That back row is truly only large enough to fit small children comfortably.
Tesla fans have requested a full-size SUV, and the company has made some hints that it could be in the plans.
The Model Y and Model Y L differ noticeably in size, with the Model Y L being a stretched, six-seat variant designed for great interior room. The Standard Model Y measures approximately 4,790mm in length, 1,982 mm in width with the mirrors folded, 1,624mm in height, and 2,890mm in wheel base.
In contrast, the Model Y L extends to be about 4,969–4,976mm long (roughly 179mm or 7 inches longer), stands 1,668mm tall (+44mm), and features a significantly longer 3,040 mm wheelbase (+150mm), while maintaining the same width.
This elongation primarily benefits rear passenger space and enables a 2+2+2 seating layout with captain’s chairs, though it slightly reduces maximum cargo capacity behind the rearmost seats and adds a bit of overall mass and turning radius. The result is a more spacious family hauler that still shares the core footprint and agile character of the original Model Y.
In a major development that will inevitably strengthen Tesla’s dominant position in the American EV market, Polestar has been effectively banned from selling new vehicles in the United States, starting with the 2027 model year.
The U.S. Department of Commerce denied Polestar authorization under the Connected Vehicle Rule, which prohibits vehicles containing certain connected technologies (Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) linked to China or Russia due to national security risks, including potential data collection on American drivers.
🚨 A Tesla competitor goes down
Polestar will no longer sell new vehicles in the United States starting with the 2027 model year.
The U.S. Department of Commerce denied the brand authorization under the Connected Vehicle Rule, which restricts the sale of cars with software and… pic.twitter.com/TrwnQeoiES
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 25, 2026
Polestar, which is majority-owned by China’s Geely Holding, could not obtain the required exemption despite producing some models domestically.
Polestar confirmed it will sell off any remaining inventory of the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 models, while continuing service and warranty support for existing customers. No new models or major refreshes will reach U.S. buyers, and the company is pivoting its growth strategy to Europe, where it already generates the vast majority of its sales.
The outcome removes a direct premium EV competitor that had positioned itself as a stylish, performance-oriented alternative to Tesla’s lineup. The Polestar 2 challenged the Model 3, while the Polestar 3 and 4 targeted segments overlapping with the Model Y and upcoming Tesla offerings. Polestar’s U.S. sales had already been sluggish amid intense competition and slower demand, representing just 6 percent of its global volume in the first quarter of 2026.
While Polestar was not on Tesla’s level in the U.S., it still places a dent in the evergrowing field of Tesla competitors in the country, where it has long dominated EV sales.
Tesla faces none of these hurdles. As a U.S.-founded and U.S.-headquartered company with major manufacturing in Fremont, Austin, and Nevada, Tesla’s vehicles are built with compliant domestic and allied supply chains. Its Full Self-Driving technology, over-the-air software updates, and vertically integrated ecosystem were developed entirely in-house without foreign ownership entanglements that trigger national security reviews, at least in the U.S.
Of course, it did face a similar threat in China a few years back:
Elon Musk responds to reports of Tesla ban among China’s military over security concerns
The Connected Vehicle Rule, first advanced under the prior administration and upheld under the current one, is part of a broader U.S. effort to protect the domestic auto industry and critical technology from Chinese influence. High tariffs on Chinese-made EVs and related restrictions have already reshaped the market. Tesla benefits directly: it avoids these barriers while continuing to lead in U.S. EV sales volume, Supercharger network expansion, and energy storage integration.
By clearing Polestar from the new-vehicle playing field, the policy reduces competitive pressure in the premium and performance EV segments where Tesla has invested billions. American consumers seeking cutting-edge electric vehicles now have one fewer option tied to foreign adversaries — and one clearer path to the market leader that has driven the EV transition from the start.
For Tesla, this is more than regulatory relief. It is a strategic tailwind that reinforces its position as America’s premier EV innovator at a time when domestic manufacturing and technological independence matter most.
Tesla Cybercab stands to gain from new rules that the Trump Administration is aiming to enforce on autonomous vehicles. On Thursday, NHTSA, under the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Transportation, commenced rulemaking on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
This effort aims to eliminate the mandate for manual brake pedals in vehicles that are designed to be driven exclusively by automated driving systems. This would impact the Tesla Cybercab, which the company has stated would operate without a steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla Cybercab launch is imminent after latest sighting at Giga Texas
The Trump Administration is looking to revise FMVSS No. 135, which requires standard braking systems on light-duty vehicles.
Currently, the regulation requires light-duty cars to use traditional manual braking systems that allow operators to slow the vehicle. With the advent of self-driving in the U.S., these regulations need updating, and these are the changes that could come to FMVSS No. 135:
- Removes requirements for hand- or foot-operated brake controls for vehicles designed never to be operated by a human. Existing rules still apply to AVs that retain manual controls.
- All subject vehicles must still meet the same stopping distance performance criteria via alternative testing procedures.
- While this update ensures AVs can physically stop when commanded, NHTSA is separately developing safety performance requirements for AVs in real-world driving scenarios.
- NHTSA will continue to use its broad defect enforcement authority to investigate unsafe ADS behavior and oversee recalls.
As autonomy becomes a greater part of passenger travel, these types of rule adjustments will be more than reasonable. It will give manufacturers the ability to self-certify their vehicles and avoid any red tape that could ultimately delay the deployment of these vehicles.
Administrators are also incredibly excited about the opportunity to play a role in the advancement of self-driving vehicles.
“We are at the cusp of the greatest technological revolution in vehicle technology since the innovation of the Model T,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said. “If we want America to lead the way, we have to reimagine our regulatory framework. That’s why under Secretary Sean Duffy’s AV Framework, NHTSA is tearing down pointless barriers to innovative designs while strengthening the fundamental safety requirements that matter and holding AV developers accountable for safe performance.”
The Cybercab entered mass production at Gigafactory Texas in April. Tesla ultimately plans to push the vehicle into its Robotaxi fleet, potentially when frameworks like these are established.
Tesla looks keen to bring larger Model Y L to the U.S.
One of Tesla’s biggest threats just got banned in the U.S.
