RivianTrackr: "Stop Buying EVs for the Trip You Take Twice a Year"

[CalDriver]

By this argument, we should all settle for an EV that gets 200 mile range and charges at 100kw peak. Such EV could cost under $30K.

Of course, we don’t because we *want* the freedom and flexibility to do many things, not to be limited by the car.

And far far majority of people will never take their R2 off pavement, so the extra ground clearance and “off-road” features are basically unnecessary and could have been stripped out or optimized for something else.

I guess what I’m saying is that this editorial seems to be trying to excuse R2’s shortcomings and why people should still buy it. And if you truly bought the editorial’s message, one probably shouldn’t be buying an R2, but some other cheaper EV. Seems heavily biased, to say the least.

The guy does have a point. I’ve had a 2021 standard range AWD Mach-E for over 5 years. It has 211 miles of range and charges at 115 kW. I could have specced it with the larger battery for 270 miles of range and 150 kW fast charge speed. It was a very deliberate choice on my part.

I’ve been perfectly happy with the version I got, I knew my driving habits, that I could charge at home and that it wouldn’t be a big road trip car, and the few times I have needed to fast charge it, it hasn’t been a big deal because skipping the large battery resulted in me saving $5,000 and having a lighter vehicle to boot.

Some people really can and do take advantage of faster charging speeds and more range. For a huge amount of people though, I think it is driven by some unwarranted range anxiety.

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[Owner]

I have been an EV driver for the last 17 years, and have serious wanderlust. My first EV was the Tesla Roadster and then I switched to the Model S because I could supercharge and went on one of the first cross country trips. Till 2026 I have had an ICE adventure vehicle - various SUVs and then a PeaceVans Mercedes Metris. Currently driving a 2026 R1S and shopping for a companion city EV at the moment.

The 'range' number is a factor but very related with realistic charging speeds. The 2013 Model S was so slow to charge - I started taking the ICE on all long trips because of that extremely slow rate of charge. The R1S is so much faster than the 2013 Model S to charge.

If you are someone who say weekly or bi-monthly takes long trips range/charging time would be a big consideration. But for the majority of people who take say a few longer trips a year it's really insignificant unless you are only focused on getting somewhere as absolutely fast as you can. And perhaps every blue moon, just rent a car with better range or an ICE if need be.

While shopping for my city EV, I'm also looking at efficiency and focusing on my miles/kWh. I thankfully can run on clean energy at home with a combination of solar panels and the ability to purchase 100% green energy (solar and wind) from my energy provider.

 

[krb1183]

All it takes is one road trip and you’ll realize you were worried about nothing, have done it frequently for many years before there were so many charging options.
And just to add, the pleasure of fueling up in your own garage and never stopping at gas stations again is priceless!

100% agree on filling up overnight in the garage. It's amazing. We've done the overnight trips where we get up to the smoky mountains and just charge up there once we're at the destination. We'll have to take it up further is my next step. Hah.
For me the ideal sweet spot would be 500 miles of real world range (probably more like 600 miles EV stated range) so I don't have to charge between overnights or only stop once in a longer day drive.

 

[rvnxyz001]

If you are someone who say weekly or bi-monthly takes long trips range/charging time would be a big consideration. But for the majority of people who take say a few longer trips a year it's really insignificant unless you are only focused on getting somewhere as absolutely fast as you can. And perhaps every blue moon, just rent a car with better range or an ICE if need be.

Sometimes I leave early on Friday and drive about 160 miles one way into the mountains, mostly uphill, in one nonstop stretch just to sleep in the forest, hike, set up a tent, and drive back home the next morning.

I thought a Rivian would be perfect for me because the last part of these trips sometimes requires off-roading. I only do this maybe five times a year, but I can’t realistically rent a vehicle every time or keep a spare gas car just for these trips.

And now I’m stuck calculating all this EPA range and kilowatt bullshit just to figure out whether I can make it back and reach a charger on the way home

 

[krb1183]

EV charging stations have EXPLODED all around my area in the 12+ years I've had electric. There literally used to be 1-2 stops on long stretches, sometimes requiring a 15-20 minute detour, and you could not take a trip without pre-planning. Nowadays, we can just hop in the car and check for charging options along the way, even pick and choose which we want based on amenity, etc. It's gotten better so much faster than I would have expected.

That said, I don't even care about long trips when I want a real-world 300+ mile EV. I'm actually happy to take a 15-30minute stop every couple of hours, it's no big deal. But I still want a car with more range than I know what to do with. I might take a day trip and not want to charge, or want to stop and eat somewhere there isn't a charger. Or just spend an overnight without dealing with charging at all. Or not have to pause before getting to mountain pass. Or tow a small trailer, or have a rooftop cargo rack. A gas car with a 400+ mileage range lets me do that easily, without thinking. And instead of anchoring on "almost 300 miles is surely good enough." what if we had 5-600mi EVs and could truly just have it all, for whatever situation. I think that's a 100% reasonable desire.

If I wanted a low-range city-bound people-mover, honestly I wouldn't be looking at any Rivian.

Yes a true sweet spot for me anyway would be to only charge at overnight, so maybe 600 mile range would be awesome.
Initially when I placed my order for the Max pack it was when we lived in San Diego and I wanted to make it to Phoenix without having to stop to charge.

 

[Owner]

And now I’m stuck calculating all this EPA range and kilowatt bullshit just to figure out whether I can make it back and reach a charger on the way home

I'm not sure where you are located but at least here in California that's easy to do with a short say 10-15 minute stop at a supercharger or some other fast charger. If you live say in the middle of Nevada or another very very remote place could be a challenge,

the calculations can seem daunting at first but it won't be once you get used to it.

 

[Dennisis]

Sometimes I leave early on Friday and drive about 160 miles one way into the mountains, mostly uphill, in one nonstop stretch just to sleep in the forest, hike, set up a tent, and drive back home the next morning.

I thought a Rivian would be perfect for me because the last part of these trips sometimes requires off-roading. I only do this maybe five times a year, but I can’t realistically rent a vehicle every time or keep a spare gas car just for these trips.

And now I’m stuck calculating all this EPA range and kilowatt bullshit just to figure out whether I can make it back and reach a charger on the way home

Or you could actually use the trip planner and it would tell you exactly what to do. Not everyone is running around with calculators and weather balloons, I’m sure you could manage. And don’t forget, when you travel back downhill your Rivian is charging and adding range, makes a huge difference.

 

[Owner]

Yes a true sweet spot for me anyway would be to only charge at overnight, so maybe 600 mile range would be awesome.
Initially when I placed my order for the Max pack it was when we lived in San Diego and I wanted to make it to Phoenix without having to stop to charge.

Would be nice but nah rather have a R1S than a Lucid...

 

[rvnxyz001]

Or you could actually use the trip planner and it would tell you exactly what to do. Not everyone is running around with calculators and weather balloons, I’m sure you could manage. And don’t forget, when you travel back downhill you’re Rivian is charging and adding range, makes a huge difference.

Will the route planner use EPA numbers or the real range we see in YouTube reviews?

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

Will the route planner use EPA numbers or the real range we see in YouTube reviews?

Route planner uses observed efficiency based on the roads on the route.

 

[Dennisis]

Will the route planner use EPA numbers or the real range we see in YouTube reviews?

You’re right, better to spitball it yourself. I take it you’ve never owned an EV?

 

[rvnxyz001]

You’re right, better to spitball it yourself. I take it you’ve never owned an EV?

Correct, I thought in 2026 I won't need to figure out range and charging

 

[rvnxyz001]

I'm not sure where you are located but at least here in California that's easy to do with a short say 10-15 minute stop at a supercharger or some other fast charger. If you live say in the middle of Nevada or another very very remote place could be a challenge,

the calculations can seem daunting at first but it won't be once you get used to it.

Yeah, I’m trying to avoid any fuel or charging stops on those trips. Even a quick gas stop can add more than five minutes once you account for the detour. A 10–15 minute charging session would probably add at least 30 minutes overall, based on what I’ve seen, because chargers still usually aren’t located right off the road like gas stations are.

 

[TexasBob]

I find this, well, deeply disingenuous. Rivian is constantly pitching the off-road capability and the higher clearance as a core reason to buy and R2 vs a Model Y. What do most people use more often: longer range or off-road capability? If we follow @RivianTrackr to the logical conclusion and stop buying vehicles based on capabilities we do not use very much, the R2 is probably dead as a product. Its entire pitch is offering a vehicle that can handle your occasional "adventures."

That aside, a 250 mile 70 mph range means that at Rivian's recommended charging rate you are at 175 miles of range when it is fully charged to 70% in the morning. In the cold? You are at less than 150 miles.

If the basic premise of the R2 is that the range should be "good enough for you" and "you ought to value the style and adventure capabilities more than additional range," Rivian has a big problem.

 

[tivoboy]

Will the route planner use EPA numbers or the real range we see in YouTube reviews?

It SEEMS to start with EPA numbers, then it seems to correct and use it’s lived experience somewhere between 75% SOC and 50% SOC, then it produces real world accuracy down to about 10% and then all bets are off.. some ppl report it continues pretty linearly and some say it drops much faster than one would expect..

Add to that, it seems that on longer trip tracking, the reported efficiency and usage - and possibly then range projections - stops accurately counting somewhere ~ 400-450 miles..there are a couple threads that have reported on this.

In main drivers display at least SOC seems to be accurate, but it’s unclear if routing, battery pre-conditioning and range projections maintain accuracy at that point.

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