Does 2026 Quad Max Suggest There’s Nothing New in 2026 Other than NACS?

[ATLRivvy]

I've owned two QM R1Ts and now own a Tri motor. Inside you can't tell which vehicle it is. This design is from 2017-2018. It isn't like sales have been huge. I love mine, but they have to be disappointed in the sales. Might want to make a substantial change.

Sales have been relatively low because it’s a very expensive and somewhat niche vehicle. It’s very expensive because the company is unprofitable. All focus right now is rightfully on getting more gross margin, which will allow them to lower prices and move more volume.

Car platforms typically have 7-10 year lifespans with a mid cycle refresh. That’s how you get return on the massive amount of capital that goes into platform development. The R1S/R1T only went into production in 2021 and had a mid-cycle refresh last year. You shouldn’t expect major platform changes until 2028 at the earliest.

Not just a Rivian thing - the Taycan, Mach-E, Polestar 2, etc. are the still on their original platform with midcycle refreshes. The Model 3/Model Y is a by into production in 2017 and just did a true major platform upgrade in 2024

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[DuoRivians]

Why’s it impossible? 2026 quad max is already announced with all specs. It’s not like a lower trim will have better features than the quad max

 

[CANCERDOC]

Be happy there is a 2026 model year vehicle since two years ago we didn't even know if the company would be solvent at this point. Right now instead of new features, Rivian needs to focus on building consistently reliable vehicles and get the R2 to market.

 

[Mellowyellow]

Be happy there is a 2026 model year vehicle since two years ago we didn't even know if the company would be solvent at this point. Right now instead of new features, Rivian needs to focus on building consistently reliable vehicles and get the R2 to market.

Agreed, they need to increase quality control at the factory and standardize pre delivery checks.

 

[mkg3]

2026 R1S is without the cargo track system.

 

[Dark-Fx]

2026 R1S is without the cargo track system.

I imagine the average customer doesn't use it. Speaking of, I should keep tie downs in mine...

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

2028 is likely the first real chance we'll see a fully refreshed R1—with next-gen battery tech, improved charging, and true efficiency gains along with an interior refresh. Until then, I’m just thankful Rivian is still standing as an independent company.

 

[LaunchGreen]

2028 is likely the first real chance we'll see a fully refreshed R1—with next-gen battery tech, improved charging, and true efficiency gains along with an interior refresh. Until then, I’m just thankful Rivian is still standing strong as an independent company.

Only losing $500m a quarter now which is a major improvement from over a billion a quarter last year. $8b cash, they definitely have a few years to try to figure the market out - 10k vehicles a quarter ain't gonna cut it.

 

[usulio]

2026 R1S is without the cargo track system.

I couldn't survive without the tie downs, that's how I keep the full-size spare in the wheel well for off roading.

Surprises me that Rivian puts so much engineering effort into removing features from R1.

 

[insomniac]

I took delivery of a 2026 Forest Green R1S Tri today and it still had the rail system!!!

 

[Megaman0025]

I just don’t get all the 800V hoopla, so it would charge a bit faster at a L3 charger. Everyone quotes the Ioniq5 charging in 18min (20-80soc). It’s got a 77kWh battery pack! Sure - long term you should probably design a new vehicle for the future, but to retrofit an existing makes little sense. It’s not that much better ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

800v charging would be significant in the end. It’s not just faster charging - it’s faster charging with much cooler temperatures (due to lower amperage) which means you can optimize a million other things related to the cooling system, AC, pack design, etc. and…let’s be honest, the charging curve and time of this truck sucks. 800v is not required no, but it would help!

 

[Megaman0025]

I couldn't survive without the tie downs, that's how I keep the full-size spare in the wheel well for off roading.

Surprises me that Rivian puts so much engineering effort into removing features from R1.

My opinion is that they need to spend a whole lot more time to optimize removal of features and they need to do it a lot faster than they have been.

 

[SoCal Rob]

I couldn't survive without the tie downs, that's how I keep the full-size spare in the wheel well for off roading.

Surprises me that Rivian puts so much engineering effort into removing features from R1.

There is a picture earlier in this thread showing there are still tie downs, but the 4 tie downs are fixed rather than 2 sliding. Having four fixed and no track to collect crud is probably better for most people. I bought 2 extra sliding tie downs since we use ours to secure cargo frequently and having 4 gives a lot more options.

Do you store your full-size spare flat on the floor? We store ours vertically and strapped to the tether anchors on the backs of the third row seats. Mainly because we usually have friends go off-roading with us.

 

[usulio]

My opinion is that they need to spend a whole lot more time to optimize removal of features and they need to do it a lot faster than they have been.

I've been wondering the opposite, if all the effort Rivian puts into constantly redesigning small things is really worth the savings. I assume so, but it seems excessive.

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