HVB upgrade possible?

[Webleyaz]

What are the chances that sometime in the future there will be a replacement HVB available that is a real upgrade? Solid state, higher capacity, significantly lighter, less combustible, any/some/all of the above?
RTR rc cars come with cheap ass batteries that you can upgrade massively. My 1gr1t seems a bit like a 1:1 rc car.

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[Hereforthesnacks]

For G1 R1s — 0% chance.

For some future EVs, maybe? Depends on how long people will keep these cars. If folks are really going to keep them for 200k miles, there may be an incentive to monetize the older vehicles. But, honestly, people seem to cycle through EVs at a really high rate. Could be because we are all still semi early adopters.

 

[godfodder0901]

What are the chances that sometime in the future there will be a replacement HVB available that is a real upgrade? Solid state, higher capacity, significantly lighter, less combustible, any/some/all of the above?
RTR rc cars come with cheap ass batteries that you can upgrade massively. My 1gr1t seems a bit like a 1:1 rc car.

I don't think this will ever be officially supported.

 

[VSG]

Solid state, higher capacity, significantly lighter, less combustible, any/some/all of the above?

Well none of that exists yet. We're still years away.

When my battery wears out, I am sure there will be replacement packs available, just like there are replacement headlights, door panels, etc.

IF there have been significant developments in commercially-available batteries and Rivian is using those new batteries in new vehicles, and IF there is sufficient supply (not a given) then I am pretty sure that upgraded packs will become available for older vehicles, at a significantly higher price than the default replacement pack. If not Rivian, then at some point I am sure other companies will be in the business of replacing worn-out battery packs and will have options for newer chemistries.

 

[Hereforthesnacks]

Well none of that exists yet. We're still years away.

When my battery wears out, I am sure there will be replacement packs available, just like there are replacement headlights, door panels, etc.

IF there have been significant developments in commercially-available batteries and Rivian is using those new batteries in new vehicles, and IF there is sufficient supply (not a given) then I am pretty sure that upgraded packs will become available for older vehicles, at a significantly higher price than the default replacement pack. If not Rivian, then at some point I am sure other companies will be in the business of replacing worn-out battery packs and will have options for newer chemistries.

We need to get replacement battery costs down. A lot can run $20k+. That’s just silly.

 

[VSG]

Battery pack replacement costs ARE down significantly over the past 10 years, right?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Business case and economics. How many Gen 1 vehicles has Rivian produced? A pretty small number in grand scheme of things. Even smaller as time pass, since they aren’t building more. Are Gen 2 packs compatible? If so the business case of future aftermarket support is better. Otherwise, if there aren’t enough of us for anyone to see profit potential, there’s no business case for replacement or remanufactured pack. Since Rivian’s brand is about being better stewards of the environment, it would make sense for them to offer a path to keep every Rivian running instead of heading to the crusher? But that also mean no conversion to sale of a new vehicle… branding at odds with commercial priorities.

 

[emoore]

I see very little chance of this happening at all on most mainstream EVs. You would have to replace so many other electrical components that it will make it impractical for the masses. Just like putting a modern ICE into a 20 year old car. Is it possible? Sure. Is it practical or financially viable? Not a chance.

 

[Zoidz]

Highly unlikely to see a tech upgrade. The BMS and other software is specific to the battery technology and Rivian will have zero interest in supporting new battery tech in an old vehicle. It's plausible that a third party could offer a battery swap using the same tech if the business model can financially work.

Also remember that the HV battery doesn't just die one day, it just degrades max SOC. Down the road, If you could sell your Rivian with 50% degradation for $10k or $20k to a "well off" high school kid or soccer mom, local-only driver, who could care less about max range, would you instead opt to pay to install a $15k HVB?

 

[CharonPDX]

From Rivian themselves? 0%.

By third parties? Possibly. There is a market for Nissan Leafs for this, and a few "boutique" ones for other models. (A company was developing one for the BMW i3 that would have given it ~300 miles of range and ~150 kW charging, up from 80-150 miles and 50kW; but that company sadly folded.)

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I don't think there will be a market for this, but who knows how the technology will evolve. Is it possible, sure anything is possible, but at the current time you'd need factory support and a developer to code a new BMS so it's not very likely.

 

[mkhuffman]

Predicting the future is hard but you can look at how the battery upgrade market has evolved for Tesla vehicles as a good indicator.

From what I have seen it is possible to upgrade the battery on a older Tesla but it is very expensive and it will void any warranty remaining. Tesla does not do it from what I can tell, so it is 100% after market and people playing around with their old cars.

I suspect it will end up being about as popular as replacing a ICEV engine. Sure people do it, but it is not supported by the car companies unless it is done as part of a warranty repair (not an upgrade to a better engine).

 

[sub]

The battery is going to last 15+ years. At that point the suspension, paint, seats, everything is so worn out that the battery would have to be practically free to make it a good decision.

How many people do you see putting brand new better than original motors in 15 year old cars?

It will be possible, but only for people restoring collector cars where the underlying vehicle's value has exploded, or where the owner is doing it as a hobby and doesn't care that they spend more on the restoration than they would on a new car.

 

[iansriv]

Good idea. I recall a British company recycling Tesla batteries where they "fix" some of the bits. I hope this will one day evolve into a full replacement/upgrade. We live in an era where anything is possible.

 

[SwampNut]

What upgrades are available for the 12 year old teslas now?

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