Rivian in cold weather

[lmerani]

Hi Rivian Community, I currently drive an F150, but I've had my eye on an R1T/R1S for a long time. I am close to pulling the trigger on a Gen 1 Rivian R1T, but I have a few questions that I have been seen answers to yet. I am really just trying understand what my expectations should be. For context, I live in northwestern Indiana and the winters can be harsh.

If my post is rehashing, something that has already been covered, please forgive me.


1. ⁠If the truck sat overnight in -20F not plugged in, how long would it take to heat up and defrost the windows if they were frosted over?
2. ⁠When it's that cold out, how hot will the air coming out of the vents be if turned up all the way? In my F150, it's pretty hot and will keep the cabin nice and toasty and it doesn't feel like the HVAC is barely keeping up at all.
3. ⁠I've never had issues with my windows frosting during a 2.5 hr drive to and from Chicago, but this is something I am concerned about with the R1T?
4. ⁠Say I'm going to Chicago for a concert. It's -20F out and I drive 2.5 hours and then park. 5 hours later, I'm ready to leave and turn on the heat remotely, just like I would in my F150. Can I expect the cabin to have warmed up in 20 min?
5. ⁠I've seen comments about charging being quite limited when the battery is cold. Would the battery get cold enough to the point where charging performance would be limited if faced with the scenario in point 4?
6. ⁠If I got a large pack truck and the range is ~300mi, would I really expect to see ~150mi on a cold day? This is concerning as that would mean I'd have to charge on the way there. I could make that trip 3 - 4 times in my current truck at 75mph with a single tank of gas - and while I understand they're different vehicles and shouldn't be compared apples to apples, it is my current vehicle and does everything I need it to well. I feel like I might be paying a lot more just to inconvenience myself a lot more! But the Rivians look so nice and I enjoy the electric drivetrain!


For those who had a Gen 1, switched to Gen 2 and have experience in a similar climate, did you notice a big difference in cold weather HVAC / battery / charging performance? When you switched from a gas vehicle, did you notice a big difference with HVAC performance in the winter?

I'll appreciate any insight into these. If there are any online resources that are recommended for reviewing data on scenarios similar to these, please let me know.

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[riverie]

If my primary use case was 5 hour trips in -20F weather, I would keep the F150.
Or move.

 

[sherold]

All answers assuming you would purchase a Gen 1 as stated.

1.) 10 min

2.) Sufficiently hot. The PTC heaters in Gen 1 R1s are fast and hot. Not ICE hot, but definitely sufficient if you have realistic expectations.

3.) You don't need to be concerned.

4.) You can expect it to warm up in 10 minutes. After that drive, you will likely have a very low battery that will require charging if you need to get back to your starting point of the evening. Pre-heating will make this situation worse.

5.) Possibly. Completely depends on your starting battery temps and parking/weather conditions during the 5 hrs parked. A trip like that you'll want to start with a warm cab and battery (preconditioning) for best efficiency. Heavy wind, parked in an open exposed lot at -20°F, likely that DCFC charging could be effected if trying to charge immediately after. In a parking garage, or with no wind in an open lot, likely not.

6.) No, not 50%, however, making an apple-apple comparison regarding this subject, you will always be disappointed. That being said, expect 10-20% efficiency drop in temps that cold, even more if you start with a cold battery and have a headwind to deal with.

There are many threads on here dealing with these concerns and more, i.e. https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/best-practices-for-driving-in-extreme-cold.36724/ Search around and you will find what you are looking for.

 

[R1Tims]

Also to add your weather condition you out lined would not be normal driving conditions. It has not been -20 or below in Chicago since 2019. -27 was the record low in 1985. The 2024 - 2025 season saw only the low temp of approx 25 deg.

I still have my 2022 G1 R1T LE vin <200 and have driven it in all types of conditions. Never had an issue with it, Heating/ cooling rain, snow, ice, etc. Worst time I ever had was during a charging session out side of Chicago, freezing temps, heavy wind, at night talking to an EA rep jumping through hoops to get their F'ing equipment to work. Or really anytime with their charger was a crap shot to work correctlly. This was during 1 yr of ownership, before Tesla charger open up. Now only use RAN, Tesla, or others in that order. Never EA. As previously pointed out temps/wind, will effect your efficiency somewhat but not anything drastically. NAV takes that in account and route you accordingly.

 

[rtobrien63]

re. #5 and 6

5. yes, if you try to charge at the destination with an ambient temperature battery; battery with be slow to charge until the truck heats the battery. battery warms quickly. After battery is warm, charging is normal.
6. significant drop off in range at -20 F. not 50%, but dependably, inexact drop off. the "new" driving range at the beginning of your return trip will not be what you saw when you parked at your destination ; it will adjust the "new" range to the now cold battery. I have not seen accurate tables for % loss v. ambient temps. I drove to Grafton notch (battery precharged to 100%) at subzero (120 miles each way) and barely made it home without charging. The truck was at ambient for 5-6 hours in the notch (-10 F). I have very limited charging option north of I95, so a bit scary... so 240/290 (80%)-ish

 

[COMtnEV]

I have a Gen2 Max. Spent Thanksgiving at an EV "skeptical" household, telling me stories of people with their dead EVs at the local ski area. Next morning it was -16F. Hopped into my R1T and within 2 minutes the windshield was clean, seat and steering wheel were warm, and hot air was blowing out the vents. Had to bite my tongue and not laugh as I watched the rest of the crew (who had already been out there for a while) jumping ICE cars to try to get them started.

 

[stormbreaker]

Oh man, those are rough requirements. Esp for a super heavy brick shaped beauty like the Rivian R1*.

It just started getting really chilly around me in CT, and sure enough, my R1T dual/large pack efficiency has dropped like a rock. I'm seeing under 2kwh for my rides into work. Esp with battery pack temps in the 30s.

 

[lmerani]

If my primary use case was 5 hour trips in -20F weather, I would keep the F150.
Or move.

These types of trips may occur once per month, so not the primary use case.

 

[Mathme]

The Rivian will do this trip quite easily. Based on my experience for this trip, I'd:

1. Plan to leave home with a SoC of 100% and the battery finished charging (or close to it) slightly before the planned departure. Charging inherently warms the battery and will help maintain efficiency.
2. Drive it and park it at the show/concert/game.
3. 10-15ish minutes before you plan to leave, turn on the cabin HVAC and precondition. The cabin will be warm and toasty by the time you get there. The heater in my Gen1 will blow hot hair in about a minute on a cold day.
4. Plan to DCFC a short distance from your concert venue. enter the DCFC station into the GPS as it the truck will start to precondition the battery for fast charging. Once at the charger, you can put it in but if the battery is much below 50 degrees, the charging will be slower while the truck warms the battery but you'll basically use shore power to warm the battery and you'll gain overall efficiency on the trip home.
5. While charging, enter the home address in the Nav and the truck will tell you how many miles of range you'll have at the destination while it's charging (in the Nav screen I believe). I usually like to arrive with 40-50 miles of range however, in the winter, I'll double that estimate to closer to 100 miles. I'd rather sit for a few extra minutes at a DCFC packing in some more juice, than get a case of range anxiety.

Plan on an efficiency hit in cold weather but 50% may be too much.

 

[usulio]

The Rivian will do this trip quite easily. Based on my experience for this trip, I'd:

1. Plan to leave home with a SoC of 100% and the battery finished charging (or close to it) slightly before the planned departure. Charging inherently warms the battery and will help maintain efficiency.
2. Drive it and park it at the show/concert/game.
3. 10-15ish minutes before you plan to leave, turn on the cabin HVAC and precondition. The cabin will be warm and toasty by the time you get there. The heater in my Gen1 will blow hot hair in about a minute on a cold day.
4. Plan to DCFC a short distance from your concert venue. enter the DCFC station into the GPS as it the truck will start to precondition the battery for fast charging. Once at the charger, you can put it in but if the battery is much below 50 degrees, the charging will be slower while the truck warms the battery but you'll basically use shore power to warm the battery and you'll gain overall efficiency on the trip home.
5. While charging, enter the home address in the Nav and the truck will tell you how many miles of range you'll have at the destination while it's charging (in the Nav screen I believe). I usually like to arrive with 40-50 miles of range however, in the winter, I'll double that estimate to closer to 100 miles. I'd rather sit for a few extra minutes at a DCFC packing in some more juice, than get a case of range anxiety.

Plan on an efficiency hit in cold weather but 50% may be too much.

It may save time to DCFC just before getting there, when the battery is already warm, versus trying to charge a cold battery on the way back.

 

[HaveBlue]

Much of the efficiency that an EV has is based on not losing heat to combustion like ICE. So while an ICE is great for cold temps to warm up the cabin with that wasted heat, EVs have to generate waste heat to warm you up. Though the PTC/heat pump starts warming the cabin much faster than getting that iron block hot, it won't be as toasty in the end. Seat heaters help. Just go in knowing that. It only gets to the 20s for me sometimes so I can't comment on -20.

 

[lmerani]

I have a Gen2 Max. Spent Thanksgiving at an EV "skeptical" household, telling me stories of people with their dead EVs at the local ski area. Next morning it was -16F. Hopped into my R1T and within 2 minutes the windshield was clean, seat and steering wheel were warm, and hot air was blowing out the vents. Had to bite my tongue and not laugh as I watched the rest of the crew (who had already been out there for a while) jumping ICE cars to try to get them started.

That is reassuring to hear. Was the windshield only frosted over?

All answers assuming you would purchase a Gen 1 as stated.

1.) 10 min

2.) Sufficiently hot. The PTC heaters in Gen 1 R1s are fast and hot. Not ICE hot, but definitely sufficient if you have realistic expectations.

3.) You don't need to be concerned.

4.) You can expect it to warm up in 10 minutes. After that drive, you will likely have a very low battery that will require charging if you need to get back to your starting point of the evening. Pre-heating will make this situation worse.

5.) Possibly. Completely depends on your starting battery temps and parking/weather conditions during the 5 hrs parked. A trip like that you'll want to start with a warm cab and battery (preconditioning) for best efficiency. Heavy wind, parked in an open exposed lot at -20°F, likely that DCFC charging could be effected if trying to charge immediately after. In a parking garage, or with no wind in an open lot, likely not.

6.) No, not 50%, however, making an apple-apple comparison regarding this subject, you will always be disappointed. That being said, expect 10-20% efficiency drop in temps that cold, even more if you start with a cold battery and have a headwind to deal with.

There are many threads on here dealing with these concerns and more, i.e. https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/best-practices-for-driving-in-extreme-cold.36724/ Search around and you will find what you are looking for.

Thank you, this is insightful! For point 2, I typically run on the cooler side and appreciate warmer temps than the average, especially in the winter months. I often set the temp setting between 75 and 80 F in my current vehicle. This is realistic to me, but would that be considered unrealistic for the R1T Gen 1 in sub-zero temps?

 

[Nixapatfan]

Does fine in New England winters, I prefer the EV over gas cars in winter as the heat is almost near instant no waiting for the engine to warm up, just get in and go. It isn't that efficient if taking short trips but levels off on trips lasting more than 15 minutes or so. Majority of my trips in winter are short so can't comment on how it does on long trips but pretty great for errand running with climate hold.

Though it never really gets to -20F around here at least not for prolonged periods, usually a couple days stretch and then back to normal temps anywhere from 10-45F most days

 

[Budman]

Three seasons driving around Minnesota and Wisconsin. Does really well in the winter. The heat pump on the Gen 2 puts out a lot of heat really quickly. Snow mode really does make a difference on handling.

My truck stays in a garage and plugged into a Level 2 charger most of the time so I don't have much of an idea of the effect of cold soaking overnight. But, my efficiency vs temperature observations are below. This is for a repeated 165 mile drive. 1/2 at 70 mph and 1/2 at 55 to 60 mph.

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