Drive Mode Question: any particular reason not to just stay in conserve?

[Stearmandriver]

Hi there, new R1T owner here: 2026 tri motor. New to EVs in general as well. I note that conserve mode does indeed net me meaningful extra range, and if I understand it correctly, the rear two motors will still be used when traction control deems them necessary. This has me wondering: why not just stay in conserve as my normal drive mode, vs all purpose?

Obviously snow and all the off road modes have their purpose, but for daily driving both around town and highway, what is gained by using all purpose vs conserve? I feel like I must be missing something...

Thanks!

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[mkhuffman]

Unless I am in the mood for aggressive driving, I just leave it in Conserve. Even when I need to accelerate quickly Conserve works just fine.

Some people notice the rear motor engaging. I notice it sometimes but it doesn't bother me. Those that find it annoying probably do not keep it in Conserve. And I think you get a little stronger response when pressing the go-pedal when it is in All Purpose, and some people prefer that. I just press the pedal harder and it accelerates as much as I need it to.

 

[COdogman]

You can certainly do that. Lots of people do. I use all-purpose most of the time because I drive to put a smile on my face, so I’m not sure if there is still a feeling that conserve wears your front tires quicker, but that is literally the only potential downside I can think of….

 

[RivAW]

With minimal effort you will find a lot of information on this.
The amount of wear on your tires from driving in conserve mode will quickly outpace any economics of efficiency gain. Conserve mode is meant for highway driving at highway speed….or at least constant speed driving without frequent stop/starts

 

[mkhuffman]

With minimal effort you will find a lot of information on this.
The amount of wear on your tires from driving in conserve mode will quickly outpace any economics of efficiency gain. Conserve mode is meant for highway driving at highway speed….or at least constant speed driving without frequent stop/starts

I don't think that is an issue with the Gen2. In the Gen1, it never came out of two wheel mode. In Gen2, it is all wheel drive from stoplights and when you hit the accelerator hard.

 

[1stPlace]

Does conserve in the Tri-motor cause the same clunk that some people report in dual-motor all-purpose when it engages both motors? I am a Gen 1 quad owner, so I don't know. I imagine aside from that there are some handling sacrifices that are minor or indiscernible to most people. I did not like FWD handling in my conserve mode, even at low speeds. AWD is safer in Winter conditions, though tires will make the bigger difference. If you don't notice this stuff, then it probably doesn't matter--go for it.

 

[ElGuano]

i have a 25 Tri R1T and I leave it in conserve mode 99% of the time. It's a perfectly fine all-around driving mode.

Once you're use to it, you really get a sense of the differences between conserve and all-purpose:

1. Conserve will drive all 4 wheels when you're at a stop, but will cut out the back motors when you either reach ~25mph or you're sufficiently gentle with the throttle. If you're stay on the accelerator more heavily, it keeps AWD active longer.

2. Conserve has a gentle throttle map. You need to depress the accelerator more to get more power than with all-purpose or sport modes.

3. Conserve mainly regen-brakes only with the front motor as well, so you have to get used to somewhat variable regen braking force. Most of the time you will feel one-motor regen, but regularly (if you come off of heavy acceleration or don't get up to speed from a light) you'll feel stronger regen if the rear motors are active.

Does conserve in the Tri-motor cause the same clunk that some people report in dual-motor all-purpose when it engages both motors?

If I really pay attention, I can usually tell when the rear motors cut out, but I would definitely say it's not a strong clunk in any sense, and 99% of the time I don't know when it happens and I have to be looking at the drive mode screen to see which wheels are lit up. IMHO it's an extremely smooth transition.

I don't normally floor it enough for the rear motors to re-engage at speed, so not sure how clunky that is.

 

[Rivianero]

Just be sure you rotate your tires a prescribed.

I got a great deal on a set of tires and wheels from a quad who, according to the seller,kept hers in Conserve and didn't rotate. Front ones are so much more worn than the rear ones it's not even funny.

 

[Jeff B.]

In my driving experience, the difference between all-purpose and conserve is negligible with 20" A/Ts. So it stays in all-purpose. In fact, I think it is better in all purpose for day to day stuff around town. I might use conserve on a long trip with a lot of highway driving and multiple stops, but the difference on a single charge is maybe 10 or 15 miles for my driving.

 

[emoore]

I hate the drive feel of conserve in my gen 1. I hear its better in gen 2 since it will engage the rear motors but in gen 1 its strictly FWD. I only use it while cruising on the highway.

 

[JSports]

When i got my R1T 3 years ago the Rivian rep that walked me through how to use the truck advised me not to drive around in conserve all the time in town. He said why put the strain of of starting and stopping the weight of the vehicle on just the front motors all the time. As a result I usually just use conserve on the freeway.

 

[badger4149]

Hi there, new R1T owner here: 2026 tri motor. New to EVs in general as well. I note that conserve mode does indeed net me meaningful extra range, and if I understand it correctly, the rear two motors will still be used when traction control deems them necessary. This has me wondering: why not just stay in conserve as my normal drive mode, vs all purpose?

Obviously snow and all the off road modes have their purpose, but for daily driving both around town and highway, what is gained by using all purpose vs conserve? I feel like I must be missing something...

Thanks!

Absolutely no reason you cannot do that. I have access to free charging in my home town so I use All-Purpose unless I'm on a trip, then I switch to Conserve for better range.

 

[mkhuffman]

Does conserve in the Tri-motor cause the same clunk that some people report in dual-motor all-purpose when it engages both motors? I am a Gen 1 quad owner, so I don't know. I imagine aside from that there are some handling sacrifices that are minor or indiscernible to most people. I did not like FWD handling in my conserve mode, even at low speeds. AWD is safer in Winter conditions, though tires will make the bigger difference. If you don't notice this stuff, then it probably doesn't matter--go for it.

There is no "clunk" in my Tri when the rear motor engages.

However, I can feel it sometimes so I can see why some people who are really sensitive to that feeling don't like it. For me, I barely notice it. It reminds me of a transmission gear change in an ICEV, but a lot less noticeable. Think about the smoothest ICEV transmission changes you have ever felt, and that is what this feels like. (Not CVT, of course.)

My wife, who is way more sensitive to me in just about every way, has never commented on it. It is invisible to her. I think even if I tried to get her to "listen" for it, she would still never even feel it herself. That is how minor it is.

 

[1stPlace]

When i got my R1T 3 years ago the Rivian rep that walked me through how to use the truck advised me not to drive around in conserve all the time in town. He said why put the strain of of starting and stopping the weight of the vehicle on just the front motors all the time. As a result I usually just use conserve on the freeway.

If you have a Gen 1 Quad, there is reason to not switch between conserve and all-purpose while the vehicle is moving at speed...our vehicles were not designed for the constant switching between motor engagement. You may cause damage if the vehicle is moving 25+ mph and you switch back into all-purpose. I had a very loud and concerning clunk once when I did this on the highway...Best to not risk it and only switch when the vehicle is stopped IMO. Or just don't bother with conserve because FWD sucks. You'll have more effect on efficiency just lowering your ride height and taking it easy with the throttle. Or don't bother with that either because unless you need the range, I think you're saving $10-20 a year at most losing out on the best possible ride feel and driving experience.

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