R1S Max vs Large Battery Charging Concerns in Warm Climates?

[rickmc17]

New member here. On R2 list. However, have been leaning towards an R1S Dual Motor
for the 2-3 long distance trips (1500+ miles) per year. Camping mode is a game changer for me. Most of my daily driving is in Florida and I charge at home.
I’ve read Max batteries might struggle charging efficiently in hot weather vs Large battery packs. Is this true? If so, should I skip the max and go with a Large? I would appreciate any advice. I’m close to dropping the R2 reservation and grabbing an R1S in a month or so.

Thanks!
rickmc

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[Golfer04]

I've traveled with and owned both, and would highly recommend max. The extra 50-75 miles or so matter; especially in cold weather. I've never hatched a 10-80 dcfc charge, but never noticed any difference.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I had a gen 1 large pack, which is bigger than the current large pack, and now the max pack. I'd say the max pack is the one to get if you plan on any sort of traveling. You can get 2.5-3 hours of solid freeway driving between stops, keeping it in the sweet spot of the charging curve from 10%-70%. That little bit of extra range makes a big difference just because of charge curve.

 

[MS Seal Beach]

2024 R1S Max Pack, 20,000 miles: I've been driving to and from Palm Desert, CA in 118F temperatures. No problem charging or retaining charge. It's a little unnerving when the battery and motor temperatures creep up, but I haven't had any problem. Just turn off that screen. Go for the Max battery and longer touring adventures. It's worth it.

 

[John.S]

I have a 25 R1S Dual Large, I just did a Road Trip from SFO to SEA. I would recomend a Max Pack if going Road Tripping... those 50 - 70 extra miles can make a significant difference in peace of mind.
Most of my driving is on freeways in the SF bay area, and you can not throw a rock and not find a charge station ( so large is OK for my every day use). however on my road trip (900 miles each way) at one point I only charged to 85% ( due to charge time > 80%) then when I got to the next charge point I was down to 8% the KW's in the Max would have been nice to have. Just my 2 cents worth...
Drive Well

 

[23R1TFGFE]

Rule #1 — buy the largest battery pack that you can afford
Rule #2 — see Rule #1

Bonus: Do NOT cancel the R2 reservation

 

[Dave Cundiff]

We were happy with a cross-country trip in our 2023 Quad Large R1T in June 2024, @rickmc17. Based on regional travel in the Northwest at various temperatures, we think we would be even happier with a cross-country trip in our 2023 Dual Max R1S.

We bought the Dual Max first, in winter 2024. At the time, Rivian was charging a LOT more for the Max battery (~143 kWh) than for the Large (~131 kWh). My wife voted for the Max, saying, "You never know when the extra range will help us a lot." She was right. The Dual Max R1S is definitely our primary vehicle for serious hauling and serious distances.

I suspect the cost difference between used Large and used Max is a lot smaller now. Remember that the Gen 2 "Large" battery is MUCH smaller than the Gen 1 Large.

***

I wouldn't cancel an R2 reservation until I was ABSOLUTELY sure I won't want an R2. Keeping the reservation active is essentially an interest-free loan of $100 to Rivian. That's not much.

I expect R2 will have significant advantages over the R1 for many owners, though possibly not for you. We think an R2 will be a much better backup vehicle than our Bolts or a third R1 -- but we'll see.

Very best wishes!

 

[rickmc17]

Thanks for the replies! I’m going to get the Max battery and enjoy the extra miles in my R1S.

rickmc17

 

[ec2027]

Thanks for the replies! I’m going to get the Max battery and enjoy the extra miles in my R1S.

rickmc17

Nice! Make sure you grab a referral code if you like and don’t forget the charging adapter if you’re getting new so you can access CCS and NACS chargers.

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