What would you do? Get LE version (300+) or wait for MaxPack (400+)?

[JeremyP]

That's one application where the bigger battery is a "must have". The other is going off pavement.

Those two things keep me leaning back to waiting for a max pack, since both those are use cases that I want the Rivian for. I also want to be able to tow the trailer to a remote camp site and then go exploring some back roads, looks like I should add a large solar array, battery bank and inverter to the trailer along the lines of 'route del sol'!

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[YamaLink]

Right now I'm getting the 300. Work from home, don't tow anything heavy, and in the past 6 months with my 2021 M3 AWD LR, I've driven over 200+ miles in perfect weather just once (oddly enough, Tesla's range claim was close, we calculated 341 miles, same as EPA test). We fly anytime the trip is over 6 hours or a friend drives their 14 mpg 7 passenger.
Been lurking on forum for a year, just signed up and just paid deposit. Okay with the long wait since we have a 2023 delivery for another vehicle.

 

[JayinNJ]

imagine the amount of mileage and recharge/discharge cycles would play big part. 8 years and I may have 150-200k miles on this thing ?‍ Who knows. Hope you are correct

Here's a question for you BEV owners out there.... How far do you think you'd have to drive to get a decent sense of range?

For my test drive I am hoping to get up to highway speed for 20 miles or so and then attempt to calculate for myself how far I could reasonably go in similar conditions with a full charge.

Do you think 20 miles is enough to gauge range? (ignoring weather and terrain for now)

I don't think you should be trying to calculate that on a test drive. Let reviewers and youtubers do that.

 

[Pherdnut]

Or... hope that you being later in the LEs plus the delay, means they'll offer 400+ on the LEs by the time it gets to yours.

 

[ajdelange]

I don't think you should be trying to calculate that on a test drive. Let reviewers and youtubers do that.

Every BEV owner needs to do that but as I indicated in my earlier reply to this question it can't be done in a single "test" drive.

 

[Brian Goodwin]

I made my order today for the RT1 with MaxPack.

Sometimes I will be towing, with that cutting range 50% it's the big battery or nothing.

And I have a really heavy right foot, I am the guy that will set the record for lowest mileage in any vehicle.

 

[JayinNJ]

Ya sorry. I don't believe it. Even when I drive my rocket ship very carefully I can’t come close to the rate range. Sorry.but no

It all depends on speed. If mostly highways at 70+ then never going to meet the EPA. If around 50 or local driving then you can easily beat it.

 

[TessP100D]

It all depends on speed. If mostly highways at 70+ then never going to meet the EPA. If around 50 or local driving then you can easily beat it.

It’s the opposite. Stop and go kills your range. Freeway at constrant speed
Isn’t bad in range.
Of course if your going ti drive 75 or more that will kill the range too

 

[JayinNJ]

Every BEV owner needs to do that but as I indicated in my earlier reply to this question it can't be done in a single "test" drive.

No it can't, which is why the average buyer shouldn't bother. If they really need to know an accurate figure for highway driving at 75MPH or towing, or loss due to freezing temperatures, let the consensus be formed by those who have extended access to press cars or youtubers that do a good job with that on early deliveries. No they won't drive your exact daily routes or long trips, but it will give you a good enough idea. You shouldn't be an early adopter if you need that detailed information.

 

[JayinNJ]

It’s the opposite. Stop and go kills your range. Freeway at constrant speed
Isn’t bad in range.
Of course if your going ti drive 75 or more that will kill the range too

Highway speeds are much worse than stop and go (hence city MPGe higher than highway). Ideal is probably constant speed of around 25mph. Aerodynamics and air resistance dominate losses more than stop and go at some point, different for every car, but with a large cross-section, weight, and Cd of a large truck or SUV like the R1T or R1S, it will surely be at normal highway speeds.

 

[ajdelange]

No it can't, which is why the average buyer shouldn't bother.

There are those who just want to jump in the car and go. They can do that.

If they really need to know an accurate figure for highway driving at 75MPH or towing, or loss due to freezing temperatures, let the consensus be formed by those who have extended access to press cars or youtubers that do a good job with that on early deliveries.

Actually they do a terrible job and mislead more than they guide. For example, everyone knows that Tesla cheats on the EPA tests and that therefore you cannot expect to get anything like EPA rated mileage from your Tesla. But in fact this is not at all the case as you will soon discover if you simply observe what your car does when.

No they won't drive your exact daily routes or long trips, but it will give you a good enough idea.You shouldn't be an early adopter if you need that detailed information.

They don't drive the way you do under the conditions under which you drive and they don't understand the physics (there are, thank heavens, a couple of exceptions) well enough to tell you how to compensate.

Becasue of the relative (still) paucity of charging opportunities it is almost obligatory for each driver to know his vehicle better than he ever did his ICE vehicles. This is made manifestly clear by the provision of tools necessary to make the requisite determinations in at least the Tesla and we are assuming the Rivian until we are shown otherwise..

 

[TessP100D]

Highway speeds are much worse than stop and go (hence city MPGe higher than highway). Ideal is probably constant speed of around 25mph. Aerodynamics and air resistance dominate losses more than stop and go at some point, different for every car, but with a large cross-section, weight, and Cd of a large truck or SUV like the R1T or R1S, it will surely be at normal highway speeds.

You have it backwards for real life driving. Sorry.

 

[ajdelange]

Highway speeds are much worse than stop and go (hence city MPGe higher than highway).

What you get depends on how the loads are distributed. Clearly, once drag emerges adding additional speed augments that dominance as the load goes as the square of speed. But at lower speeds stop and go costs you Wh because regen does not recover 100 percent of the investment in inertial load. What really eats your lunch at low speed is improper use of regen. If you ever touch the brake pedal you are not using it right (it won't be necessary to point out that sometimes you don't have a choice in this).

Ideal is probably constant speed of around 25mph.

It has probably changed some as Tesla has gone through various combinations of various types of motors but it used to be about 45 mph in the older Tesla sedans.

Aerodynamics and air resistance dominate losses more than stop and go at some point, different for every car, but with a large cross-section, weight, and Cd of a large truck or SUV like the R1T or R1S, it will surely be at normal highway speeds.

My and I emphasize my, experience with Tesla MX is that on average I get very close to the rated consumption (a little below) whether the driving is in town or on the open road (east coast and New England) and, by being observant, as mentioned in the previous post, know how to modulate that consumption by road conditions in order to be able to make pretty good SoC estimates at destination.

I did mention in the earlier post that not everyone is interested in understanding this to the extent I, and clearly the members here who ask the related questions, are. They want to drive the BEV the way they drove/drive their ICE cars. You can do that but until charging stations are as common as gas stations this approach is going to lead to problems. I have noticed over time and a couple of fora that these people tend to be the ones that wind up disappointed with their vehicles.

Last observation: I do think with higher Cd and larger frontal area drag will emerge earlier (at lower speed) in the CT than in the sedans. You can be sure I will be watching like a hawk to see when.

 

[JayinNJ]

You have it backwards for real life driving. Sorry.

Real life proves it out easily. I drive around town with lights and max speeds of 50 mph I get much lower Wh/mi (less than combined EPA) than driving 3 hours straight on a typical highway at 75 mph. With bigger, higher drag vehicles, I wouldn't be surprised if 65+MPH is the crossover point.

 

[TessP100D]

Real life proves it out easily. I drive around town with lights and max speeds of 50 mph I get much lower Wh/mi (less than combined EPA) than driving 3 hours straight on a typical highway at 75 mph. With bigger, higher drag vehicles, I wouldn't be surprised if 65+MPH is the crossover point.

Omg. You will see. That all I can say.

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