Do I really need the Max Pack?

[Don]

Wait... @TessP100D , do you think range is king? I wasn't sure.

You're wrong about the "long time" thing though. EV awareness & sales are gaining steam, and CCS fast charging infrastructure will be prolific before you realize it.

I hope you’re right on that. I think one of the reasons ppl might want the MaxPak is bc they’re worried about the number of charging stations available to them. I’m in Massachusetts. There are more strip joints than charging stations.

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[Don]

You see Wanderer there's where you went wrong... AJ does not joke.

AJ, glad your back I missed your relentless debates.

I have no idea who is more correct but for some weird reason I find the back and forth entertaining. Especially considering the overriding theme of this thread "Do I really need the max pack?" Little did the author know what they were getting into... apologies for the interruption, carry on.

I agree, its entertaining. I also agree they sound highly intelligent. I hear what they are saying and in the end its all good information with no right and no wrong.
I’ve run out of gas more than once and you deal with it. I’ve run out of toilet paper too and likewise you deal with it.

 

[skyote]

There are more strip joints than charging stations.

Now there's a charging site idea for you! They should have plenty of electricity available due to the low lighting & there's entertainment while you wait.

 

[SANZC02]

Out of curiosity I’d like to know what the Rivian could do in the 1/8 and 1/4 mile. Curious if the power drops off at higher speeds. Never owned an EV. I take it I’ll be surprised. I think my fastest car did the 1/4 in 15 seconds. 1969 Dodge Charger. ??

I recall somewhere RJ saying hits 100 in around 7 seconds. Can’t find it now though.

edit —. Found the article

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-ca...1s-r1t-electric-trucks-details-rumors-photos/

 

[Don]

I’ve been struggling to decide whether a 300+ mile range is enough, or if I really need to spend the extra $10k on the Max Pack. I started my EV journey with a VW e-Golf that had a 125 mile range. Then I recently bought a Chevy Bolt that over doubled that range to 259 miles. After a month in the Bolt, I’m finding that I haven’t found any driving situation leaving me wanting more range.
But part of me says the 400+ mile range of the Max Pack will help “future proof” the R1T I have a deposit on. As the battery degrades over time, it would still have enough range to do anything I may ask of it. My goal is to have the R1T as my forever vehicle. If I get the 300 mi pack, perhaps the cost of replacement will be inexpensive enough down the road that spending an extra $10k now doesn’t make sense.
Any thoughts from the collective to help with my decision?

Delighted that you are at peace with this finally but I would like to point out that this is what I have been saying all along and have been saying since well before you joined this forum. IOW this has always been my point of view since I started looking at data from my cars. I am totally puzzled as to how you could read my stuff and conclude otherwise. Just out of curiosity do you now accept that rain can eat your lunch?

After all is said and done I think this whole discussion would be all moot, I mean, everyone wants more range, it’s the $10,000 we are really arguing about isn’t it?

 

[McRat]

You buying all three?

Whichever one is available for purchase that meets my needs gets my money.

 

[EVSport7]

Now there's a charging site idea for you! They should have plenty of electricity available due to the low lighting & there's entertainment while you wait.

I'd be worried about late fees for not moving your car after it's done charging

 

[ajdelange]

After all is said and done I think this whole discussion would be all moot, I mean, everyone wants more range, it’s the $10,000 we are really arguing about isn’t it?

In my mind it all comes down to this as I can't think of any other downside. Well there is one with the Rivians (and who knows that this may also be the case with the CT's): having to wait. My advice on this subject has always been "Get the biggest battery you are comfortable paying for."

I doubt that many who have gone with a bigger battery have come to regret it but I'll bet there have been many who tried to save a few bucks only to eventually wish they had splurged. I often fantasize about how much easier this trip would be if only I had 50 miles more range...

As for the big debate: it was started when the other gentleman challenged my statement that rain and wet road surfaces consume a surprising amount of power and then got onto some silliness about statistics and assertion that most cars do as well or better at 70 than their EPA ratings based on some n = 1 testing by INSIDEEVs and then even more silliness from his misunderstanding of statistics. He now, however, says that he agrees with everything I've said all along so the big debate is indeed moot but I learned quite a bit from it as I wound up analyzing fleet data from Stats and my own data from TeslaFi in more depth than I had done before (aside: both these programs increase phantom drain).

The message I would want people to take away is that the EPA rating is a pretty good metric if applied properly, that some OEM's (Tesla, Audi) EPA ratings are more representative of actual driving conditions than others, that being so it appears that when one deviates from the driving conditions that EPA testing is supposed to represent, such cars will show more "loss" and that deviating from the conditions that EPA represents can cost you quite a lot of battery on the one hand but on the other it is possible to do better than the EPA ratings suggest. Where this fits into this thread is that if you drive at higher speed in hilly terrain in extremely hot or cold weather while it is raining or snowing and/or on loose or covered substrates and/or on long upgrades and/or into headwinds and particularly if you tow you are going to need more battery. This should be taken into account when planning any road trip and should also be taken into account when making your buying decision.

 

[BigE]

In my mind it all comes down to this as I can't think of any other downside. Well there is one with the Rivians (and who knows that this may also be the case with the CT's): having to wait. My advice on this subject has always been "Get the biggest battery you are comfortable paying for."

I doubt that many who have gone with a bigger battery have come to regret it but I'll bet there have been many who tried to save a few bucks only to eventually wish they had splurged. I often fantasize about how much easier this trip would be if only I had 50 miles more range...

As for the big debate: it was started when the other gentleman challenged my statement that rain and wet road surfaces consume a surprising amount of power and then got onto some silliness about statistics and assertion that most cars do as well or better at 70 than their EPA ratings based on some n = 1 testing by INSIDEEVs and then even more silliness from his misunderstanding of statistics. He now, however, says that he agrees with everything I've said all along so the big debate is indeed moot but I learned quite a bit from it as I wound up analyzing fleet data from Stats and my own data from TeslaFi in more depth than I had done before (aside: both these programs increase phantom drain).

The message I would want people to take away is that the EPA rating is a pretty good metric if applied properly, that some OEM's (Tesla, Audi) EPA ratings are more representative of actual driving conditions than others, that being so it appears that when one deviates from the driving conditions that EPA testing is supposed to represent, such cars will show more "loss" and that deviating from the conditions that EPA represents can cost you quite a lot of battery on the one hand but on the other it is possible to do better than the EPA ratings suggest. Where this fits into this thread is that if you drive at higher speed in hilly terrain in extremely hot or cold weather while it is raining or snowing and/or on loose or covered substrates and/or on long upgrades and/or into headwinds and particularly if you tow you are going to need more battery. This should be taken into account when planning any road trip and should also be taken into account when making your buying decision.

Fingers crossed that Rivian has their lobbyist on the $80k tax credit cap. The way my R1T is configured currently is $95k. I wasn’t going to add the kitchen until my wife said if it’s removable, why not. We do a mix of tent camping in the mountains and Camper camping so it would be nice, but not a must have.

 

[azbill]

Now there's a charging site idea for you! They should have plenty of electricity available due to the low lighting & there's entertainment while you wait.

Stop for some erectrons?

 

[ajdelange]

I’m in Massachusetts. There are more strip joints than charging stations.

I don't know about charging but I did have a colleague who frequently went to Bangkok for oil changes.

 

[skyote]

Stop for some erectrons?

Bill wins pun of the week, and I love that AJ is getting in on the fun too!

 

[ajdelange]

See. I do make jokes.

 

[Ray R]

After all is said and done I think this whole discussion would be all moot, I mean, everyone wants more range, it’s the $10,000 we are really arguing about isn’t it?

I agree. Is the Max pack worth $100 per mile? Everyone will have to decide for themselves based on their own situation and planned use. I appreciate reading how folks here have justified and made their choices. It’s given me things to consider.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I agree. Is the Max pack worth $100 per mile? Everyone will have to decide for themselves based on their own situation and planned use. I appreciate reading how folks here have justified and made their choices. It’s given me things to consider.

The $10,000 max pack at $100 per mile would mean you only plan to go 100 miles TOTAL in your R1... At $20,000 (including loss of theoretical $10,000 tax credit) at $100 per mile you
could only go 200 miles TOTAL in your R1.

I don't know about you, but I plan to go much further than that over the course of my ownership.

100k miles $10k battery = 10 cents per mile
100k miles $20k battery = 20 cents per mile

150k miles $10k battery = 6.67 cents per mile
150k miles $20k battery = 13.33 cents per mile

175k miles $10k battery = 5.71 cents per mile (Rivian powertrain warranty max mileage)
175k miles $20k battery = 11.43 cents per mile (Rivian powertrain warranty max mileage)

200k miles $10k battery = 5 cents per mile
200k miles $20k battery = 10 cents per mile

250k miles $10k battery = 4 cents per mile
250k miles $20k battery = 8 cents per mile

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