Quad Gen 2 Range / Release Date

[Space Cowboy]

Also look at this f’ing thing.
The quad rocks.

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[godfodder0901]

This is based on some bad assumptions. The quad has FOUR NEW MOTORS and half shafts instead of a hybrid system with one old enduro motor and two ascent motors. The new motors are more efficient with better thermals.

There are no such thing as 'Ascent' motors, nor was there a hybrid setup of mixed motor types. Gen 1 Quad used 4 Bosch motors. Dual motor variants spelled the transition to the in-house built Enduro motors, of which the Gen 2 Tri has three, and the Quad has 4. R2 has the in-house 'Maximus' motors. 'Ascent' is a trim package.

 

[Space Cowboy]

There are no such thing as 'Ascent' motors, nor was there a hybrid setup of mixed motor types. Gen 1 Quad used 4 Bosch motors. Dual motor variants spelled the transition to the in-house built Enduro motors, of which the Gen 2 Tri has three, and the Quad has 4. R2 has the in-house 'Maximus' motors. 'Ascent' is a trim package.

how can you be so belligerently wrong? They are “ascend” motors (I do realize now I used a t instead of a d). The quad does not use the enduro motors. Sorry not sorry.

 

[Space Cowboy]

And if there is confusion it’s bc of this crap.
https://riviantrackr.com/news/rivian-gen-2-quad-motor-offers-better-cooling-and-efficiency/

“
Rivian went from using externally sourced Bosch motors in Gen 1 to fully in-house designed Ascent motors in Gen 2 Quad. That change has a massive impact on performance, cooling, efficiency, and long-term serviceability.
Let’s dive into what’s different.
Bosch vs. Ascent
The Gen 1 Quad was built using Bosch-supplied motors, each one an independent drive unit with its own motor, gearbox, and inverter. These units delivered instant torque and raw power, roughly 835 horsepower and 908 lb-ft of torque combined, and enabled true torque vectoring at each wheel.
But they were also heavy, less efficient, and limited in how they could be managed or updated. Bosch units couldn’t be easily serviced by Rivian, and their cooling systems weren’t deeply integrated into the rest of the vehicle.
In contrast, the Gen 2 Quad uses Rivian’s new in-house Ascent motors, developed specifically for high-performance Quad-Motor configurations. These are entirely separate from the Enduro motors used in Rivian’s Dual-Motor setups. The Gen 2 Quad features two Ascent motors in the front and two in the rear, still four motors, but now fully modular, more efficient, and designed for better thermal management, serviceability, and future scalability.”

 

[godfodder0901]

how can you be so belligerently wrong? They are “ascend” motors (I do realize now I used a t instead of a d). The quad does not use the enduro motors. Sorry not sorry.

Not belligerent, just trying to educate. There are no 'Ascend' Motors. There were Bosch, then Enduro, and Maximus comes next. The motors in the Gen 2 are the same Enduro, just different numbers and final gear ratio.

 

[Space Cowboy]

There are no such thing as 'Ascent' motors, nor was there a hybrid setup of mixed motor types. Gen 1 Quad used 4 Bosch motors. Dual motor variants spelled the transition to the in-house built Enduro motors, of which the Gen 2 Tri has three, and the Quad has 4. R2 has the in-house 'Maximus' motors. 'Ascent' is a trim package.

as to whether there was a hybrid setup I can’t seem to find a clear answer for that even thought I had read that previously . The tri either has one enduro, two ascents; three ascents or three enduros.

 

[Space Cowboy]

Not belligerent, just trying to educate. There are no 'Ascend' Motors. There were Bosch, then Enduro, and Maximus comes next. The motors in the Gen 2 are the same Enduro, just different numbers and final gear ratio.

So you’re still holding your guns? The article contradicts you.

 

[godfodder0901]

as to whether there was a hybrid setup I can’t seem to find a clear answer for that even thought I had read that previously . The tri either has one enduro, two ascents; three ascents or three enduros.

So you’re still holding your guns? The article contradicts you.

The 'article'? It's a blog post.

That said, I did my own research and got the information from the Investor Day 2024 Investor Day | Rivian , straight from RJ. I'm not to big of a man to admit I was wrong. I was conflating 'drive unit' with 'motor', and got a bit confused, but it seems like you did the same.

The 'Origin' drive unit is dual-motor per axle drive unit using Bosh motors and in-house electronics
The 'Enduro' drive unit is a single-motor per axle drive unit built 100% in-house.
The 'Ascent' drive unit is a dual-motor per axle drive unit built 100% in-house.

 

[Erik+]

 

[MountainBikeDude]

There are Ascent motors, the question really is if it's just a pair of Enduro motors in a single housing and branded Ascent, or a completely different setup. Video starts at the drivetrain breakdown.



Gen 1 Quad - 4 Bosch Motors
Dual Motor - 2 Enduro motors
Tri Motor - 1 Enduro in the front, 2 Ascent Motors in a single housing in the rear
Quad Motor Gen 2 - 2 Ascent Motors front, 2 Ascent Motors rear.
R2 - Maximus Drive unit. Unconfirmed how Tri motor variant (if any) will be configured.

I've only ever seen tear downs of the orginal Bosch and Eduro motors, but am curious how Rivian implemented it's clutch disconnect strategy in the Ascent motors. I assume it would be the same as the Enduro.

Edit. Photos from Rivian during Investor Day
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...the-refreshed-r1-ascent-quad-evs-236145.html#

 

[Space Cowboy]

AI… tried a fresh grok inquiry bc copilot was getting squirelly!

 

[portdirect]

This is based on some bad assumptions. The quad has FOUR NEW MOTORS and half shafts instead of a hybrid system with one old enduro motor and two ascent motors. The new motors are more efficient with better thermals.

For context, I made my range assumptions before Rivian’s 2026 Quad EPA certification packet was public. Now that the packet is out, the numbers landed very close to what I expected.

Rivian files All-Purpose and Conserve as distinct drive modes. The filed adjusted combined ranges for 2026 R1S Quad Max are:

• 22 inch UHP: 315.2 miles All-Purpose vs 359.6 miles Conserve
• 20 inch AT: 299.7 miles All-Purpose vs 350.4 miles Conserve

So yes, there are new motors, but the vehicle-level EPA outcome in All-Purpose is still about 300 to 315 miles depending on wheel and tire package. The near-360 figure is clearly Conserve, not All-Purpose.

Also, they did not file a dedicated 22 inch Sport configuration, which is why the marketing headline ends up looking cleaner than any single All-Purpose filing.

On the “better thermals” point, thermals are unlikely to be the dominant driver on the EPA cycles.

I've not checked a 22" sport but expect to see ~350 for AP mode based on the 374 mile 'marketing' range.

Noting that in conserve the Quad is lightly less efficient than the TriMax (400 miles claimed vs 405) - so the front drivetrain in the quad must consume more power than the old enduro (Though I'd not accuse anyone of making bad assumptions ). Whist the quad is more efficient when all wheels are powered. This drives me to the strong belief that the quad must have better inverter hardware (for example SiC adoption) for the rear motors than the tri has - nothing else makes sense.


Edit: see that you are excited about getting a Quad - thats awesome dude, but reading marketing(alone) and asking grok will not get you to the facts @Space Cowboy .

 

[Space Cowboy]

For context, I made my range assumptions before Rivian’s 2026 Quad EPA certification packet was public. Now that the packet is out, the numbers landed very close to what I expected.

Rivian files All-Purpose and Conserve as distinct drive modes. The filed adjusted combined ranges for 2026 R1S Quad Max are:

• 22 inch UHP: 315.2 miles All-Purpose vs 359.6 miles Conserve
• 20 inch AT: 299.7 miles All-Purpose vs 350.4 miles Conserve

So yes, there are new motors, but the vehicle-level EPA outcome in All-Purpose is still about 300 to 315 miles depending on wheel and tire package. The near-360 figure is clearly Conserve, not All-Purpose.

Also, they did not file a dedicated 22 inch Sport configuration, which is why the marketing headline ends up looking cleaner than any single All-Purpose filing.

On the “better thermals” point, thermals are unlikely to be the dominant driver on the EPA cycles.

I've not checked a 22" sport but expect to see ~350 for AP mode based on the 374 mile 'marketing' range.

Noting that in conserve the Quad is lightly less efficient than the TriMax (400 miles claimed vs 405) - so the front drivetrain in the quad must consume more power than the old enduro (Though I'd not accuse anyone of making bad assumptions ). Whist the quad is more efficient when all wheels are powered. This drives me to the strong belief that the quad must have better inverter hardware (for example SiC adoption) for the rear motors than the tri has - nothing else makes sense.


Edit: see that you are excited about getting a Quad - thats awesome dude, but reading marketing(alone) and asking grok will not get you to the facts @Space Cowboy .

what is sic adoption? Fair assessment!

 

[portdirect]

what is sic adoption? Fair assessment!

Si IGBT inverter

• Where it wins @ ~400V: Peak torque, very high current
• Typical outcome: Good peak efficiency, weaker real-world Wh per mile
• Main downside: Higher switching loss, often lower switching frequency

SiC MOSFET inverter

• Where it wins @ ~400V: Most of the drive cycle, partial load, higher rpm
• Typical outcome: Better real-world Wh per mile, better thermal headroom
• Main downside: EMI and layout sensitivity, higher cost

Note this is re the inverter that drives the motor - not the motor itself. This maybe why the Tri and the Quad may have the same motors at the back but getting different outcomes from them under the EPA test cycle.

EDIT: if you have a quad with 22" Sport wheels - would love to see a photo of the energy screen showing the AP (and conserve) range at 100%.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

As pictured above Enduro is their single motor DU & Ascent is their dual motor drive unit. The big win over the Bosch units IMO was oil cooling with the in-house motors. The in-house motors have a more refined driving experience IMO. I love the sounds that come from the Bosch units though.

Important distinction is we are talking about "drive units" and not "motors" which I think is where some of the confusion comes in. The tri and quad are both amazing vehicles (have driven them both) and we currently own a Tri R1S.

Rivian has some great engineers on its team and it shows in how these things perform.

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