R1S XL?

[Jay]

I'd think about it the other way around. They made the R1T longer because of the gear tunnel. Right now the bed is 54 inches or 4.5 feet. Which is pretty short already but had it been 3.5 feet it would have been a deal breaker for most people. So that extra foot makes a big difference for the truck.

I think the same extra foot gives storage space for r1s and makes it a full size SUV??

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[McMoo]

We have a hitch storage rack

That plus the frunk will hopefully give sufficient cargo room for trips. I’m more concerned with passenger space in the 3rd row and ease of access which is why I’d want an XL R1S.

 

[IHScout]

That plus the frunk will hopefully give sufficient cargo room for trips. I’m more concerned with passenger space in the 3rd row and ease of access which is why I’d want an XL R1S.

Yeah, I'm going to wait and see on the third row. I hope that it is better than our suburban. I watched a video where they compared a Tahoe third row to a Chevrolet traverse third row. There was more room in the traverse even though it was a mid-size SUV due to the independent rear suspension.

 

[Tall_Rider]

Not XL battery. Extra long frame.

Is anyone else a bit disappointed that the R1S is smaller than the R1T? An extra foot of cargo room behind the 3rd row would be really nice. And the extra length might also be what is needed to fit the 400 mile battery pack and get the 10K tow rating.

It isn't a deal-breaker for me, but I would be even more excited if the R1S was a bit bigger.

I suggested this, as a wheelbase stretch would be simple given they're making the R1T. Given the interior space is looking significantly tighter than I expected, it's likely critical for me to convert my reservation. In any case, despite suggesting that it could be a lucrative option to Rivian (like GM does with Tahoe to Suburban), I was attacked by a bunch of Rivian fanboys. The rationale seem to be that 1) Rivian is smarter than me 2) bigger is not what "most" people want and it's bad for the environment. Sales of 100k Suburban are completely lost on these crusaders. I am tall, my family is tall, and we haul a lot of stuff on vacations. I need something big.

 

[DucRider]

I suggested this, as a wheelbase stretch would be simple given they're making the R1T. Given the interior space is looking significantly tighter than I expected, it's likely critical for me to convert my reservation. In any case, despite suggesting that it could be a lucrative option to Rivian (like GM does with Tahoe to Suburban), I was attacked by a bunch of Rivian fanboys.

They haven't even gotten the existing designs into production and have demand exceeding production capacity for at least the near future.
Adding an additional size option - even a "simple" one - at this point is likely not on the table.
Many people want the Rivian vehicles to be something other than what Rivian designed - whether that is a rock crawler with 37" tires, a flat tow vehicle behind a motorhome, a work truck that can haul plywood in the bed, something with a removable top, etc, etc, etc.
Customers can either live with the compromises the production vehicles present for their use case, or move on to something else. Unfortunately, when looking at EVs the "something else" field is still much more limited than with ICE vehicles. Much better than even a couple of years ago, but still limited.

 

[Jay]

I agree - I have not seen anything to hint that a longer SUV ever has been / will be planned for production. But it seems like it would have easier and more cost effective to make both vehicles the same size. So surely they considered it and chose to make the SUV smaller than the pickup.

Based on the responses in this thread, I can see why they made the SUV shorter. I seem to be in the minority for wishing the R1S was a bit longer.

I'm curious though, it seems like most of the reasons people have given for preferring a shorter SUV would also apply to the pickup. Easier to fit in garage, easier to park, shorter base provides better geometry, etc. Do all of you who think that the R1S is big enough (or a bit too big) think that the R1T should be shorter?

I am with you brother. I also wish they released an xl version on the truck platform. Just like how range is king, space is king too ??

 

[Trekkie]

I have a family of six, my oldest is 19 and youngest is 9. We've driven in an Explorer, Expedition EL, and now a Tesla Model X.

Storage is key for us, room wise it's not been a big deal and in the summer it's not hard to pack but when you are packing for the cold you need a lot more space. Even with the Frunk space the X was very, very tight.

I haven't seen much on the back storage. From looking at photos it doesn't look like there is a ton of room if the third row seats are up. It does look like the frunk is bigger on the Rivian though, that frunk on the x doesn't really hold a lot in the frunk especially if you have tire inflator, charger, and emergency kit up there already.

 

[Chris S]

My original reservation was for the R1T, and I since switched to the R1S so it could fit in my garage and be more maneurable off-road. I'd prefer they ditch the 3rd row and make it sized closer to a Bronco or Wrangler.

 

[crashmtb]

My original reservation was for the R1T, and I since switched to the R1S so it could fit in my garage and be more maneurable off-road. I'd prefer they ditch the 3rd row and make it sized closer to a Bronco or Wrangler.

So who’s to say they won’t make a smaller model later?

 

[Jay]

So who’s to say they won’t make a smaller model later?

Agreed. I bet the next model will be smaller ones that would also be a good fit to European roads

 

[Blueassassin]

Anyone good with Photoshop that could make the R1S XL curios what that would look like. My opinion would be too big but some people like the suburban so.

 

[LeoH]

For the striking majority an XL version is not practical, so it would be serving a small slice in the market that will not generate profit for a long long time. However, I understand your points and it makes sense honestly, but few things that come to mind:

Garage sizes shrunk, and since you charge at home, you probably will want to be able to park the car overnight to charge it without having to leave the garage door open, or struggle trying to park the vehicle just right.

Many garages, like mine, have 1 or 2 steps by the door connecting to the house, which means you need some clearance to be able to use the stairs.

In cities, parking is becoming a luxury, even outside parking, so keeping the dimensions as small as possible will be more appealing. Even garages can barely fit as is, I've seen some garages in Chicago, you can barely R1S in there as is.


If you want to off road, and go around national parks, a smaller vehicle is more nimble, but also given the capability of the R1S, a longer version will need more engineering to keep the vehicle balanced. Since it was built to accommodate R1T and R1S, a shared platform would prevent them, financially for now, from putting resources into another form factor.

 

[Jay]

For the striking majority an XL version is not practical, so it would be serving a small slice in the market that will not generate profit for a long long time. However, I understand your points and it makes sense honestly, but few things that come to mind:

Garage sizes shrunk, and since you charge at home, you probably will want to be able to park the car overnight to charge it without having to leave the garage door open, or struggle trying to park the vehicle just right.

Many garages, like mine, have 1 or 2 steps by the door connecting to the house, which means you need some clearance to be able to use the stairs.

In cities, parking is becoming a luxury, even outside parking, so keeping the dimensions as small as possible will be more appealing. Even garages can barely fit as is, I've seen some garages in Chicago, you can barely R1S in there as is.


If you want to off road, and go around national parks, a smaller vehicle is more nimble, but also given the capability of the R1S, a longer version will need more engineering to keep the vehicle balanced. Since it was built to accommodate R1T and R1S, a shared platform would prevent them, financially for now, from putting resources into another form factor.

Not debating. But a simple question. If r1s on long bed doesn't fit in garage for charging, becomes difficult to park in cities, then how come r1t fit in the same garage and be parked on the streets in bigger cities?

 

[smiesguy]

Having owned both the old yukon and now the new escalade, the difference in length is significant for driving and especially parking, but not as noticeable in storage. I actually didn't realize they had lengthened them until I went to pull it in the garage the first night and it was tight. That 202'' length for the R1S is about perfect for my needs.

 

[SlaterGS]

For the striking majority an XL version is not practical, so it would be serving a small slice in the market that will not generate profit for a long long time. However, I understand your points and it makes sense honestly, but few things that come to mind:

Garage sizes shrunk, and since you charge at home, you probably will want to be able to park the car overnight to charge it without having to leave the garage door open, or struggle trying to park the vehicle just right.

Many garages, like mine, have 1 or 2 steps by the door connecting to the house, which means you need some clearance to be able to use the stairs.

In cities, parking is becoming a luxury, even outside parking, so keeping the dimensions as small as possible will be more appealing. Even garages can barely fit as is, I've seen some garages in Chicago, you can barely R1S in there as is.


If you want to off road, and go around national parks, a smaller vehicle is more nimble, but also given the capability of the R1S, a longer version will need more engineering to keep the vehicle balanced. Since it was built to accommodate R1T and R1S, a shared platform would prevent them, financially for now, from putting resources into another form factor.

I'm not sure I completely agree here but I'm likely not in the striking majority so that would make sense

Is the R1S a city car intended for weekend getaways with a family of 3-5? This sounds like what your expectation might be?
Is it a country car intended to be used as a family hauler of 5-7 that rarely sees the city? This is more where I would land.
Or is it something else ???

My assumption is, that the "striking majority" in your mind don't need the extra length because they don't have large enough families that they need the 3rd row. That is probably true if we look at population distribution and different demographics.
In which case, what's the point of the R1S at its current size? They should make a regular sized crossover that is substantially smaller than the current R1S, maintain 2 rows, and have a lot of cargo space still. This would check all of the boxes of the majority, no?
Or is the 3rd row a "nice to have in case" feature for the striking majority?

The rationale for an XL revolves around those that want more room for both cargo and passengers as well as the idea that using the exact same body as the R1T would simplify some things.
The options are few in the EV market for 3 row vehicles, so this does give some opportunity for Rivian to stand out initially even if they are balancing between two markets (the striking majority who doesn't need it at the size it currently is at and the minority who could potentially use it a bit larger than it is).
I live in the country and the striking majority here have a full size SUV in their garage. Obviously there are still way less people where I am than in the city, but on the flip side, people in the city have less kids and less need for a full size SUV in general.

It will be interesting to see if both ends make compromises to their wants/needs in order to go for the R1S or would Rivian have been better off picking a lane and sticking with it?

Time will tell but if they can actually start shipping these things I think they will hit a pretty good balance of both crowds that are "okay" with the length.

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