Stock Rivian R1T Wheels Comparison (20" AT, 21" Road, 22" Sport) Range and Efficiency Test --by OutOfSpec

[Hoo D. Hoo]

Helped me lock 22" wheels on my config...off-topic, but now my only conundrum is FE/BM

OC!

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[MidnightRivian]

20" wheels: 100% what this off road truck was made for. Forged wheels with all terrain tires are a match made in heaven. Most folks who buy 20" aftermarket wheels as a second set will not be able to afford forged or won't upgrade to a forged wheel.

21" wheels: 100% created for marketing sake to boast about range and set a low starting price.

22" wheels: 100% created for mall crawlers who like to flex.

*puts on flame suit*

https://eliteroads.com/cast-vs-forged-wheels-car/

 

[Cosmacelf]

Anyone have actual specs for the 20" AT tire? Who makes it, what model is it? I'm wondering about winter specs in particular.

I think I found it, here's the tire (I think): https://www.pirelli.com/tires/en-us/car/catalog/product/scorpion-all-terrain-plus/275_65-r20

3 peak mountain snowflake rating which is supposed to work in "severe snow conditions".

 

[JerseyGreens]

I still think AS tires on the 20inch forged wheels will end up with the greatest range...someone please do that test!

 

[Tomgriff]

I'm new to EVs but does 10-20 extra miles matter that much? A couple of 0-60 runs will eat that up quickly.

For me no, for some people it could. It depends on what your use it going to be. If you aren't doing many trips where you are driving more than 250-300 miles it won't matter. If you are doing a lot of towing, that extra range could be really important. Also it will increase energy costs because it will be less efficient which could be important depending on how you charge. At the same time, this is a 100K vehicle now, so the potential few hundred dollars difference in electricity probably doesn't really matter. I'm sticking with the 20 ATs at this point based on I do plan to go offroad beyond gravel and I like the looks better.

 

[1SikhRivian]

Guarantee a more road oriented set of tires on 20s does better, most likely comes down to rolling resistance.

 

[MXA121]

Here is how their test numbers shuffle out in a simple to view format.
21s 312 mi
22s 299 mi (5% reduction)
20s 278 mi (11% reduction)

 

[Mathme]

For my use, it'll be the 20 ATs as I frequent a vacation house at 6300' elevation and have to cross a 7400' pass to get there. "Less rolling resistance all seasons" vs. 3 mountain peak tires on a 7000# vehicle is a no brainer...especially when there's a chance for snotty weather 6+ months of the year.

 

[CharonPDX]

Yeah, I got the 20s for the same reason - (well, not "vacation house", but "cross mountain pass to cheap-ass hotel near skiing,") while we also tow (about 1/3 of total miles so far are towing,) so having better efficiency would be nice. But for 10%? That's ~15-20 miles when towing. That's not the end of the world.

I'm hoping to get cheap 20" wheels and efficient road tires for 20" wheels - and swap. Put the efficient road tires on the stock (nicer)20" wheels, and put the supplied AT tires on cheap wheels for offroad/winter use. But of course I can't find either yet.

 

[EzMev]

And that was a static-ish 70mph - I wonder if the differences would change with mixed start/stop traffic + highway.

Here is how their test numbers shuffle out in a simple to view format.
21s 312 mi
22s 299 mi (5% reduction)
20s 278 mi (11% reduction)

 

[GZR1S]

22" wheels: 100% created for mall crawlers who like to flex.

As a mall crawler who loves to flex , I approve this message. Going with 22” for sure!

 

[jakef801]

FWIW, I just towed my 25 foot center console on I-80 and SH 16 & 30 to Bear Lake UT/ID for the 2nd time on the 21" AS tires. The 2nd time, I towed in conserve mode and it did just fine with far better range. The cover for the boat was also torn and in the shop for the 2nd tow, so drag was certainly increased. I don't really see the need to use towing mode unless, of course, it'sin snowy, icy, muddy, etc. situations. There was no discernable difference in power, acceleration (maybe a tad), and I was able to shoot past rock spitting semis with no problem at all. All four tires at 44psi.

Of note: The 1st tow was from Bear Lake to SLC. The 2nd was just the opposite. Going from SLC involves the 15 or so mile very steep ascent on I-80 right out of SLC to Summit County.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

20" wheels: 100% what this off road truck was made for. Forged wheels with all terrain tires are a match made in heaven. Most folks who buy 20" aftermarket wheels as a second set will not be able to afford forged or won't upgrade to a forged wheel.

22" wheels: 100% created for mall crawlers who like to flex.

Meanwhile I think this is as close to a sport truck as I've seen in a while. I wish they would make a version, same truck and motors but went and focused on weight.

Keep the suspension almost as its, drop it another 5-6" at it's lowest setting.

Forged 22" wheels, 20-30mm wider.
Go on a diet, all the magnets out.
Electric motor for the center console out.
Flash light out
Camp speaker gone
No Tonneu cover.
No compressor
No 120v inverter
Get rid of thee wireless charging pad
The tow hitch, tow hooks too.

Imagine shaving off 1-2,000 lbs on the thing. It would seriously move. Unfortunately, I might be the only person to buy the truck at that point...

 

[jagged]

As someone who lives in Northern New England, one of my main concerns when picking the 20" AT's was winter driving.

 

[kipevans22]

FWIW, I just towed my 25 foot center console on I-80 and SH 16 & 30 to Bear Lake UT/ID for the 2nd time on the 21" AS tires. The 2nd time, I towed in conserve mode and it did just fine with far better range. The cover for the boat was also torn and in the shop for the 2nd tow, so drag was certainly increased. I don't really see the need to use towing mode unless, of course, it'sin snowy, icy, muddy, etc. situations. There was no discernable difference in power, acceleration (maybe a tad), and I was able to shoot past rock spitting semis with no problem at all. All four tires at 44psi.

Of note: The 1st tow was from Bear Lake to SLC. The 2nd was just the opposite. Going from SLC involves the 15 or so mile very steep ascent on I-80 right out of SLC to Summit County.

I'm really interested in your experience above. I've had a couple long tows from Monterey Bay to Tahoe this past summer and I used the Tow Mode. When I asked a Rivian Rep if I could use Conserve Mode, I was told by the Rep not to do it because the truck would not be as safe. I never used tow mode on my Ram 1500 because it used more gas. I recently asked a mobile technician and he didn't see an issue. What was the range difference you saw. I'm losing about 60% in tow mode.

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