It looks like Rivian’s 400+-mile ‘Max pack’ is coming very soon (U:here!)

Rivian has added the “Max pack” option to its R1S configurator, and added “Max pack” as a filter criteria to its R1 shop, suggesting that vehicles with the massive 400+-mile pack will be shipping soon.

Update: Oct 3: Rivian has made it official, the Max pack is here, and deliveries have started for Max pack R1Ts.

Rivian has three battery pack levels planned – Standard, Large, and Max. We don’t know the exact kWh rating for each pack, but the Max is rumored to be about 180kWh.

But so far, the only Rivians that have shipped have been those with the Large pack. But that could be changing soon, given some updates that Rivian just made to its website, as noticed in two posts on rivianforums.com.

Firstly, the Max pack is now selectable on Rivian’s Explore R1S page, which allows you to configure an R1S with the options you’re interested in.

Prior to today, this option was not selectable on the R1S. As expected, the option costs an extra $10,000 more than the Large pack, and $16K more than the Standard pack – just like the R1T.

Second, the “R1 Shop” has seen “Max pack” added as a filter option… but it’s currently grayed out.

The R1 Shop is an area of Rivian’s website where order holders can see a selection of immediately available vehicles that can be delivered in a week or two. So the Max pack’s appearance there suggests it might be available very soon.

However, the button is currently grayed out – so the website is just being updated ahead of time for when the Max pack does become available. But notably, Standard pack, which is expected in 2024, is not on the R1 Shop at this point, while Max pack is.

Max pack is expected to hit the road this quarter, so this may be an indicator that things are progressing along nicely. Rivian just announced quarterly delivery numbers that beat expectations, another indicator of progress.

Update: hours after this article was posted, Rivian made an official announcement that the Max Pack is indeed now available on R1S, with deliveries starting this fall, and deliveries have just started of Max pack R1Ts.

Electrek’s Take

This is a good sign, as it means that Rivian is finally progressing toward fleshing out its model line a little more. Rivian has had trouble with profitability per vehicle, but is finally making progress on that front, and offering more options like its dual-motor option with in-house Enduro drive unit. This comes after years of mostly trimming down option availability, so maybe they’re finally coming out of the woods a bit.

That said, a 400+-mile battery does seem a bit excessive for most purposes. The Max pack will certainly be nice for some people who plan to tow heavy loads or do a lot of off-roading away from charging points. But otherwise, 400+ miles is more than enough for just about everyone.

Especially given that Rivians are getting access to the Supercharger network soon (and can already navigate through superchargers with magic docks attached), which will really improve charger availability between that, Electrify America, and the Rivian Adventure Network.

And 180kWh (rumored) is an enormous battery. That’s enough for three Chevy Bolts, which can displace three gas-powered vehicles from the road, instead of only one. Of course, these are vastly different types of vehicles, but still, that’s a lot of battery.

Personally, I’d much rather save the $10K (or $16K for the Standard pack, for that matter) and not have to lug around more batteries than I need, but hey, for the few people who need the Max pack (and the many more who merely think they need it), it’s there.