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What the Next-Generation Rivian R1 Could Bring in 2027
With all the R2 talk lately it’s easy to forget the R1 is still the flagship, the truck and SUV that basically built Rivian into what it is. There’s a 2027 model year R1 due in the next few months, but I’m not expecting much from it. Rivian’s whole world has been R2 for a while now, so that refresh is probably going to be light. The one I’m actually paying attention to is the next-generation R1 expected around summer 2027, and since we’re all just guessing at this point, here’s my wishlist.
Start with second row captain’s chairs for the R1S. People have been asking for these basically since launch, and opening up that middle row changes the whole feel of the cabin for families. Pair that with the new steering wheel from R2, the one with the haptic roller controls. I’ve gone back and forth on whether I love capacitive rollers, but in person the R2 setup feels more deliberate than what’s on R1 today, so I’m optimistic if it carries over.
Bring back Forest Edge while you’re at it, even if it’s only a limited time interior. That color has a real following and it’d be a smart way to mark a new generation. New exterior colors too, because that’s always going to get people poking around the configurator.
The LiDAR is the one I care about most long term. Getting the R2 LiDAR system onto R1 is the hardware that feeds where Rivian wants to go with autonomy, and having it on the flagship makes a lot of sense.
Then there’s the bigger swings.
800V architecture is at the top of my list. Faster charging and better efficiency, and it would finally put R1 in line with where the rest of the premium EV world is heading.
While we’re talking charging, let me get a little nerdy. The Gen 2 pack is solid but it hits thermal limiting fast, and if you’ve actually sat and watched a session you’ve seen the rate drop off well before the battery is anywhere close to full. Some of that is just physics, but a lot of it comes down to the chemistry and how hard the pack has to fight to keep itself cool. I’d love to see the next R1 move to a cell that takes heat better and holds a higher rate for longer, whether that’s a more silicon heavy anode or just a smarter pack layout with proper cooling around the cells. Put that together with 800V and you’d actually feel it at the charger instead of watching the curve fall apart ten minutes in. For someone who roadtrips these as much as I do, that matters way more to me than shaving another tenth off the zero to sixty.
Vehicle to home charging is another big one. With the kind of battery R1 carries, being able to power your house during an outage feels like it should already be here, and I think a lot of owners would lean on it more than they expect. And an R2-style glovebox. Anyone who’s lived with the current R1 knows there’s basically nowhere good to stash your stuff, so even something that small is worth it to me.
A few more off the top of my head. A better sound system, because what’s there now is fine but never the showpiece it could be at this price. A heads up display so I’m not glancing down at the center screen as much. Rear wheel steering would do real work on something the size of an R1S, both for parking and on tight trails. Better range while towing wouldn’t hurt either, since that’s still where these things take the biggest hit. None of these feel wild.
Whether Rivian actually does any of this is a different question. Some of it costs real money to engineer and they’ve been pouring everything into getting R2 out the door, so honestly I could see the next R1 landing more conservative than my list here. I hope it doesn’t. The R1 carried this company for years before most people outside the EV world knew the name, and after all the R2 attention it’d be good to see it get a real swing again. Summer 2027 is a ways off though, and a lot can change between now and then.
I extended my lease in hopes that captains chairs come to 2027 refresh. Not giving my hopes up but worth the extension for the hope lol
I think you’ll be happy!
Plus 1 to everything you said. I’d love to see a faster charging. As someone who lives in the Midwest and regularly makes drives of 350+ miles to areas of Northern Wisconsin (20,000 miles of driving a year) where the nearest fast charger is 90 – 100 mi away from my destination that has mediocre electric on site, the time spent at charging stations, especially not getting to utilize their full capacity, gets old fast.
Another little thing I’d like to see is the ability to close the rear hatch with the tailgate open in the R1S. With the passenger seat moved as far forward as possible it’s a few inches too short to load 8ft lumber in the back and close the tailgate, it seems silly that I have to close the tailgate and prop lumber on it with the hatch open to transport stuff home from the hardware store.
I couldn’t agree more about Northern WI, so painful and same with the tailgate open!!
My assumption is you will only see improvements that can easily be carried over from R2. As such I would expect:
– Gen3 Autonomy / Infotainment Compute
– Steering Wheel
– New colors
– Maybe updated speakers
Anything that requires extensive hardware design changes I would expect will not come until a formal redesign of the R1, including:
– R2 sensor stack, LiDAR would require changes to structure frame members and recertifications. Not required for a long time and as R1 isn’t a large volume vehicle won’t help much with Rivian’s AI data flywheel anyway.
– Captain Chairs
– Battery / Architecture Changes
– Structural battery pack, unibody construction similar to R2
– Glovebox
I’m going to say this not as a troll comment or bait, but genuinely and earnestly: Rivian, please look at the CyberTruck. Not the garish styling, but technical aspects should be the benchmark to beat for R1. So, Jose, all the stuff you mentioned here (coming from a Model X, I miss the captain chairs) but I want to reaaaaaally emphasize the real wheel steering to make the R1’s feel more nimble and the battery/electric architecture/motors for charging speed, drive efficiency and range. I fully agree with your point, I don’t need it faster – I need it to go farther and charge quicker. Anyone whose ever driven a CyberTruck and taken a road trip in one would likely agree – I believe they are the gold standard for this size and cost from an EV utility perspective.
Love this a lot, thanks for posting 🙂
Above all else I hope they improve reliability and make air suspension an option not the default. I know many people have problem free ownership experiences but many do not. Consistent reliability would go a long way in securing repeat rivian customers. I love my R1S more than anything else I’ve owned when it works. I hate how often things break.
Bigger inverter for off grid camping and v2v power.
Bigger battery in R1T for those serious about towing long distances (there is room for it). And please expand the number of trailers beyond 3.
800v and faster charging, even at the expense of range.
That’s what it’ll take for me to let go of my Gen1, though I would also love to see an integrated winch option and option to power accessories with native (digital) on-off controls, and support for trailer cameras.
Since we’re dreaming big, instead of a complete rework of the R1, I’d love to see a modular enclosed trailer platform with a large battery pack and a self-propulsion system similar to the concepts from Lightship or the Pebble trailer. The platform could be configurable as a utility trailer, toy hauler with ramp options, or camper with fold-out tent systems.
Think of something along the lines of an InTech or ATC trailer, but with integrated battery and motor systems designed to eliminate any towing range penalty. Even better would be deep integration with the R1/R2 ecosystem through a network connection, enabling features like integrated backup cameras, full bird’s-eye trailer views, battery and charging status, trailer diagnostics, and unified vehicle/trailer controls.
Make the power tonneau on the R1T an option, not a standard feature. Even with the new design, it still breaks easily in the winter when water gets between the slats and freezes. I would much rather put on a aftermarket rolling soft tonneau.
Can I just get a full 6’+ bed on the R1T? That would be one of the few things that would make me consider upgrading. Shorten the cab if you have to (i.e., make it an “extended cab” with rear suicide doors, ala the 2004-2012 Chevy Colorado). But a proper bed would be real nice. Also, bring back Forest Edge interior. 🙂
Tesla cancelled the S and X; Rivian may likewise need to cancel its niche vehicles that sell tens of thousands a year, to better focus on vehicles that can sell hundreds of thousands a year. So, any next refresh could potentially be the last.
800V is particularly relevant given Chinese flash charging at a megaWatt or more, and 800V models from other makers. The R2’s current charging may suffice for now, a cost benefit trade-off to hit the right price point, but I suspect that quickly competition will force Rivian to offer much faster charging. Including it in next year’s R1 refresh could be a good way to get experience and refinement, to later put a cost reduced, but also honed, version in the R2 and R3.
I really don’t think any changes are coming. Maybe some small things, but I don’t think Rivian has the staff to support making changes to the R1 platform, support R2, and develop the R3. Maybe in 2028, we will see some major changes. But maybe I am wrong.
Of all the things you listed, I want V2H capability the most. And Wassim’s comment about a more effective heat pump in the R2 suggests that they will be able to provide more effective cooling for the battery pack, which could help the charging curve.
I really hope that 800v architecture, the lidar and better towing range comes in the next Gen. My lease is up in April and I really hope that their is something close by then. I have been a huge fan of Rivian since 2018 and drive mine everyday with pride but with the possible releases of a BMW ix5 with a rumored 800v and great range numbers it may make my decision hard if the Gen 3 doesn’t come out by next summer. I just don’t want to jump into a Gen 2 and 6 months later the Gen 3 comes out like the Gen 2 did after i got my Gen 1. Either way love my R1S and really hope these features happen.