That process is helped by Rivian's new system architecture introduced in the Gen 2 R1 platform last year. This not only greatly simplified the architecture of the vehicles, cutting cost and weight, but it enabled far more finite control over those motors.

The Rivian king is back, and this time around, the 2026 Rivian R1T Quad is faster, more powerful, more efficient, and is packing in-house-developed motors. Of course, it’s also more expensive. The R1T pickup and R1S SUV sit atop the lineup as the range-topping models.