Rivian R1T on Avenue Tires Went 60 Miles Farther in Freeway Take a look at

• We examined a Rivian R1T in November 2021 that went 220 miles in our 75-mph highway-range take a look at.

• Just lately, we ran a second R1T, this one on 22-inch avenue tires versus the all-terrain tires on the earlier truck, and it did 280 miles in the identical take a look at.

• That’s a acquire of almost 30 p.c, and one other reminder of how vital tires are on the subject of EV vary, in addition to to different efficiency metrics.

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In case you wanted one other reminder in regards to the significance of tires, right here’s one with an EV-focused wrinkle: vary. A Rivian R1T sporting 22-inch all-season tires went 60 miles farther in our 75-mph vary take a look at (280 miles) than a earlier R1T on the 20-inch all-terrain-tire possibility. We have lengthy appreciated that tires are one of many single greatest elements on the subject of numerous efficiency metrics (braking, cornering, acceleration), however EV vary is certainly on that record, too.

We tested our first R1T in November 2021, the place it went 220 miles in our 75-mph highway-range take a look at. That was a Launch Version and sporting 20-inch Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires. Just lately, we ran a second R1T, additionally a Launch Version, shod with 22-inch Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Seasons, and have been stunned when it went 280 miles, almost 30-percent additional. After all there are at all times different variables, however the tires seem to be the large one on this case. If something, we’d have thought the 85-degree temperature throughout this most up-to-date take a look at would damage the vary versus the 57-degree day for the sooner run. As at all times, we set the local weather management to 72 levels in its auto setting throughout each vary take a look at. This newest R1T was additionally 137 kilos lighter, at 7036 kilos complete.

It is considerably complicated that irrespective of which of the three tire choices it’s sporting, each R1T with the quad-motor and huge battery pack (128.9 kWh) will get the identical 314-mile EPA vary determine on their window sticker, despite the fact that the 21-inch wheel-and-tire configuration is the one used for EPA testing. On its vehicle-configurator website, Rivian means that the 20-inch all-terrain tires will scale back vary by 40 miles and that the 22-inch possibility will drop the vary by 21 miles. That implies the distinction between the 20s and 22s on our two take a look at automobiles needs to be 19 miles. However that can be possible assuming the decrease pace EPA take a look at cycles, and never our fixed 75-mph freeway pace.

Rivian isn’t alone, nevertheless, as most automakers have a tendency to make use of the identical fuel-economy and vary figures throughout a mannequin line with the identical powertrain, despite the fact that there may be two or three totally different tire choices that would trigger sizeable real-world consumption and vary variations. Tesla is the uncommon exception, going by way of the time-consuming and really costly course of to offer separate EPA scores for every wheel and tire mixture on its vehicles.

This newest take a look at additionally confirmed the extra conventional significance of tires; whereas braking was all however an identical, we noticed notable enhancements in most cornering grip (0.84 g versus 0.80 g) and acceleration. The dash to 60 mph dropped to three.0 seconds flat (a 0.3-second enchancment) and the quarter-mile to 11.5 seconds (a 0.4-second enchancment), additional cementing the R1T’s standing because the quickest pickup we’ve ever tested.