Rivian Quad Max
Four all-new Rivian-designed oil-cooled motors, one per wheel — 764 kW / 1,025 hp peak, 1,198 lb-ft. The Gen 2 Quad replaced the Bosch units entirely with in-house hardware, adding real performance gains rather than just rebadging: +190 hp, +290 lb-ft over Gen1. In-house design also enabled the conserve-mode rear disconnect that the Gen1 Quad couldn't do. 0–60 in 2.5 seconds with Launch Mode — 0.1 sec quicker than the Cybertruck Cyberbeast. ECU count dropped from 17 to 7, wiring harness shed 1.6 miles. The 2025 R1T ran Pikes Peak in a fully stock configuration (race seat, roll cage only) and set the production electric truck record at 10:53.883 — driven by Rivian senior performance test engineer Gardner Nichols. Too new for long-term reliability data beyond the headlight recall 25V-085.
Stock Pikes Peak record. 2.5 seconds. 1,025 hp.
Gardner Nichols — Rivian's senior performance test engineer — drove a stock Gen2 R1T up Pikes Peak in 10:53.883. Production electric truck record. Race seat and roll cage were the only modifications. Four all-new Rivian in-house motors replaced the Bosch units entirely: 764 kW, 1,198 lb-ft, 2.5 seconds to 60. That's 0.1 seconds quicker than the Cybertruck Cyberbeast. The Hummer EV needs 2.8 seconds. The Lightning needs 4.3 seconds. The architecture also shed 1.6 miles of wiring and dropped from 17 ECUs to 7. Rivian built this motor program themselves. That matters for long-term parts availability — assuming the company survives.
Engine Weaknesses 1
Same NHTSA Recall 25V-085 as Tri Motor. Affects early Gen2 production (April 2024 – February 2025). Free control module replacement.
Symptoms: Headlights fail to illuminate on cold startup
Vehicle Weaknesses 3
Same recall as Gen1 — affects 2025 vehicles that had suspension work before March 2025. Rivian replaces toe link bolts at no cost.
Gen2 vehicles moved the rear door emergency release behind the door panel trim. Unlike Gen1 (accessible pull handle), this is extremely hard for adults to operate and nearly impossible for children. Rivian promised redesign for the R2. Interim owner fix: tie paracord to the release cable before reinstalling trim.
Gen2 door handles use an electromagnetic system instead of mechanical linkage to the door latch. This causes squeaking on actuation. Rivian has acknowledged the issue and is working on replacement handles. Temporary DIY solution: dry lubricant.
