After 20,000 Miles, Our Long-Term Rivian R1T Needed New Tires (2024)

UPDATE 3/6/24: We've corrected the model year of our truck to 2022 after initially incorrectly reporting it as a 2023 model.

20,000-Mile Update

On the road to a long-term test car's 40,000-mile finish line, it may be subjected to a special challenge or an extreme road trip. For instance, there was the nearly 16,000-mile cooldown lap we took with our 668-hp Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing through 48 states. We drove our Kia Sorento to 14,115 feet above sea level, traveling from Michigan to Pikes Peak and back. And who could forget the lap time we set at Virginia International Raceway with our six-passenger-laden Kia Carnival? In that same spirit, three Car and Driver staffers took our Rivian R1T on an 1100-mile jaunt to the 24-hour endurance race that opens the IMSA season at Daytona International Speedway, basically stopping only to recharge the battery.

While we're no strangers to driving EVs long distances, the R1T's journey from our Michigan office to Daytona Beach was two parts experiment and one part adventure. Rivian's navigation system indicated it would take 10 charging stops with a combined driving and charging duration of 24 hours, 31 minutes. That's some six hours longer than we estimate it would take in an equivalent gas-powered truck while being quick with food and potty breaks.

The trip would also give us a taste of a variety of different public charging networks, with pit stops at EVgo, Rivian Adventure Network, Electrify America, EV Connect, and ChargePoint. Adding an element of urgency to the proceedings was the fact that, if we were delayed too long, we'd miss the narrow window the day before the race to grab our media credentials, preventing us from watching any of the Rolex 24 race we traveled so far to enjoy. Of course, we also wanted to get to the 24-hour race in under 24 hours.

The potential for delay and failure at every charging station, construction sign, and road closure loomed above our heads as we left our HQ. As fate would have it, we'd spend the first 30 minutes trapped in a Jimmy John's drive-through line, waiting on three Spicy East Coast Italian subs. The first of only a few surprises.

A large storm cell that affected the states in our path from Michigan to Florida was detrimental to the electric truck's mileage. It was a dry day when we'd done our standard 75-mph range test on our long-term R1T, where it managed 250 miles of highway driving. Unfortunately, we were unable to replicate that showing on our trip due to rain and an increased payload of three passengers and a gear tunnel full of luggage, cameras, and Haribo Goldbears. Still, we kept the 835-hp R1T on a tight leash, running the truck in its front-wheel-drive Conserve mode and adhering to a strict 75-mph maximum speed.

Our first stop occurred three hours in, near Columbus, Ohio. After just 176 miles of rainy highway driving, the range estimator dropped to 36 miles, nearly matching the truck's initial arrival estimate of 32 miles. We shopped for additional snacks and caffeine at the nearby Target while the Rivian charged to 85 percent in 52 minutes. This EVgo charger in Ohio was the most expensive of the trip, setting us back $77.86, which works out to nearly 73 cents per kilowatt-hour. That's far more expensive than the usual 50 cents per kilowatt-hour we pay at the Electrify America DC fast-charger closest to our office.

For long trips like these, Rivian's navigation system indicates what battery percentage the truck should charge to at each stop with an estimate of how long charging should take. Its route planner allows you to adjust how much range you're comfortable arriving with. We played it safe, setting it at 40 miles, but could have skipped at least two charging stops if we were willing to push it further. The risk would be arriving at a broken charge station with just 10 miles left and having to find an alternative. That brings us to our next stop, in Charleston, West Virginia.

Rivian's nav led us to an alleyway where a Level 3 EV Connect charger sat just outside the service garage of a Cadillac-GMC dealership. A 50-kW Level 3 charger, it would have meant a long, slow charge, but the charger wouldn't connect to the truck. We let our grumbling stomachs choose the alternative: a slightly more powerful 60-kW ChargePoint machine that was less than 10 miles away. Importantly, it was within walking distance of a Chick-fil-A.

We sat for 1.5 hours filling our guts with chicken sandwiches and Chick-fil-A sauce. Regret began to set in, as staff photographer Marc Urbano shared a moment of reflection. "This was a cool idea,"—Urbano paused to burp—"but I'd like to fly down next year." Urbano had repeatedly expressed displeasure with the rear seat's upright backrest in the R1T. He sat back there the whole way, serving as the lifeline between the snacks in the gear tunnel, which was easily accessible from a storage door in the middle of the rear seats, and photo assistant Charley Ladd and me up front.

The ChargePoint machine replenished 96.5 kilowatt-hours back into the Rivian's 128.9-kWh pack for $66.51—another wildly expensive recharge at 69 cents per kilowatt, and this time on a slower Level 3 charger. A big price to pay and a long time to wait.

The Rivian had us on a strong path to victory, running us down to a low state of charge and back up to about 80 percent most times. This is the right way to use DC fast-chargers, as the rate at which the battery recharges slows dramatically as the state of charge climbs to its upper reaches.

Our next stop was quicker and more affordable. Plugging into the row of glowing Electrify America DC fast-chargers at a Sheetz in Wytheville, Virginia, gave us a chance to use the restroom as we waited 32 minutes to get back 161 miles of range. It was at this charger we realized how few other EVs we'd met while charging to that point. At this Sheetz, for instance, the number of EVs charging was identical to the number of third-generation Mitsubishi Eclipse convertibles in the parking lot (one). The 76.2 kilowatt-hours we received here cost us $36.48, with the rate of 47 cents per kilowatt-hour being far more reasonable.

At 2 a.m. we arrived at our first Rivian Adventure Network charger, appropriately located in the parking lot of an REI. It took just 24 minutes to add 85.4 kilowatt-hours back into the Rivian, and at 28 cents per kilowatt-hour, the cost was $23.53.

Fourteen hours into our 24-hour trip, we had spent over six hours plugged into a charger and spent $180 in energy costs. Five-hundred miles were between us and the race weekend. Just three charge stops left. As we left the empty REI parking lot, the Rivian's estimated time of arrival at Daytona showed we had made up the time we lost back in Michigan. Our ETA was three minutes behind schedule—we crossed our fingers that luck would be on our side.

The Electrify America Level 3 chargers in Columbia, South Carolina, were unkind to us. The machine's "hyper fast, up to 350 kW" branding was contrasted by screens with error messages, missing trim pieces, and credit card readers that read "network error." We ended up plugging into a 150-kW unit. The truck suggested we charge from 20 to 85 percent. We never saw more than 128 kilowatts out of the box, so we decided to unplug a bit early. Our next stop was a Level 3 Rivian charger, and we'd make up our mileage at that quicker charger, rather than waste time here. After 45 minutes, the beaten and bruised Electrify America kiosk delivered 86.6 kilowatt-hours for $40.80, working out to 47 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Another 160 miles down the road in Pooler, Georgia, the Level 3 Rivian charger was again faster and more affordable. The 20-to-80 percent charge took 35 minutes at a price of $30.13, or 36 cents per kilowatt-hour. It was at this charge stop that the Rivian showed we would arrive at Daytona International Speedway's credential office at exactly 24 hours. One mishap would cost us. Taking the checkered flag on this trip meant watching the green flag drop during the race. It all came down to one last fill-up at an EVgo in Jacksonville, Florida.

The final charge stop was under a row of Florida's Sabal Palm trees. We hadn't seen but one other EV at a charging station since our first stop, some 19 hours ago. A fellow R1T driver pulled into the spot next to us. With a puzzled look about her, the driver asked us which plug to use, as she was unable to determine if the truck took a CCS or CHAdeMO plug. "The CHAdeMO won't fit," Ladd explained. Man, and we thought we were tired.

This EVgo charge lasted 25 minutes and gave us 60 percent battery, or 192 miles of estimated range. The final stop cost $42.51. We unplugged at 10:45 a.m., with an hour and 17 minutes of driving time between success and failure. To get there on time meant bending a few rules, but even then, we wondered if we had stayed too long at that Florida stop. We didn't need 192 miles of range to travel the remaining 85 miles. However, the added range meant we had the energy to burn, so we picked up the pace.

A 24-hour trip is an exhausting one, whether it's in a race car or an electric pickup. The drive from our Michigan office to Daytona International Speedway equates to about 308 laps around the 3.56-mile sports car layout. That would put us about 2500 laps behind on the leading GTP cars.

We stopped to recharge the truck seven times, spending over five and a half hours charging and $317. We're certain with more focused and aggressive route planning, one could beat our time and stop less—dependent on public charger availability and health—making the finish less dramatic.

Before our trip, we rolled over the 20,000-mile mark, at which point the R1T was surprisingly due for a tire change. We'd neglected to rotate the tires consistently every 5000 miles and had spent a lot of highway miles in the front-wheel-drive Conserve driving mode and as a result had burned the front Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrains down to the wear bars. The rears were in somewhat better shape at 7/32 tread depth. We opted to replace all four, slapping on a fresh set from Tire Rack ($1900) and had them mounted and balanced at a local tire shop ($101).

The new rubber significantly improved the ride and also solved the highway-speed steering-wheel shake and extreme road noise we reported in the previous update. There have also been additional free OTA updates that have added a new shortcut menu to open the doors, adjust mirrors, and enable the cab and bed lights—all features that took too many menu swipes to access previously. Rivian also adjusted how sensitive the single-pedal control behaves while you're in reverse, making the R1T far smoother to operate than before.

While these meaningful updates have only improved the 10Best-winning Rivian R1T, still some complaints remain. Especially during Michigan's spell of below-freezing temps earlier this year. "I get it, most people who own these high-end trucks likely have a garage with home charging installed, but I don't," groused senior news editor Eric Stafford. He wasn't thrilled to discover severe temperatures greatly reduced driving range. To put numbers behind Stafford's claim, we retested the R1T (with its fresh tires) on our 75-mph highway range test. It was 42 degrees when it had originally achieved a 250-mile range. On this 12-degree day, the test showed a 60-mile loss in range, or nearly 25 percent.

Our Rivian R1T has now passed the halfway point with just over 25,000 miles on the clock. There's plenty of adventures left to put it through, but this is likely our last 24-hour endurance event.

Months in Fleet: 8 months Current Mileage: 25,601 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 56 MPGe
Battery Capacity: 128.9 kWh Observed Driving Range: 250 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $2001 Repair: $0

10,000-Mile Update

The first 10,000 miles with our long-term Rivian R1T Adventure has been nothing short of, well, an adventure. After several previous tests with similar R1Ts, including a comparison against other all-electric trucks in a camper-towing showdown, we knew what we were getting into—mostly. Thankfully, for the sake of a good story, life is never so simple.

In the few months following the truck's arrival, Rivian greased some of our initial gripes with three major over-the-air updates, remedying a few annoyances without requiring a trip to the service department. The battery-cooling noise during DC fast-charging is no longer a cacophony. The creaky sound on startup, which we blamed on some squeaky active grille shutters, has disappeared. A major infotainment overhaul brought a new mode that learns a trailer's weight to give a more accurate estimate of towing range. Plus, while it still doesn't reside permanently on the dashboard, it's easier to access the trip odometer for our own journaling needs.

There's still plenty of room for improvement, though. Many staffers continue to voice complaints about the R1T's delayed proximity-key detection and the wireless charger's confounding sensitivity. As senior editor Greg Fink put it, "Getting your phone recognized on the charging pad is like finding a needle in a haystack."

Over these first 10,000 miles, we haven't given the 7776 cells in our quad-motored truck's 128.9-kWh battery pack much rest. We caught up with a hit-and-run driver who mistook the quickest pickup truck we've tested for a helpless victim and nabbed their license-plate number. We trailered a high school project car out of the dusty shadows of our parents' garage. We used the four-and-a-half-foot bed to move out of an apartment and into a house. The R1T even worked as a pack mule to transfer some of the gear required to support the 1200-mile round trip to Virginia International Raceway for this year's Lightning Lap. We don't imagine the remaining 30,000 miles will be much easier on the Rivian.

The towing task with our long-term R1T was far less formal than previous tests with other electric pickups. Rather than going for maximum range, this time we towed as any reasonable person would, stopping at the quickest available chargers. We slapped an old Nissan 300ZX worth about as much as a week's worth of groceries onto an $11,178 Featherlite 20-foot open-car trailer. With 908 pound-feet of torque on tap, towing the full 5180 pounds is as light a workout as calf raises (the R1T's max tow rating is 11,000 pounds). We also loved being able to activate the bed-view camera from the 15.6-inch infotainment screen while in motion; the truck towed with such aplomb we needed constant reassurance that the trailer was even back there.

Our first leg lasted 91 miles, depleting the battery from full to 41 percent, at which point we stopped at a Rivian-branded DC fast-charger for more juice. Parking with a trailer attached was easy, as the Rivian chargers were located in their own aisle within a larger strip mall. In 28 minutes, we re-juiced to 80 percent and the R1T's range estimator indicated we'd be golden for another 136 miles of hauling. We arrived at our drop-off point 98 miles later with 25 miles of indicated range left, 13 miles short of the original estimate. During a more structured towing test using a different R1T pickup with larger 22-inch wheels wrapped in all-season rubber, the EV managed 110 miles of highway range while pulling a 6100-pound camper.

As part of the 2023.38.0 over-the-air update, the R1T now estimates the weight of a trailer to the nearest 500 pounds, which helps it deliver more accurate range estimates with stuff in tow. The new display also shows the temperature of the battery and individual motors. During our tow time, the motors warmed from ambient temperatures of approximately 38 degrees Fahrenheit to 132 degrees. The Rivian also offers efficiency ratings specific to towing; at the end of 434 miles, which included a trip up north with our unladen 1460-pound Featherlite, we spied a readout of 1.4 miles per kilowatt-hour.

On our return office visit with the empty trailer, a careless driver merged directly into us. The pilot, clearly too humiliated and possibly too uninsured to face the music, put the hammer down on their janky Jeep Compass in an attempt to escape. Thanks to the R1T's legendary 60-mph time, we were able to get the license plate in just a few seconds before pulling over safely and reporting the incident to the Michigan State Police. The boys in blue were able to find and issue a citation to the driver, bringing a moment of justice to this unjust world. For reasons unknown, Rivian's Gear Guard security system and Drive Cam weren't activated in our truck at the time of the sideswipe, but that's since been fixed.

Despite the R1T's modestly sized bed, we've moved a lot of junk. The just-over-five-foot-long gear tunnel behind the rear doors has proven quite useful, allowing us to fit single items as large as that rust-bucket 300ZX's front-bumper cover. With the tailgate open, we were able to fit a loveseat, a king-size mattress, and a 65-inch television into the back. The tie-down points within the bed and atop the bedsides were super handy while coming up with clever ways to keep the haul from spilling out. For the family-first owners out there, senior editor Fink confirmed that a folded Uppababy Vista V2 stroller will fit in both the R1T's frunk and gear tunnel.

And even though we have praised the Rivian's overall ride quality, some staffers have started to voice disdain for a highway-speed vibration of unknown provenance. "Starting to sound like a rattlesnake," quipped managing testing editor Dave Beard, who heard more than just pebble shake while driving down dirt roads. Senior editor Andrew Krok wrote, "Sometimes the wheel vibrates like a spinster's Hitachi." Others gave the Rivian's independent suspension, air springs, and hydraulic anti-roll control high praise. "I stacked glass plates in the rear footwell expecting a lot of clatter, but on the highway, I didn't hear the plates bang into each other once. Silence thanks to a supple highway ride," wrote editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga.

While our long-term R1T pickup continues to pack on the miles, we'd like to report on its performance in the snow, but southeast Michigan has been free of the white stuff through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now early January. What we can say is, eventually the snow will come, even if it requires an adventure in another state.

Months in Fleet: 7 months Current Mileage: 16,242 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 61 MPGe
Battery Capacity: 128.9 kWh Observed Driving Range: 250 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0

Introduction

We've tested more than 150 electric vehicles, but only three of those faced the rigors of our long-term test. It all started with the 2015 Tesla Model S—the first to complete our full 40,000-mile regimen. That was followed by a 2019 Tesla Model 3. Our latest long-term electric—a Rivian R1T—shows just how far EVs have come. Four motors combine to produce 835 horsepower, wrapped in a striking exterior design and sporting an interior that avoids the cut-rate appearance of other EV offerings. Even if it hadn't won a 10Best Trucks trophy in 2023, this is a vehicle we want to spend a lot of time in.

We spec'd a four-motor model with the medium-size 128.9-kWh battery, mostly because that is what was available, but a two-motor version has since been introduced. Ours also wears 20-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Elects. This spec is very similar to what we road-tested in the February 2022 issue, only it doesn't have the off-road protection, a savings of roughly 120 pounds on our scales. But it isn't as if the R1T is light. At 7054 pounds, it's the third-heaviest long-term test car on record, behind two heavy-duty diesel pickups.

Initial impressions are favorable, with lots of praise going to the truck's ride—a characteristic that with pickups usually earns derision, not admiration. Thus far, the annoyance of having to dig through multiple menus to find the odometer every time we charge our Red Canyon–painted truck (so we can diligently track energy usage) is the most frustrating part of R1T life. If that remains the case, it should be a relatively uneventful stay for our long-term Riv.

But, as senior editor Eric Stafford adeptly pointed out, "Sitting at fast-chargers gives us extra time to find things to nitpick." The glass roof, for one. Rivian PR once jokingly called it "SPF 1000," but a sunny 85-degree Michigan day offered more than enough solar gain to heat the cabin; a steel roof would likely boost efficiency and help trim curb weight, but the sum of these gripes still amounts to trifles.

In the R1T's first major outing, associate news editor Caleb Miller took it to the Electric Forest music festival in rural northern Michigan. He learned that the truck is so new, the local constabulary didn't think to check the gear tunnel for contraband—probably because they didn't know it existed—which is good since Miller had more than his maximum allotment of hooch. Just think of the R1T as the Millennium Falcon of the auto world. But it wasn't all good vibes. The portable camp speaker got stuck in its dock, which brings us to the not-so-lovely part of Rivian ownership: service.

Rivian's small footprint in southeast Michigan means there's just one service location. When we called to get the Bluetooth camp speaker repaired and unstuck, the earliest appointment was three months out. The speaker was one of three things we needed to address, but none of the R1T's issues prevented us from driving it. Aside from the speaker, the right gear tunnel entrapment release (the same federally mandated opener you find in every new car's trunk) is not functional, and because of a gaffe in our garage, we can't commit any settings to the car's memory. Thankfully, these fixes were covered under warranty.

Normally for things like this, we would have them addressed at routine maintenance intervals. But the Rivian maintenance schedule is as real as muffler bearings or blinker fluid. It's essentially the crockpot of automotive service—set it and forget it. The only recommendation is to rotate the tires every 5000 miles. It's wild to us, but evidently, to a startup EV manufacturer, a service schedule is an antiquated, unnecessary carryover.

Though we haven't stretched the Rivian's driving-range potential with any giant road trips yet, there are certainly many planned, especially as the holiday season nears. The charging infrastructure—or lack thereof—hasn't slowed the Riv's pace. Credit its smooth driving, comfortable cabin, useful shape, and thoughtful features (gear tunnel, frunk, air compressor) for its popularity.

We've come to tell enquiring strangers who desire a thoughtful comparison to their half-ton not to think of the R1T as a pickup, but rather to think of it as a really nice vehicle that just happens to be in the shape of a truck. We plan to test the range when towing a variety of trailers, which we already know won't be great. But it'll give us plenty of time to hunt for that pesky odometer.

Months in Fleet: 5 months Current Mileage: 9896 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 59 MPGe
Battery Capacity: 128.9 kWh Observed Driving Range: 250 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0