[FirstStateR1T]

Who here is like me in commuting between 125 - 150ish miles in a given day?

My current car is ICE and I really wonder about the practicality of my R1T reservation (Large pack, 314 miles) when it comes to driving this distance daily, cold weather conditions here in the NE US and in the end about 40k miles annually...

Please chime in if you are doing the same currently in another EV, give me some insights, details, etc.

Please chime in if you are currently driving an ICE car and what your daily plans are once you get your Rivian...

 

[tonipepperoni77]

i mean if you have a charger at your work you will be fine otherwise that is pushin it close to the battery if you chose the standard battery otherwise you would just have to stop on your way home but that would increase your commute time

 

[FirstStateR1T]

i mean if you have a charger at your work you will be fine otherwise that is pushin it close to the battery if you chose the standard battery otherwise you would just have to stop on your way home but that would increase your commute time

Here in lies my point... I have the large pack spec'd (314miles), I can charge at home and I can charge at work to keep the needs as minimal as possible to reduce battery strain. However if I don't charge at work I really wonder what my daily commute needs will look like.

 

[sciencegeek]

I know this doesn't answer your question but ...
Do you need / really want a truck for your commute? There are lots of EV options with plenty of range for that sort of commute.
Consider the fact that more electron-efficient vehicles will take less time to charge on a standard Level 2 home charging unit. The Rivian will be quite thirsty due to its heft and large cross sectional area, which produces a lot of drag. Charging at a bit over 6kW (factoring in the typical loss on an L2 unit), 12 hours of plugging in (for example) will get you 72kWh.

I just saw your reply ... is your commute 150 miles one way? And what do you mean by "battery strain"?

 

[FirstStateR1T]

I know this doesn't answer your question but ...
Do you need / really want a truck for your commute? There are lots of EV options with plenty of range for that sort of commute.
Consider the fact that more electron-efficient vehicles will take less time to charge on a standard Level 2 home charging unit. The Rivian will be quite thirsty due to its heft and large cross sectional area, which produces a lot of drag. Charging at a bit over 6kW (factoring in the typical loss on an L2 unit), 12 hours of plugging in (for example) will get you 72kWh.

I just saw your reply ... is your commute 150 miles one way? And what do you mean by "battery strain"?

The only cost effective option with enough range is a M3 or MY, neither of which really interest me. The commute in total round trip is 135-150 depending on post work errands.

 

[grantsi]

i mean if you have a charger at your work you will be fine otherwise that is pushin it close to the battery if you chose the standard battery otherwise you would just have to stop on your way home but that would increase your commute time

The standard battery ( i.e. the one R1T’s are being delivered with now ) should be able to do 150miles right? Even in adverse conditions I assumed that was a reasonable figure. I only ask because I am in a similiar boat ( maybe 130 miles max per day ) but i will not have access to a real charger anywhere but home.

 

[NY_Rob]

FYI Std ("large") batt = 314 mi range, "max pack" = 400mi range.

Unless I'm missing something, what is the issue driving 120-150mi/day on a 314mi range battery? I've been driving electric since 2012 and even during the worst Nor'easter blizzard never saw a 50% range reduction. And if you get a monster storm, stay off the road anyway to make snow removal efforts easier. No way will you be stressing that big battery... and you have a 8yr 175,000mi warranty on the battery too.

 

[NY_Rob]

BTW... which tires are you planning on going with? Hopefully not the 20" AT's...

 

[sciencegeek]

The only cost effective option with enough range is a M3 or MY, neither of which really interest me. The commute in total round trip is 135-150 depending on post work errands.

There are attractive non-Tesla options that would work, but if your heart is set on a Rivian get a Rivian ... its range is plenty for 150 miles per day, provided you plug in as soon as you get home. You don't even need to charge at work. Charging at work would be a bonus.

 

[FirstStateR1T]

BTW... which tires are you planning on going with? Hopefully not the 20" AT's...

21" Road (90% of the time) and I will have a set of 20" AT's on aftermarket wheels for any fun weekend getaways.

 

[rockreid]

If one is everday doing 150 miles or over my opinion is to look elsewhere other than a full EV at this point. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm EV believer and have owned a Model 3 three years now and love it. However my daily commute is about 40 miles or so total everyday. Add to this range issue for you is that you are really only supposed to charge your EV to 75-80% every day for battery life, and charge to 100% only when taking the occasional road trip. Teslas have a Charge Limit function in the menu that stops charging at your preset level and I would think the Rivian has this as well.

i have already stated I am a firm EV believer but in your case you might look at a hybrid like the upcoming 2023 Toyota Sequoia Hybrid just revealed a couple of weeks ago. It looks to be probably about the same price point as a Rivian once options are added equally. I feel every situation is different and calls for a different solution. Long haul trucking will remain diesel for at least the next 30 years or so IMO and only go electric when FSD tech means truckers are out of work and truck charging /swap stations are common. The Tesla Semi and Rivian Cargo vans will take over the short haul industry and really help clean up city air quality.

your decision is yours of course, but if it were me 150 miles every day commute is just too much if you have to worry about cold weather (expect a 30-40% drop in range for really cold climates) along with the 75% charge limit.

 

[FirstStateR1T]

If one is everday doing 150 miles or over my opinion is to look elsewhere other than a full EV at this point. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm EV believer and have owned a Model 3 three years now and love it. However my daily commute is about 40 miles or so total everyday. Add to this range issue for you is that you are really only supposed to charge your EV to 75-80% every day for battery life, and charge to 100% only when taking the occasional road trip. Teslas have a Charge Limit function in the menu that stops charging at your preset level and I would think the Rivian has this as well.

i have already stated I am a firm EV believer but in your case you might look at a hybrid like the upcoming 2023 Toyota Sequoia Hybrid just revealed a couple of weeks ago. It looks to be probably about the same price point as a Rivian once options are added equally. I feel every situation is different and calls for a different solution. Long haul trucking will remain diesel for at least the next 30 years or so IMO and only go electric when FSD tech means truckers are out of work and truck charging /swap stations are common. The Tesla Semi and Rivian Cargo vans will take over the short haul industry and really help clean up city air quality.

your decision is yours of course, but if it were me 150 miles every day commute is just too much if you have to worry about cold weather (expect a 30-40% drop in range for really cold climates) along with the 75% charge limit.

Thanks for your input! I am torn for sure on this one. I wont ever go Hybrid when I already get 40/50mpg on my TDi. In my eyes its a band aid and I'd rather not have to maintain 2 systems in one car. to net the same results. I've had friends with Prius and Camry Hybrids who shelled out $$ to replace batteries on top of their regular maintenance so this kills it for me. I have until June-Sept (IF) my delivery happens on time, lol... 5yrs from now I am confident the EV space will be much different tech with regards to batteries.

 

[sciencegeek]

If one is everday doing 150 miles or over my opinion is to look elsewhere other than a full EV at this point. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm EV believer and have owned a Model 3 three years now and love it. However my daily commute is about 40 miles or so total everyday. Add to this range issue for you is that you are really only supposed to charge your EV to 75-80% every day for battery life, and charge to 100% only when taking the occasional road trip.

No offence rock, but I disagree on this broader point. If your range is, say, ca. 240 miles like several EVs out there then driving 150 miles in a day uses precisely 5/8 (62.5%) of battery, so you can yoyo between 15ish and 80ish percent. And filling up to 100% every few days is not bad for the battery any more, given the good battery management systems that exist now. (Noodling down to zero is worse; or letting a fully charged battery sit for a long time.)

In fact, I'd say that this much driving is the environmental sweet spot for EVs because you really really save a ton of gas without any compromise in functionality. And finally, driving that much puts miles on any vehicle, so whether it's an ICE or an EV you just have to be at peace with buying a new car more often ...

 

[tafisher]

My wife performs just such a commute daily (165mi @ 75mph) in a Model 3 Performance (rated at 305mi). It handles the daily mileage like a champ and the operating cost savings is a no brainer. Daily routine is to charge to 90% with a typical return SOC of around 20%...this is in winter conditions which aren't all that harsh here in AR, but still in the low 20's on the morning leg and upper 30's to low 40's on the evening leg. She's yet to do the commute in summer conditions, which I would expect to perform better. Her workplace will be installing level 2 charging hardware in the next 3 months at which time we'll likely drop the daily charge limit down to 80%. As has been stated, not sure this would be viable in an R1T with 20" AT tires, but probably adequate in the configuration utilized for the EPA ratings.

 

[NY_Rob]

Once Rivian is flush with vehicles they might offer 24hr "extended" test drives like Tesla does so you will be able to drive your actual route and get first hand results.

 

[FanFLelectric]

Encourage your employer to provide a parking space with an electrical receptacle, like many provide for block heaters up north. Might be a perk your employer could use to attract employees.

 

[Tomgriff]

I own 2 EVs, (MS and Chevy Bolt), both lose 20-30% real world range in the winter on road trips. They lose 30-45% around town, the shorter the trip, the more they lose because the batteries never warm up and due to the initial energy getting the car warmed up.

The Tesla at highway speeds around 75 mph gets 280-320 wh/mile (3.1 KwH to 3.6 KwH/mile) in summer, dry weather. In the winter it drops to 290-350 (2.9 to 3.4) after warming up. Keep in mind though, I don't get the rated range to begin with in either car, although the Bolt is close around town.

The real question will be, what sort of range does the Rivian get in real world freeway/highway driving and how much is it affected by cold and wet weather. The Rivian did pretty well in the Edmunds range test - Edmunds Tested: Electric Car Range and Consumption | Edmunds. This includes a lot of city driving, so given the aerodynamics of the Rivian, I would assume its real world highway range will be less.

All that to say, my guess is it should work for your daily commute but you will have to charge every night and you will likely need to make sure you install a higher amp circuit to get quicker home charging.

 

[acopleston]

From a long term point of view is a 150 mile comute really worth it?
If you job is for the long haul consider moving or find a job closer.
All that commuting time is wasted fuel and time if there are viable alternatives.

 

[FirstStateR1T]

My wife performs just such a commute daily (165mi @ 75mph) in a Model 3 Performance (rated at 305mi). It handles the daily mileage like a champ and the operating cost savings is a no brainer. Daily routine is to charge to 90% with a typical return SOC of around 20%...this is in winter conditions which aren't all that harsh here in AR, but still in the low 20's on the morning leg and upper 30's to low 40's on the evening leg. She's yet to do the commute in summer conditions, which I would expect to perform better. Her workplace will be installing level 2 charging hardware in the next 3 months at which time we'll likely drop the daily charge limit down to 80%. As has been stated, not sure this would be viable in an R1T with 20" AT tires, but probably adequate in the configuration utilized for the EPA ratings.

Thanks for your feedback! I will be on the 21" road tires to maximize the range. I was thinking worst case I can charge to 50% in the winter (314*.8=250miles range) so 125mile @ 50% to easily get to work (65miles) then recharge on a level 2 while at work back to 125-150miles of charge. I keep hearing to charge the bottom half of the battery only, unless you really have a longer day planned. This is coming from Tesla owners since we have so little Rivian info to date...

 

[TessP100D]

Who here is like me in commuting between 125 - 150ish miles in a given day?

My current car is ICE and I really wonder about the practicality of my R1T reservation (Large pack, 314 miles) when it comes to driving this distance daily, cold weather conditions here in the NE US and in the end about 40k miles annually...

Please chime in if you are doing the same currently in another EV, give me some insights, details, etc.

Please chime in if you are currently driving an ICE car and what your daily plans are once you get your Rivian...

You are right to be concerned. Very concerned. Range is King.

150 miles each way is 300 miles. You will not make it on a Rivian with 314 miles of range. you will have to charge to 100% every night which is not great for the battery pack. Here’s where it’s gets interesting or scary depending on your outlook. a side note here, it’s interesting to me, however with my wife in the car is scary and she’s not Having it… the extra stress of ‘’oh I think we can make it home before we are stranded on the road because we killed all the range in the battery’’. Sorry went off there. Lol.

anyways back to the response. You must consider range factors. You will not get the full range, you will suffer battery degradation and other factors such as weather, wind, grade and speed will kill your range.
around town, sure stated range of 314 will work. Making trips 150 miles each way, forget about it.
that’s why the max pack is needed. Range is king.