While the latest models get a whole host of updates and new amenities, a handy function has been silently eliminated
The Gen 2 Rivian R1 range of EVs has lost a seemingly handy feature in the form of a front under-seat storage compartment. The American EV start-up has been having an interesting time at the moment as the government recently granted a loan of $6.57 billion to create its Georgia plant in Stanton Springs North. It will have a capacity of 400,000 EVs annually. The Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office has granted conditional commitment for this loan. While that is the future, let us focus on the mystery behind the removal of under-seat storage in R1.
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Gen 2 Rivian R1 Doesn’t Have Front Under-Seat Storage
This revelation surfaced on multiple online forums including Twitter and Reddit. The EV owners noticed the omission of this compartment from the Gen 2 EVs. Clearly, this left them baffled. It is possible that this was a cost-cutting measure. A Rivian representative responded to this query by Car Scoops by saying, “Yes, we removed the passenger seat storage bin from production on all R1 variants in late 2024.”
He added, “We are constantly evaluating our design and production strategy and the passenger seat storage bin has a low utilization rate. We’ve found that personal items that might be stored in this space (ex: smart phone) won’t fit easily, so passengers would use another storage place instead. There has been no change to the storage bin under the driver’s seat, which remains available for small items like sunglasses and keys.” Based on this observation, they removed this utilitarian aspect.
However, this is not the only change to the Gen 2 lineup. The Large and Max battery packs now also feature redesigned modules that are more efficiently packaged. This results in easier manufacturing and service. Furthermore, it now even gets a new heat pump and a revised electrical architecture. The latter eliminates 10 ECUs and about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of wiring.
Finally, the EV maker has introduced a suite of new updates, including higher-definition cameras and improved AI prediction technology. This system consists of 11 cameras and 5 radars. Hence, the overall capabilities of the entire process are enhanced further. Hence, there is a lot to like in the Gen 2 Rivian R1 range despite the removal of a storage compartment.
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Rivian has been making progress towards launching more affordable models within the next couple of years to cater to the mass market. In that approach, its upcoming Georgia plant will play a crucial where the production of R2 and R3 is planned. We shall have to wait a bit to see how things pan out in this regard.