Rivian redesigns all-electric R1 pickup and SUV, adds Nvidia chips and improves performance

Rivian Automotive has redesigned its all-electric R1 pickup and SUV models to improve range, performance and computing power with the help of Nvidia chips, the company said Thursday.

While the 2025 model-year vehicles do not outwardly look too different than the current models, Rivian said it has changed more than half the hardware components for the second-generation products and reengineered their batteries and electrical architectures, also known as the brains of a vehicle.

"We continue to evolve our flagship R1 vehicles, offering quality and performance without compromise. Our revamped R1S and R1T push the technical boundaries further, creating our most capable products to date," Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe said in a statement.

Amid the most notable changes to the new vehicles is their computing power, which Rivian says delivers 10 times more performance than the previous system.

The new system uses dual Nvidia DRIVE Orin processors to help power the "Autonomy Compute Module," which includes driver-assistant features. Rivian said a "premium version" of the system also will be available with a broader set of capabilities such as hands-free driving "for periods of time." Rivian said drivers will still need to pay attention to the road at all times.

The updates to its current products come as the automaker attempts to increase sales of the flagship models ahead of launching less-expensive "R2" models, which are expected to start at about $45,000 when they begin shipping during the first half of 2026.

The lower-priced vehicles are crucial to Rivian's expansion as sales of its current models have slowed amid a sluggish industrywide sales pace for electric vehicles. The company has cut headcount, reduced operational costs