- Some Rivian R1 vehicles with the Max Pack battery will be delivered as Large+ models
- Vehicles with the Large+ battery pack feature a software-locked usable capacity
- It's unclear if Rivian will allow Large+ owners to unlock the extra battery capacity later
Rivian is selling its revamped 2025 R1T and R1S with the largest Max Pack software-locked down to a lower usable capacity.
First spotted by RivianTrackr, the new option is called Large+ and matches the capacity and price of the true Large Pack being offered on Dual-Motor R1T and R1S models. That means 109.4 kwh of usable capacity, compared to 141.5 kwh for the unlocked Max Pack and 92.5 kwh for the Standard Pack.
Rivian is opting to produce Max Pack vehicles software-locked down to Large+ spec due to high demand and the desire to get vehicles to customers sooner.
2025 Rivian R1T
"To meet the high customer demand and accelerate delivery our second-generation Dual Large vehicles, we’re software-updating the range of certain Max pack R1 vehicles to match the starting pricing and range (up to 330 miles) of our Large pack," Rivian spokesperson Mikhael Farah told Green Car Reports. "These Dual Large+ vehicles provide all the same performance, range, and features customers expect with a Dual Large vehicle."
In posts on Threads, RivianTrackr also claims that the Large+ pack can be charged to 100% in daily use, citing anonymous sources within the company. That seems logical, as charging to 100% of the software-enabled capacity of the Large+ pack wouldn't actually be using 100% of the pack's physical capacity. But Rivian is still recommending the same charging practices, meaning 70% for daily use, 85% for "extended drives," and 100% for road trips only.
Software limitation also leaves open the possibility of customers paying to unlock more battery capacity at a later date, but Rivian isn't announcing anything at this time. Customers also can't specify the Large+ option on the Rivian configurator. They'll continue to select "Dual Large" and may be contacted by Rivian to select the Large+ option.
2025 Rivian R1S
Software-locked battery packs aren't new. Tesla once limited battery capacity in certain Model S configurations to avoid having to produce multiple battery-pack sizes. BMW also limited the fuel-tank capacity on range-extended versions of its i3, although that was to comply with California regulations.
R1 models get a host of updates for 2025, fixing things existing owners wanted to see changed, adding new features to bring additional customers into the fold, and ensuring forward compatibility with the eagerly anticipated R2 lineup, due in 2026.
