Rivian R2 has leaked important information about the drive configuration of the upcoming R2

The second generation of Enduro drive units, which the EV company has built internally, will appear in the future Rivian R2. The “Maximus” motors, which have been updated, have significant cost and production efficiency advantages. Like the R1’s Ascent units, Rivian has not released any dual-motor drive units based on the Maximus.

The Rivian R2 and R3 small EVs were presented by Rivian in March, and the company has given frequent updates about the next model since then. We have to admit that Rivian, despite the accusations of many that it is manipulating the stock price with unrealistic features, is already an experienced manufacturer of electric vehicles. It has demonstrated this with the Gen 2 re-engineering in addition to the build quality of the R1T and R1S.

Due to challenging market conditions, Rivian had to rethink its approach, with its second factory in Georgia being the primary center of this rethinking. The aim was to mass-produce the Rivian R2/R3 cars, but this was clearly too ambitious a project for the cash-strapped Rivian. Another necessary step was to restructure its current production site in Normal, Illinois to increase productivity and efficiency.

Rivian R2 is able to claim 35% cost savings in manufacturing alone due to the modifications made to the Normal facility. However, the business took additional actions to reduce expenses without sacrificing quality. The internally made Enduro electric motors have been the most successful to date. First seen in EDV/RCV vans and dual-motor R1 vehicles, Enduro motors allowed Rivian to save money while providing better performance and efficiency than Bosch motors.

With the second generation of Enduro motors, it plans to incorporate all of these advancements in the soon-to-be-released RRivian R2/R3 versions. These feature a space-saving integrated side-mounted inverter and efficient packaging. It is also more efficient and more compact than the existing Enduro motor; Rivian R2 refers to it as the Maximus. Furthermore, the EV startup claims 30% cost savings compared to the original Enduro motors because of 30% labor savings, 11% engineered part savings, and 32% drive unit fastener savings.

The Ascent drive unit for the tri- and quad-motor versions of the R1 refresh vehicles was created by Rivian by combining two enduro motors, but there is currently no Maximus equivalent. This indicates that the dual-motor drive unit design for Rivian’s R2/R3 small EVs is not yet complete. There will still be time to complete the task when production is expected to begin at the Normal, Illinois, plant in 2026. It also indicates that the tri-motor versions will likely be released much later, with Rivian most likely starting production with the dual-motor R2.

Rivian may possibly decide to equip the rear axle of the tri-motor R2/R3 crossovers with the Ascent drive unit. For compact cars, the Ascent unit, however, may be excessively large and heavy. It is also possible that Rivian will phase out the first-generation Enduro motors by 2026, as well as the Ascent drive unit, given the date. However, it will not abandon the progress achieved with the Ascent, so expect a second-generation Ascent drive unit with improved efficiency and performance in a more compact design.