Rivian is nearing the announcement of the 2027 model year R1T and R1S, as EV reported earlier this month.
The Irvine-based EV maker has now submitted the updated electric pickup and SUV to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for certification.
The certification documents, shared on Tuesday by RivianForums user ‘kanundrum’, cover the entire R1 lineup and are typically one of the final regulatory steps before a new model year enters production.
While Rivian has yet to announce when the MY2027 models will officially arrive, the EPA filings suggest the launch is now days away.
Last year, the company introduced the 2026 model year vehicles on July 8.
Beyond confirming the yearly model update — which the EV maker typically schedules around the summer — the documents also reveal several changes across the Dual Motor, Tri Motor and Quad Motor variants.
R1 Adopts R2 Naming
Matching the newly launched mid-size SUV R2, Rivian has changed the nomenclature of its R1 models, which now carry ‘Premium’ and ‘Long Range’ in their names.
One filing, test group VRIVT00.0172 dated July 2, lists six carlines badged R1T Premium and R1S Premium across 22-inch, 20-inch and 20-inch all-terrain wheel configurations.
An accompanying California Air Resources Board (CARB) review sheet ties the Premium designation to the 665-hp Performance Dual Motor paired with the Large battery pack.
The powertrain branding shifts too.
Power remains unchanged at 533 hp in standard form and 665 hp with the optional Performance upgrade, but Rivian now refers to the units as High-Efficiency Motors, replacing the previous Enduro name.
Additionally, the 22-inch Sport wheel designation is becoming 22-inch Standard and detailed tire sizes now published for each configuration.
Dual Motor: Simplified Batteries
The biggest revisions affect the Dual Motor lineup.
For MY2027, the 105.5-kWh Large Pack becomes the standard battery, while the 140-kWh Max Pack is offered as an upgrade — with the base 92.5-kWh Standard Pack eliminated entirely.
In the certification documents, Rivian says the revised Large and Max Pack positioning is intended to “distinctively step above R2”, reflecting the effort to create clearer separation between its flagship models and the new midsize platform.
The paperwork formalizes a change already visible on the company’s website.
Rivian quietly discontinued the Dual Standard variant of both the R1T and R1S in late June, removing the entry-level configuration built around the smaller LFP battery pack.
The move lifted the R1S entry price to $83,990 for the Dual on the Large battery and the R1T to $79,990 — a $7,000 increase over the discontinued trim.
Tri and Quad Motor
The Tri Motor returns with familiar specifications, keeping its 850 hp and 1,103 lb-ft of torque paired with the Max Pack battery.
Instead of increasing performance, Rivian notes refined thermal management logic and optimized highway energy draw, suggesting software improvements aimed at efficiency and sustained output.
The flagship Quad Motor remains the most powerful R1 configuration, retaining 1,025 hp and 1,198 lb-ft of torque.
Front and rear gear ratios carry over unchanged, while the 140-kWh Max Pack remains the exclusive battery option.
Certification standards move in step with federal rules, with the MY2027 trucks listed under Interim Tier 4 Bin 0 as medium-duty passenger vehicles alongside California’s ZEV requirements.
Energy and Charging
The EPA filings also show Rivian continuing its transition toward the North American Charging Standard (NACS).
While MY2026 vehicles included a CCS adapter, the MY2027 documentation instead lists a bundled SAE J1772 AC adapter — part number PT01472026 — with native NACS charging remaining standard across the lineup.
Onboard AC charging is unchanged at 11.5 kW on a 240-volt, 48-amp supply.
Inventory Discounts
Ahead of the launch, Rivian has discounted existing inventory of R1S and R1T vehicles by up to $5,000.
Several R1 builds carried “reduced price” tags on the shop page, all 2026 model-year units spanning Dual, Tri and Quad configurations.
Discounts ranged from $500 on lower-specification builds of the R1S to $5,000 on top-tier Quad models with the Max battery pack.
Other incentives sit alongside the inventory reductions, including a $3,000 lease credit on Tri and Dual with Performance Upgrade models, 0% APR for 60 months on any remaining 2025 R1 stock and 1.99% APR on select 2026 trims.
Separately, the company extended a $1,500 purchase discount for Amazon employees on R1 vehicles through September 30.
Model-Year Switch
The scope and timing mirror a pattern Rivian has used before.
The company offered discounts of up to $6,000 on 2023 and 2024 R1 inventory in mid-2024 as production shifted toward the refreshed Gen 2 lineup for the 2025 model year.
The Gen 2 R1 lineup — which brought in-house drive units, a zonal electrical architecture and multiple battery-pack options — was revealed in June 2024 and entered production as the 2025 model year.
The 2026 model year carried more modest adjustments: standard NACS charging ports, incremental motor-efficiency tweaks and price increases of up to $1,090 on most trims.
As of Tuesday, the company has not announced the 2027 model year.
Soft R1 Demand
R1 deliveries combining the R1S and R1T came to an estimated 7,402 units in the second quarter, down 6.3% from the same period a year earlier, according to Cox Automotive figures.
The R1T bore the sharper decline at an estimated 1,219 units, a 30.4% year-over-year drop, while the R1S held roughly flat at 6,183 units, up 0.6%.
Full-year R1 deliveries fell about 15.1% in 2025 from the prior year, a slide Rivian has attributed partly to buyers waiting for the lower-priced R2 SUV — for which order invites and first deliveries began on June 9.
The company’s second-quarter earnings call is scheduled for Thursday at 5:00 p.m. ET.
