Rivian beat decades-old carmakers and startups alike to the electric pickup segment when it released the R1T in 2021. The segment has gotten crowded since, and the young brand will reportedly fire back at the competition by launching a range-topping model called Ascent.
Keep in mind that none of this is official. Citing “a solid source,” a member of enthusiast forum Rivian Forums who goes by the user name LarryDallas wrote that one of the new products in Rivian’s pipeline is a updated version of the R1T called Ascent. We’re guessing that’s the truck’s internal designation; Subaru might have some less-than-kind words for Rivian if the designation ends up on the production model.
The user reportedly learned that the Ascent will ship with a dual-motor drivetrain capable of delivering over 1,000 horsepower. That’s both impressive and a little unusual: As it stands, the most powerful member of the R1T range develops 835 horsepower from four electric motors (one per wheel), and the most powerful dual-motor version posts an output of 700 horsepower. Regardless, the same report claims that the Ascent packs so much power that early prototypes popped wheelies during testing. Rivian is allegedly making changes to mitigate that.
Visual changes will set the Ascent apart from other members of the R1T lineup, according to the user, and designers will hone the truck’s aerodynamic profile as well. It’s reasonable to speculate that changes to the suspension and brakes will be part of the package as well.
If the report is accurate, the Rivian R1T Ascent will make its debut at some point in 2024 and likely go on sale as a 2025 model. Rivian hasn’t commented on the report, however, and it hasn’t announced plans to launch a more powerful evolution of the truck. As of writing, the only bit of future product-related information that the brand has confirmed is a second, smaller model called R2 and tentatively due out in 2026.
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