THE RIVIAN THERMAL MANAGEMENT RAPIDGATE ISSUE

EV Channels Review

The reviewer highlights a significant thermal management issue with the Rivian R1T, particularly concerning its battery pack's ability to cool itself during DC fast charging, even in cold weather. This "Rapidgate" problem leads to substantial charging speed degradation, dropping from peak speeds of over 200 kW down to 90-150 kW, significantly impacting road trip efficiency. The reviewer notes that while driving, especially when towing downhill, regenerative braking is also limited due to inverter heat. They suspect a hardware limitation, possibly due to "hot spotting" within the battery pack's double-stack design, preventing adequate cooling. While software updates have attempted to address the issue, the core problem persists. The reviewer contrasts this with vehicles like the Porsche Taycan and Tesla, which manage thermal loads more effectively. They suggest Rivian could potentially mitigate the issue by raising the maximum allowable battery temperature or improving cooling system efficiency, but ultimately express frustration that a premium vehicle struggles with basic road trip charging due to thermal constraints, recommending Tesla or gasoline cars for easier long-distance travel.