The battery blitz in America continues and the newest beneficiary of that is the upcoming Rivian R2.
Rivian just inked a battery supply deal with Korean battery giant LG Energy Solution (LGES) for its next-generation R2 model that’s set to launch in the second half of this decade. The Irvine, California-headquartered automaker showcased the R2 electric SUV—which looks like a baby R1S—in March and is now inching closer to bring that model to market.
LGES said on Thursday that it will provide Rivian with its advanced 4695 cylindrical cells for over five years, with a capacity totaling 67 gigawatt-hours. The new cell type has a diameter of 46 millimeters and is 95 mm tall, the battery maker said in a press release. It will feature six times the capacity of the existing 2170 cylindrical cells.
Good to see Rivian moving away from those cells. I know they’ve been a source of criticism.
With how fast battery tech is evolving, how does one decide when the it’s the “right” time to buy to get the most range for your money? By the 2026 there will likely be an even better capacity battery, and so on…
Your question sounds similar to one asked in the stock market. When is the right point of entry? If I was not an EV owner, I wouldn’t worry too much about this. The tech will continually evolve, and if you just keep working you’ll run the risk of never getting what you want.
I think the best approach is to see what your needs are and then see if something in the market meets those needs. If it does, pull the trigger. It will absolutely happen that some amount of time will pass and there will be a better deal, but you will likely still have your needs met.
Lease. Certainly with early Leafs, Bolts, and Model 3, I knew people who swore by leasing as the best way to manage the rapidly changing technology.
Maybe those upcoming changes don’t matter as much as you think. Last year I bought a model Y because:
- theoretical range over 300 miles
- home charging limited by electrical service, not battery
- battery expected to last longer than people own a car
- battery can charge up to the 250kW of current superchargers
- typical supercharger time is <20 minutes
While it would be nice to have even better stats, would it really make a big difference if a supercharger stop was 15 minutes instead of 20? Would it really make a difference to have an additional 50 miles range? Of course but not that big of one.
Cost will be the most important impact of better batteries and other technology changes but I needed a vehicle and this one fit my budget
I don’t fully understand this question. Of course, EVs will get better each year. There is still a lot of potential with battery and electric engines.
But your car won’t get worse when better cars are released. Buy a car that fits your needs for the forseeable future. You’re not marrying your car, you can always sell it a few years later.
As long as it fits your budget and has over 250 miles range it really does not matter the battery.
