Despite big strides in battery range and charging network growth, EVs and their makers still face the classic customer concern of range anxiety. Even owners who enjoy their EVs sometimes have concerns about range, and subsequently an interest in having more of it. This is perfectly illustrated by comedian and Rivian R1T owner Daniel Tosh asking Rivian’s founder, RJ Scaringe, if there will be any vehicles with more than 500 miles of range soon. Somewhat surprisingly, Scaringe said that he doesn’t really see a market for vehicles with such a massive range. Instead, he sees advances in batteries improving other aspects of the vehicle, instead of sheer run time, and we think general consumers and car enthusiasts will be on board.
The “Sweet Spot” Has Already Been Achieved
When Tosh asked Scaringe about range, which you can see in the video above, Scaringe said:
“I don’t think there’s a market for 5- or 600 miles. There’s some, but it’s a pretty narrow margin. We think the sweet spot’s more like 3- to 400 miles.”
It’s an interesting answer, since range remains a bragging point for car companies. Lucid actually has a version of the Air sedan that has an EPA range of 512 miles. Even Rivian has a couple versions of its R1S and R1T that can crest 400 miles. Those vehicles are also more likely to be used for some towing, which can lead to dramatically shorter driving distances due to far more aerodynamic drag.
Scaringe has reasons for this, though. Obviously, he must have some market data that suggests there aren’t too many people really seeking 500+ miles of driving on a single charge. He also highlights the potential of higher-power density batteries to improve the cost of vehicles. The more power you can get out of a single cell, the fewer you need to reach current-day ranges, thus fewer batteries to pay for in production, and lower prices for the consumer.
We would add that this move would be greatly beneficial to vehicle weight and dynamics. The fewer batteries you have in the car, the lighter it will be. That can compound with other lighter components, such as suspension, since they don’t have to be as heavy-duty to handle the load of the batteries. Lighter weight also improves handling, stopping, and accelerating. It would likely help reduce wear on tires and brake components, too, which is important from a consumer standpoint, but also an environmental one. More attention is being paid to the particulates that come off of tires as they wear, and their impact on the environment. Basically, getting the same range with fewer batteries has almost no downsides.
Rivian’s Range Leaders Are Probably Already Here
Another factor that likely led to Scaringe’s response is the fact that the company is probably already building its longest-range vehicles. The R1S and R1T will be the company’s flagships for the foreseeable future. The R2 and R3 SUVs that are coming soon will be smaller and less expensive than the existing models. With lower prices comes the likelihood that Rivian won’t stuff as many batteries as possible in them. They’re smaller, too, so there’s only so much room for them. Rivian does have other models planned, too, which he touched on during the Tosh interview, but those are also expected to be relatively affordable. Simply put, Rivian probably doesn’t see much of a market for huge range, and it definitely doesn’t see it for its future vehicles for more cost-conscious buyers.