With the R1’s battery placement, the center of gravity is pretty damn low and not in a position to shift back beyond the rear axle under acceleration, making the possibility of a wheelie-popping R1T extremely unlikely, even if the model had an insanely soft rear suspension.
So, the latter claim is highly unlikely. And while we wouldn’t rule out entirely the option of a 1,000-hp Rivian model on the R1 platform (like the previously rumored R1X), the concept of it using a dual-motor powertrain is highly unlikely, too.
Rivian definitely has more innovation in the cards for future derivatives, and if the Ascent models do come to fruition with any of the claims above, this author will happily admit he was wrong. But for now, let’s treat this as a rumor and nothing more.
