42,000 Miles Later: Rivian R1T Quad Motor Shows Impressive Battery Health
- evautos2
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
In July 2022, a Rivian R1T Quad Motor with the Large Pack battery rolled off the production line and into the hands of its owner, a passionate early adopter with plans to put the electric truck to serious use. Now, after 42,000 miles of mixed driving on 21-inch road tires, the owner decided it was time for a deep dive into the health of the truck’s battery.
The results? Remarkably low degradation and near-perfect range accuracy — a strong testament to Rivian’s battery technology.
The Test Process
To assess battery health, the owner devised a simple but effective test, combining real-world driving data with charging metrics. The process went as follows:
Fully charged the battery to 100%.
Reset the Trip A odometer to track data for this specific test.
Drove a route combining 70 mph interstate highways and 60 mph rural highways.
At every 5% drop in state of charge (SOC), they recorded the miles driven and energy consumption displayed in the vehicle’s trip meter.
Arrived home with 9% battery remaining, then plugged in to charge back to 100%, recording how much energy was added.
This provided two independent ways to estimate total usable battery capacity: consumption data collected during driving and the energy measured during the recharge.
Method 1: Calculating from Consumption Data
The first method involved plotting reported consumption versus state of charge. As shown in the graph below, the data fit beautifully to a straight line, revealing a projected usable capacity of 125.84 kWh from 100% to 0%.
For comparison, Rivian lists the original usable capacity of the Large Pack at 131 kWh. This suggests the pack retained 96.06% of its original capacity, translating to just about 4% degradation after 42,000 miles.
Method 2: Calculating from Charging Data
The second method focused on the energy added back to the pack when charging from 9% to 100%. The Rivian interface reported 116.7 kWh added. By dividing that number by 0.91 (to account for the starting 9% SOC), the estimated full pack capacity came out to 128.24 kWh.
That’s 97.89% of the original 131 kWh, meaning this method showed only 2.1% degradation.
The Takeaway: Average Degradation ~3%
Averaging both methods, the overall battery degradation after 42,000 miles is approximately 3%. For a vehicle that’s seen extensive use across a variety of driving conditions, this is an outstanding result — especially for an electric truck this size.
Range Accuracy: On the Money
The owner also noted how accurate Rivian’s range estimate proved to be. Based on actual consumption over the test drive, the calculated full pack range would have been approximately 314 miles. Remarkably, the vehicle’s onboard range estimator predicted 315 miles at the start of the trip — a nearly perfect match.
Efficiency Over Time
Long-term data from the truck’s Trip B odometer, which tracks nearly 37,000 miles, showed an average efficiency of 2.41 miles per kWh. For a full-sized electric adventure truck, this is quite respectable — particularly with the aerodynamic advantage of the 21-inch road tires.
Ownership Experience: Smooth Sailing
Beyond the impressive battery health, the owner reports an overwhelmingly positive ownership experience with the R1T. The truck’s powered tonneau cover, a component that has been known to cause trouble for some early owners, has worked flawlessly since delivery. The only warranty repair needed was a sticky charge port door, which Rivian promptly resolved by replacing the actuator motor.
The original tires also held up well, lasting an impressive 37,000 miles before needing replacement.
A Strong Endorsement for Rivian’s Engineering
At the 42,000-mile mark, this Rivian R1T stands as a strong example of how well modern EV batteries can endure real-world use. With only around 3% degradation, highly accurate range estimates, and no major reliability concerns, this particular truck offers a compelling case for long-term Rivian ownership.
As the owner puts it, this is a vehicle they’ve driven hard — and loved every mile. For Rivian and its customers, that’s the kind of real-world result that speaks louder than any spec sheet.
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