Rivian’s 2027 R1S adds captain’s chairs, its most-requested feature

This is car news, not a home energy story, but here's the gist if you're tracking Rivian as a potential EV purchase. Rivian's 2027 R1S SUV now offers second-row captain's chairs instead of a bench seat, letting passengers walk through to the third row without folding anything down. It's an add-on, though: on the Premium trim it costs $4,000 to $6,000 depending on interior color, and on the Performance and Quad trims it runs $1,500 to $4,500.

Rivian also simplified its lineup, dropping the old Dual/Tri/Quad motor names in favor of three trims: Premium, Performance, and Quad, matching the naming used on its smaller R2 model. The R1T truck gets a new standard 20-inch all-season wheel aimed at better off-road grip without cutting into driving range, and both the R1S and R1T get a new paint color, Esker Silver, replacing the old LA Silver.

The bigger change for anyone shopping is price. The R1S now starts at $83,990, up $7,000 from last year, and the R1T starts at $79,990, up $9,000. If you're weighing an EV purchase alongside home upgrades like rooftop solar, worth noting that pairing an EV with home solar can lower what you pay to charge it, since electricity rates have been rising and are expected to keep climbing.