When I received Rivian's invitation to attend the First-Drive event for its second-generation 2025 R1S and R1T, my first instinct was to chuckle at the fact that they were calling them "Gen 2" and not just a "refresh" or an "update."
However, when I arrived at the event and learned how much the vehicles improved, I began to understand why Rivian bills them as an entirely new generation of electric trucks. As the event went on and I had the opportunity to speak with Rivian product experts and drive the vehicles on-road, off-road, and on-track at the Pacific Raceway, it became clear this was more than the typical mid-cycle refresh—much more.
