The company told us that few owners of the R1T and R1S were actually using the storage area under the front passenger seat
7 hours ago
- Owners of new R1 models were puzzled by the sudden disappearance of the storage pocket.
- The company quietly removed the hidden drawer from all second-gen R1 models recently.
- Some speculate that cost-cutting measures played a role in Rivian’s decision to ditch the compartment.
Rivian has quietly removed the under-seat storage compartment from all second-generation R1T and R1S models, a move that’s sure to leave some owners scratching their heads. Oddly, this comes several months after the Gen 2 R1 series launched with a slew of updates, making the disappearance of this small, yet surprisingly handy feature all the more baffling.
Read: 2025 Rivian R1S And R1T Combine Tired Looks With New Tech And More Power
News of the storage bin’s removal began circulating on Twitter, Reddit, and various forums earlier this week, catching new owners off guard. Some were surprised to find the compartment entirely missing, while others received their vehicles with the drawer still in place, sparking confusion and frustration. Carscoops reached out to Rivian for clarification and was informed that the storage bin has been removed from all R1 variants as of “late 2024,” though no specific timeline was provided.
Rivian’s Response
“Yes, we removed the passenger seat storage bin from production on all R1 variants in late 2024,” a Rivian representative told us.
“We are constantly evaluating our design and production strategy and the passenger seat storage bin has a low utilization rate,” the spokesperson explained. “We’ve found that personal items that might be stored in this space (ex: smart phone) won’t fit easily, so passengers would use another storage place instead. There has been no change to the storage bin under the driver’s seat, which remains available for small items like sunglasses and keys.”
Some owners seem disappointed by the removal of this storage area, especially since neither the R1T nor the R1S features a traditional glovebox. There’s also speculation that the under-seat cubby’s removal is part of a cost-cutting effort, though Rivian did not mention this in its response to us. That said, there are other storage areas in both the electric pickup and SUV, including in the door panels and large bins under the rear seats.
Still, it’s hard not to notice that certain small changes, like this one, seem to line up with a broader trend in automakers trimming the fat from vehicles. Rivian isn’t exactly struggling with its pricing strategy, but a few cuts here and there could certainly help the company with future cost efficiency.
What Else Is New With The Gen 2 R1?
Several other significant changes have been made to the second-generation R1 series. For example, the available Large and Max battery packs now feature redesigned modules that are more efficiently packaged, which should make them easier to manufacture and service. Rivian has also installed a new heat pump and a revised electrical architecture, which eliminates 10 ECUs and about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of wiring. On the performance front, the dual-motor variants now deliver 665 hp, the tri-motor version is good for 850 hp, and the quad-motor models pump out a staggering 1,025 hp.
Rivian hasn’t forgotten about its semi-autonomous driving system either. The company has introduced a suite of new updates, including higher-definition cameras and improved AI prediction technology. The revised system now boasts 11 cameras and five radars, further improving its capabilities.
Lead photos Reddit@mhespenh & Reddit@Kryptonlogic
