Rivian Improves R1S Crash Test Performance, Earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Honors

“Move fast and break things” is a common mantra for tech startups, coined by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. Electric-vehicle startup Rivian is doing the first part — moving fast — to prevent the second, the “things” in this case being people. Rivian’s R1T all-electric pickup earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2022, but its R1S SUV stablemate fell short in one critical crash test. Now, Rivian has updated the 2023 R1S, and the SUV adds a second Top Safety Pick+ to the company’s trophy case — for vehicles built after January 2023.

Related: 2022-23 Rivian R1T EV Pickup Earns Top Safety Award

In order to qualify for the Top Safety Pick+ accolade, the safety institute’s highest honor, a vehicle must earn good ratings in six crash test categories: driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. In addition, the vehicle must have acceptable- or good-rated headlights across all trims and score an advanced or superior rating for both daytime and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention. IIHS rates vehicles on one scale (poor, marginal, acceptable or good) for hardware-related tests like crash performance and headlight illumination and uses a separate scale (basic, advanced or superior) for active technologies like crash prevention systems.

The 2022 R1S only ranked acceptable in the moderate overlap front test, in which the vehicle travels at 40 mph and strikes a barrier extending across 40% of the front bumper. In that test, the 2022 model’s floor buckled on the driver’s side, which could contribute to lower-leg injuries. A good performance in that test is necessary not just for the Top Safety Pick+ award, but the step-down Top Safety Pick honor, as well.

R1Ss built after January 2023 incorporate a stiffening patch in the floor pan, which mitigates the driver-side floor buckle and helps upgrade the SUV’s score from acceptable to good, fulfilling the one remaining requirement for a Top Safety Pick+ award. The electric SUV also earned a good rating for its LED headlights on all trims, as well as a superior rating in the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian test and an advanced rating in the nighttime evaluation.

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• Which Electric Cars Are Still Eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit?
• What to Know Before Purchasing an Electric Vehicle: A Buying Guide
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