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Rivian patents unique airbag system for max protection during far-side collisions

[Photo: Rivian]

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Rivian’s electric trucks are equipped with a suite of active and passive safety features, among them being a number of airbags for the driver and the vehicle’s passengers. Airbags have long been proven to protect occupants in a crash, but as Rivian noted in its recent patent, titled “Airbag Arrangement for Protection in a Far-Side Vehicular Crash,” there are still improvements that can be made to the placement of airbags. This is especially true for vehicles that are equipped with captain seats. 

While captain seats are incredibly comfortable, they usually result in gap between the seats where there is space for “excessive movement of a person in the vehicle in the event of a crash.” With this in mind, providing additional support and protection in the center space would likely improve the outcomes for passengers involved in an collision, particularly those in a far-side collision.

An illustration of Rivian’s innovative airbag patent. (Credit: US Patent Office)

This is where Rivian’s newly published patent application comes in. The patent involves a pair of airbags that are designed to fill the gap between the seats of a vehicle. These airbags could be deployed in several shapes and arrangements, and could be used in different vehicle interior designs. With these airbags in place, passengers could be supported better in the event of a collision

Rivian describes its center airbag patent in the section below. 

“An arrangement of a pair of airbags is described herein to improve safety for occupants of a vehicle involved in a far-side crash. A pair of airbags may be deployed to fill an interior space in a vehicle to support persons in a vehicle that is involved in a side crash, particularly, a person facing a far-side crash. In general, an airbag inflating into an open space, such as an empty interior space, may have supportive limitations because the airbag may not be braced by a physical structure and can lack a reactive surface. 

An illustration of Rivian’s innovative airbag patent. (Credit: US Patent Office)

“The pairs of airbags described herein may be deployed in a number of shapes and arrangements and be used in different vehicle interior designs, such as those having particular pillar designs, instrument panel shapes, seat designs and other configurations, in an interior space between vehicle seats where a single airbag may be insufficient for supporting and protecting a vehicle occupant… In some scenarios, the first airbag and the second airbag are configured to act together to support a side of the vehicle occupant on a near side of the crash so that the person is contained from the other person facing the far-side crash.”

The full text of Rivian’s novel center airbag patent could be accessed here.

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Rivian’s R1T electric truck and R1S SUV have been received incredibly well since their unveiling last year, thanks to their all-electric design and their uncompromising off-road qualities. The production of the company’s first pickup truck, the R1T, is expected to begin next year. As Rivian heads towards its production stage, the company has received a notable amount of support from investors, from Ford to Amazon, whose CEO Jeff Bezos recently announced that the e-commerce giant is ordering 100,000 electric vans from the startup automaker as part of its initiatives to go green.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla cleared in Canada EV rebate investigation

Tesla has been cleared in an investigation into the company’s staggering number of EV rebate claims in Canada in January.

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Credit: Tesla

Canadian officials have cleared Tesla following an investigation into a large number of claims submitted to the country’s electric vehicle (EV) rebates earlier this year.

Transport Canada has ruled that there was no evidence of fraud after Tesla submitted 8,653 EV rebate claims for the country’s Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program, as detailed in a report on Friday from The Globe and Mail. Despite the huge number of claims, Canadian authorities have found that the figure represented vehicles that had been delivered prior to the submission deadline for the program.

According to Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland, the claims “were determined to legitimately represent cars sold before January 12,” which was the final day for OEMs to submit these claims before the government suspended the program.

Upon initial reporting of the Tesla claims submitted in January, it was estimated that they were valued at around $43 million. In March, Freeland and Transport Canada opened the investigation into Tesla, noting that they would be freezing the rebate payments until the claims were found to be valid.

READ MORE ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES: EVs getting cleaner more quickly than expected in Europe: study

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Huw Williams, Canadian Automobile Dealers Association Public Affairs Director, accepted the results of the investigation, while also questioning how Tesla knew to submit the claims that weekend, just before the program ran out.

“I think there’s a larger question as to how Tesla knew to run those through on that weekend,” Williams said. “It doesn’t appear to me that we have an investigation into any communication between Transport Canada and Tesla, between officials who may have shared information inappropriately.”

Tesla sales have been down in Canada for the first half of this year, amidst turmoil between the country and the Trump administration’s tariffs. Although Elon Musk has since stepped back from his role with the administration, a number of companies and officials in Canada were calling for a boycott of Tesla’s vehicles earlier this year, due in part to his association with Trump.

Tesla excluded from incentives in Canada over Trump tariffs

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Tesla Semis to get 18 new Megachargers at this PepsiCo plant

PepsiCo is set to add more Tesla Semi Megachargers, this time at a facility in North Carolina.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla partner PepsiCo is set to build new Semi charging stations at one of its manufacturing sites, as revealed in new permitting plans shared this week.

On Friday, Tesla charging station scout MarcoRP shared plans on X for 18 Semi Megacharging stalls at PepsiCo’s facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, coming as the latest update plans for the company’s increasingly electrified fleet. The stalls are set to be built side by side, along with three Tesla Megapack grid-scale battery systems.

The plans also note the faster charging speeds for the chargers, which can charge the Class 8 Semi at speeds of up to 1MW. Tesla says that the speed can charge the Semi back to roughly 70 percent in around 30 minutes.

You can see the site plans for the PepsiCo North Carolina Megacharger below.

Credit: PepsiCo (via MarcoRPi1 on X)

Credit: PepsiCo (via MarcoRPi1 on X)

READ MORE ON THE TESLA SEMI: Tesla to build Semi Megacharger station in Southern California

PepsiCo’s Tesla Semi fleet, other Megachargers, and initial tests and deliveries

PepsiCo was the first external customer to take delivery of Tesla’s Semis back in 2023, starting with just an initial order of 15. Since then, the company has continued to expand the fleet, recently taking delivery of an additional 50 units in California. The PepsiCo fleet was up to around 86 units as of last year, according to statements from Semi Senior Manager Dan Priestley.

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Additionally, the company has similar Megachargers at its facilities in Modesto, Sacramento, and Fresno, California, and Tesla also submitted plans for approval to build 12 new Megacharging stalls in Los Angeles County.

Over the past couple of years, Tesla has also been delivering the electric Class 8 units to a number of other companies for pilot programs, and Priestley shared some results from PepsiCo’s initial Semi tests last year. Notably, the executive spoke with a handful of PepsiCo workers who said they really liked the Semi and wouldn’t plan on going back to diesel trucks.

The company is also nearing completion of a higher-volume Semi plant at its Gigafactory in Nevada, which is expected to eventually have an annual production capacity of 50,000 Semi units.

Tesla executive teases plan to further electrify supply chain

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Tesla sales soar in Norway with new Model Y leading the charge

Tesla recorded a 54% year-over-year jump in new vehicle registrations in June.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is seeing strong momentum in Norway, with sales of the new Model Y helping the company maintain dominance in one of the world’s most electric vehicle-friendly markets.

Model Y upgrades and consumer preferences

According to the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), Tesla recorded a 54% year-over-year jump in new vehicle registrations in June. The Model Y led the charge, posting a 115% increase compared to the same period last year. Tesla Norway’s growth was even more notable in May, with sales surging a whopping 213%, as noted in a CNBC report.

Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association (NEVA), stated that Tesla’s strong market performance was partly due to the updated Model Y, which is really just a good car, period.

“I think it just has to do with the fact that they deliver a car which has quite a lot of value for money and is what Norwegians need. What Norwegians need, a large luggage space, all wheel drive, and a tow hitch, high ground clearance as well. In addition, quite good digital solutions which people have gotten used to, and also a charging network,” she said.

Tesla in Europe

Tesla’s success in Norway is supported by long-standing government incentives for EV adoption, including exemptions from VAT, road toll discounts, and access to bus lanes. Public and home charging infrastructure is also widely available, making the EV ownership experience in the country very convenient.

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Tesla’s performance in Europe is still a mixed bag, with markets like Germany and France still seeing declines in recent months. In areas such as Norway, Spain, and Portugal, however, Tesla’s new car registrations are rising. Spain’s sales rose 61% and Portugal’s sales rose 7% last month. This suggests that regional demand may be stabilizing or rebounding in pockets of Europe.

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