Rivian “Tank Turn” confirmed for R1T and R1S in surprise video

Rivian R1T Tank Turn (Source: Rivian | YouTube)

Rivian might not be Santa Claus but the electric adventure vehicle startup has made a lot of fans smile this holiday season as it confirms that the R1T electric pickup truck and the R1S SUV will come with the exciting Tank Turn feature.

Following the big news of completing a $1.3 billion investment round led by financial firm T. Rowe Price, Rivian released a video on Christmas Day showing the R1T electric pickup playing around and utilizing its Tank Turn feature in the mud.

The Tank Turn, as the name implies, allows the Rivian electric adventure vehicles to turn in place, similar to real tanks. This capability is likely possible because of the quad motor setup of the all-electric R1T pickup and the R1S SUV. Each motor can be powered to run in different directions such that one side of the vehicle is going in one direction, while the other side is going the opposite way.

The Tank Turn is far from being a simple gimmick. The feature will likely come handy when one ends up in a tricky situation while exploring the outdoors such as when dealing with a tight road in the boondocks, or perhaps when one needs to get out of a tight spot in a construction site.

The Tank Turn is not a surprise feature from Rivian since it trademarked the terms Tank Turn and Tank Steer in 2018. Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has confirmed before that Rivian’s first two models will sport Tank Turn and vehicle names such as R1A, R2A, R2R, R2S, and R2C suggest that such features will be offered for future off-road capable electric vehicles.

In earlier reports, one fan claims that Rivian’s Chief Engineer Brian Gase confirmed that the Tank Turn should only be done only on dirt or gravel and not on pavement or any high-grip surfaces or the vehicle components of the driveline would be subjected to excessive stress.

On Monday, Rivian became one of the most financially-backed electric vehicle manufacturers in the industry with its latest investment round. The billion-dollar round adds to the initial support from Amazon, Ford, and Cox Automotive.

The Tank Turn is just one way for Rivian to keep its promise of delivering electric adventure vehicles that even ardent automotive and off-road fans will enjoy. The R1T pickup with a starting tag price of $69,000 boasts of 400+ miles range, a wading depth of over 3 ft, and a towing capacity of as much as 11,000 lbs. The first deliveries might happen in late next year or early 2021.

Randell Suba: A curious soul who keeps wondering how Elon Musk, Tesla, electric cars, and clean energy technologies will shape the future, or do we really need to escape to Mars.
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