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Rivian’s “Tank Turn” feature for R1T and R1S officially delayed

Rivian R1T Tank Turn (Credit: Rivian/YouTube)

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Rivian’s signature “Tank Turn” feature has been formally delayed. While the feature itself is unique and sets apart the R1T and R1S from both combustion-powered and all-electric rivals, “Tank Turn” simply proved to be far too complex and tricky to make it to the flagship pickup truck’s launch. 

The Rivian R1T’s “Tank Turn” demonstration caught the internet’s attention in December 2019, mainly due to its undeniable cool factor. Using the R1T’s quad-motor setup, “Tank Turn” allowed the all-electric pickup truck to spin in place by having the motors and wheels on one side rotating forward and the motors and wheels on the other side rotating backwards simultaneously. 

The concept for “Tank Turn” seemed simple enough. However, the feature proved much harder to program than expected, according to a statement from R1T chief engineer Charles Sanderson to MotorTrend. As it turned out, getting vehicles to perform smooth “Tank Turns” consistently and safely was no joke. The company’s video from 2019 represented the best-case scenario, and Sanderson noted that the Rivian team was lucky enough to capture it on the first try. 

Sanderson explained that unless conditions are perfect, each wheel in the R1T and R1S can have a different amount of grip. This meant that some wheels would require more or less power to break traction and initiate the “Tank Turn” maneuver. Putting too much or too little power on a specific wheel during a “Tank Turn” could result in the vehicle spinning off in one direction instead of in place, which could easily be a safety issue. 

There were also challenges with the R1T and R1S’ wheelbase. Since the distance between the front and rear axles was not the same as the distance between the wheels on either side of the vehicle, there were times when “Tank Turn” ended up rotating off-center. The R1T and R1S also end up in the mercy of physics once the wheels break traction, so any imperfections on the surface, such as a slight incline, could result in the vehicle sliding in one direction as it spins. The speeds involved in “Tank Turn’s” spinning movement are no joke as well, so drivers and passengers may end up feeling nauseous. 

While the R1T and the R1S will not have “Tank Turn” when they are released, the company’s engineers are working hard to ensure that the signature feature is as safe as possible when it gets rolled out. For now, however, Sanderson noted that the majority of Rivian’s resources are focused solely on the smooth rollout of the R1T, R1S, and its all-electric custom Amazon delivery vans. 

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Watch the video demonstration of Rivian’s “Tank Turn” feature below!

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, reach out to me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.

Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

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Cybertruck

Tesla reveals its Cybertruck light bar installation fix

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u/Kruzat, see page for license, via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla has revealed its Cybertruck light bar installation fix after a recall exposed a serious issue with the accessory.

Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a recall of 6,197 Cybertrucks back in October to resolve an issue with the Cybertruck light bar accessory. It was an issue with the adhesive that was provided by a Romanian company called Hella Romania S.R.L.

Tesla recalls 6,197 Cybertrucks for light bar adhesive issue

The issue was with the primer quality, as the recall report from the NHTSA had stated the light bar had “inadvertently attached to the windshield using the incorrect surface primer.”

Instead of trying to adhere the light bar to the Cybertruck with an adhesive, Tesla is now going to attach it with a bracketing system, which will physically mount it to the vehicle instead of relying on adhesive strips or glue.

Tesla outlines this in its new Service Bulletin, labeled SB-25-90-001, (spotted by Not a Tesla App) where it shows the light bar will be remounted more securely:

The entire process will take a few hours, but it can be completed by the Mobile Service techs, so if you have a Cybertruck that needs a light bar adjustment, it can be done without taking the vehicle to the Service Center for repair.

However, the repair will only happen if there is no delamination or damage present; then Tesla could “retrofit the service-installed optional off-road light bar accessory with a positive mechanical attachment.”

The company said it would repair the light bar at no charge to customers. The light bar issue was one that did not result in any accidents or injuries, according to the NHTSA’s report.

This was the third recall on Cybertruck this year, as one was highlighted in March for exterior trim panels detaching during operation. Another had to do with front parking lights being too bright, which was fixed with an Over-the-Air update last month.

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Tesla is already expanding its Rental program aggressively

The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.

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Credit: Grok

Tesla is looking to expand its Rental Program aggressively, just weeks after the program was first spotted on its Careers website.

Earlier this month, we reported on Tesla’s intention to launch a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates, which would give people in various locations the opportunity to borrow a vehicle in the company’s lineup with some outrageous perks.

Along with the cheap rates that start at about $60 per day, Tesla also provides free Full Self-Driving operation and free Supercharging for the duration of the rental. There are also no limits on mileage or charging, but the terms do not allow the renter to leave the state from which they are renting.

The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.

Job postings from Tesla now show it is planning to launch the Rental program in at least three new states: Texas, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.

The jobs specifically are listed as a Rental Readiness Specialist, which lists the following job description:

“The Tesla Rental Program is looking for a Rental Readiness Specialist to work on one of the most progressive vehicle brands in the world. The Rental Readiness Specialist is a key contributor to the Tesla experience by coordinating the receipt of incoming new and used vehicle inventory. This position is responsible for fleet/lot management, movement of vehicles, vehicle readiness, rental invoicing, and customer hand-off. Candidates must have a high level of accountability, and personal satisfaction in doing a great job.”

It also says that those who take the position will have to charge and clean the cars, work with clients on scheduling pickups and drop-offs, and prepare the paperwork necessary to initiate the rental.

The establishment of a Rental program is big for Tesla because it not only gives people the opportunity to experience the vehicles, but it is also a new way to rent a car.

Just as the Tesla purchasing process is more streamlined and more efficient than the traditional car-buying experience, it seems this could be less painful and a new way to borrow a car for a trip instead of using your own.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s xAI gains first access to Saudi supercluster with 600k Nvidia GPUs

The facility will deploy roughly 600,000 Nvidia GPUs, making it one of the world’s most notable superclusters.

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A Saudi-backed developer is moving forward with one of the world’s largest AI data centers, and Elon Musk’s xAI will be its first customer. The project, unveiled at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., is being built by Humain, a company supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. 

The facility will deploy roughly 600,000 Nvidia GPUs, making it one of the world’s most notable superclusters.

xAI secures priority access

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated that the planned data center marks a major leap not just for the region but for the global AI ecosystem as a whole. Huang joked about the sheer capacity of the build, emphasizing how unusual it is for a startup to receive infrastructure of such magnitude. The facility is designed to deliver 500 megawatts of Nvidia GPU power, placing it among the world’s largest AI-focused installations, as noted in a Benzinga report.

“We worked together to get this company started and off the ground and just got an incredible customer with Elon. Could you imagine a startup company, approximately $0 billion in revenues, now going to build a data center for Elon? 500 megawatts is gigantic. This company is off the charts right away,” Huang said.

Global Chipmakers Join Multi-Vendor Buildout To Enhance Compute Diversity

While Nvidia GPUs serve as the backbone of the first phase, Humain is preparing a diversified hardware stack. AMD will supply its Instinct MI450 accelerators, which could draw up to 1 gigawatt of power by 2030 as deployments ramp. Qualcomm will also contribute AI200 and AI250 data center processors, accounting for an additional 200 megawatts of compute capacity. Cisco will support the networking and infrastructure layer, helping knit the multi-chip architecture together.

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Apart from confirming that xAI will be the upcoming supercluster’s first customer, Musk also joked about the rapid scaling needed to train increasingly large AI models. He joked that a theoretical expansion one thousand times larger of the upcoming supercluster “would be 8 bazillion, trillion dollars,” highlighting the playful exaggeration he often brings to discussions around extreme compute demand.

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