The forthcoming Rivian R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV will be able to turn on a dime. This is according to a fresh tweet from Rivian on Christmas morning.
The company promises that its R1T electric truck and R1S electric SUV will be capable of doing a tank turn like the one demonstrated in the video. But, the company didn’t just tweet the promise, à la Elon Musk. They showed a video of the R1T performing the maneuver.
A tank turn generally refers to a maneuver where a vehicle, like a tank, appears to spin in place. In modern tanks this is achieved by having a double differential. In an all-electric truck, it is possible to achieve this sort of maneuvering using the four motors on the wheels, which can act independently and with varying levels of torque vectoring to cause the vehicle to turn in a very tight radius.
The company has already trademarked the phrases “Tank Steer” and “Tank Turn”.
Rivian, a startup with significant funding from Amazon and Cox Automotive, recently closed on another $1.3 billion in funding from funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price.
The startup owns a 2.6-million-square-foot former Mitsubishi assembly plant in Normal., Illinois. Rivian has said that it is about halfway done converting that plant to produce its vehicles. The company aims to create 1,000 new jobs at the plant by 2024 as it moves toward production.
Pricing for the R1T starts at $69,000. The R1S will begin at $72,500. Rivian expects the first deliveries of the R1T to begin in late 2020. The company has previously said it expects six of its models to be on sale by 2025.
