Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has just unveiled the R1T Electric Adventure Vehicle, and it’s designed to go anywhere. With a range of up to 400+ miles, it’s capable of wading in 1-meter deep water, and the performance as well as the precise control of quad-motor AWD has been developed to help customers get out and explore. What sets this electric vehicle apart from others is its skateboard platform, which efficiently packages the battery pack, drive units, suspension, braking and thermal system all below the height of the wheel, leaving the space above for occupants and their gear. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
This skateboard system delivers a low center of gravity that supports the vehicle’s agility and stability. Adding to these inertial advantages is a sophisticated suspension architecture with unequal length double wishbone suspension in the front, along with a multi-link suspension in the rear. The suspension features dynamic roll control and adaptive dampers along with ride-height adjustable air-suspension – enabling the suspension to be adjusted for highway comfort, on-road performance or off-road capability.
The quad-motor system delivers 147kW with precise torque control to each wheel, allowing active torque vectoring and maximum performance in every situation. Plus, with 3,500 Nm of grounded torque per wheel (14,000 Nm of torque for the full vehicle), the R1T hit 60 mph in a mere 3-seconds, and 100 mph in less than 7-seconds.
“The beauty and elegance of our quad-motor setup isn’t just about brute power; this architecture provides instantaneous torque with extremely precise control at each wheel, which is completely game-changing from a dynamics perspective, both on- and off-road,” said Executive Director of Engineering and Programs Mark Vinnels.
