Rivian Getting the Run on Testing

Rivian Getting the Run on Testing

Recent tug-of-war tests pitted the Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning against one another. Although the two models are not direct rivals, tests of all types are unavoidable because they are among the first contemporary all-electric pickups on the market. This was similar to the test versus the Cybertruck.

We can see the Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat and Rivian R1T in the video that Tesla Raj posted. The R1T is a somewhat smaller and heavier pickup than the full-size F-150. Both cars have all-wheel drive, which is useful on grass, however the Ford F-150 Lightning has two electric motors compared to the Rivian R1four T's (one for each wheel) (one per each axle).

Ford F-150

However, the Rivian R1T appears to have 20" All-Terrain tires, which is a significant benefit. The R1T is an EV designed for exploration.

Other elements, such as variations in power output, are irrelevant on grass. The idea here is to gain more traction. The video appears to show that the Rivian R1T comfortably won both the first run, which they both started at the same time, and the second run, which started with the Ford F-150 Lightning pushing forwards. Even if it isn't the most scientific competition, it is always fascinating.

There will most likely be a lot more videos comparing the newest EV cars in the years to come. The GMC Hummer EV Pickup and possibly the future Tesla Cybertruck are the front-runners in the tug of war. Electric pickups are anticipated to perform substantially better at tug-of-war than conventional trucks of same size and kind, in part due to their weight and far more precise and potent electric driving.

Rivian is doing tests of its own

"Enduro" Dual Motor R1S and R1T EVs are being tested by Rivian. The so-called Enduro drive units come with inverters and electric motors created wholly in-house by Rivian Automotive, according to CEO RJ Scaringe. Rivian Automotive is now testing its in-house created dual-motor electric powertrain on R1S and R1T prototypes. Three images of the R1S and R1T test vehicles undertaking cold-weather trials were tweeted by Scaringe.

The Enduro Powertrain

When Rivian increased the price of its R1T/R1S lineup significantly in March 2022, the two-motor powertrain known as "Enduro" was also first introduced. The twin motor arrangement incorporates motors created internally by the EV startup, in contrast to the present four-motor powertrain that uses motors created by Bosch and modified by Rivian.

The Amazon Electric Delivery Vehicle, a Rivian production model, which has a single motor powertrain and an Enduro drive unit on the front axle, is already equipped with the new drive unit already. Silva Hiti, who is in charge of Rivian's Carson, California-based Electric Power Conversion team, spoke with RJ Scaringe about the Enduro single motor drive unit.

The Enduro drive unit, which consists of the electric motor and inverter installed on top, is shown in the video. The dual motor Enduro system has more than 600 horsepower and a lot of torque, which is almost as much power as two drive units from Rivian's current quad motor powertrain. No number was given, but Rivian stated that it had more than 600 pound-feet of torque.

RJ Scaringe claims in the video that he has driven various Rivian test cars with the Enduro powertrain and that the power delivery, torque, and smoothness of the drive unit were fantastic. Rivian will be able to reduce costs and drop the price of the R1S, R1T, and the R2 vehicles that will be available by the middle of the decade thanks to the new Enduro unit.

How much does the Rivian EV cost?

This is crucial right now since the recently passed Senate version of the Inflation Reduction Act eliminates all federal tax credits for vehicles costing more than $80,000. The R1T would start at $67,500, while the R1S would start at $70,000, when it first announced the two-motor version in March. The R1T and R1S quad-motors currently start at $79,500 and $84,500, respectively.