Why Rivian Got Rid Of One Of Its Coolest Features – SlashGear

The “Tank Turn” feature of the Rivian R1T got caught up in delays, and was eventually scrapped for production. In an Instagram Q&A published on YouTube, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said they had to say goodbye to Tank Turn for the potential environmental damage it would cause over loose or grassy terrain. “This was something early on in the program we planned to do,” said Scaringe. “But over the last year and a half, we arrived at the view that it’s a feature that could tear up trails and do things in contrast to what we stand for as a company.”

However, Rivian is moving on with “Tank Turn,” and has filed a patent for a “Front Dig Mode,” a new feature that delivers a tighter turning radius by applying forward torque to the front and outer back wheels. Its a milder and much less aggressive version of “Tank Turn,” but Rivian has not officially confirmed if “Front Dig Mode” will make its way to production soon.

Sad news notwithstanding, the Rivian R1T dual-motor variant does do its part in getting excellent mileage out of each charge, yielding an EPA-approved 352 miles of driving range. That’s more than what you get from extended-range models of other comparable EV pickups like the Ford F-150 Lightning and GMC Hummer EV.