Christmas in 2019 was good for most people, but great for EV enthusiasts because Rivian, the up-and-coming electric auto truck and SUV manufacturer who’s backed by Amazon and Ford surprised its fans with the tweet below showcasing and stating that their R1T and R1S will be capable of tank turns.
Rivian Tank Turn
Tank Turn. Available on the R1T and R1S 🙂 pic.twitter.com/AsRKnFJGWr
— Rivian (@Rivian) December 25, 2019
Although the short Rivian Tank Turn video above, which was once released earlier this year then pulled has resurfaced once again. Guess Rivian felt that it would be a nice gift for the go-greener’s of the world and indeed it has been. The video has been widely shared, it appears that only a few people seemed to understand the usefulness of the tank turn deeming it as a cool “trick”.
The Rivian Tank Turn or “differential steering” as its known in the auto world is a result when one gives more power to one side or the other of the vehicle, or even turns wheels/tracks on one side in a completely opposite direction from the other in some situations. It’s precisely how tanks are able to turn; one track spins forward while the other track spins the opposite enabling the truck to turn since there is no car-like-steering involved.
In Rivians case, if you watch the YouTube video between 0:19 to 0:22 you will see that the left side wheels spin forward and the right side wheels spin backwards causing the car to turn in clockwise or to the right. To make truck tank tun to the left, the left wheels spin backwards and the right wheels spin forward.
Some of you are probably wondering “When will i ever use this feature?” Well, the Rivian Tank Turn feature is actually pretty useful; chief among them is when you you can’t maneuver the vehicle using its natural steering turns due to tight spaces or you’re in the mud somewhere and need to turn quickly, as the video depicts.
It would be hilarious to see the Rivian Tank Turn in action at stop lights across the US when the drivers want or need to make a “U” turn at stop lights.
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