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If Rivian’s R1T is to live up to its image as an electric adventure truck, it will have to survive conditions that could leave other EVs crying for mercy … and it just might get there. As Electrek Note, the startup shared details and a video of winter weather tests in Baudette, Minnesota, where temperatures dropped to -40F – cold enough to pose a serious problem for many EV batteries. It won’t surprise you to hear that the R1T passed the test (Rivian might not have posted this otherwise), but the dry run showed that the truck’s unique heat-up technology worked.
Instead of using dedicated heaters that drain the battery more, Rivian relies on a central cold plate that uses relatively little power to keep the battery cells hot enough for ideal performance. This slows down the initial charge if you forgot to plug in on a frosty day (your charge rate will be cut in half for about an hour), but it should get your R1T up and running in about 20 minutes.
Winter testing also allowed Rivian to confirm that the traction control algorithms worked well in the winter, including deep snow and ice.
The details are clearly intended to sell potential R1T buyers the year-round utility of the truck ahead of its debut later in 2021. It’s also important to note that the competition is improving as well. Tesla, for example, has built heat pumps in recent cars (mainly the Model Y and newer Model 3 units) to improve their performance in cold weather.
At the same time, the article illustrates how electric vehicles have improved in recent years – they’re no longer just targeting people living in mild climates where freezing temperatures are rare. This will be crucial if EVs are to enter the mainstream and appeal to everyone, even if early examples like the $ 75,000 R1T are out of reach for most people.
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