Rivian’s R1T electric pickup truck took to off-road and speed test proving grounds in Arizona to assess the vehicle’s suspension and performance capabilities ahead of next year’s planned production.
Rivian’s Director of Vehicle Dynamics, Max Koff, put R1T’s quad-motor system, with independent air suspension and hydraulic roll control functionality, to the test through a series of challenging and exhilarating off-road trails. The company’s all-electric pickup boasts a versatile air suspension that can adjust in height and provide clearance between eight inches and high as fourteen inches to optimize for range efficiency and off-road performance.
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- Credit: Rivian
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- (Credit: Rivian)
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- Credit: Rivian
The Arizona testing ground was the ultimate test for Rivian’s claims of an off-road adventure. With plenty of challenges, Rivian shared a video of the R1T being able to make its way up a steep grade of a rock-covered hill and maneuver through an equally challenging descent.
“What you might consider punishing it off-road, but we’re learning. We’re taking all that data in, and we’re constantly developing, making it better on-road and off-road,” Koff explained.
The R1T is more than a durable and robust truck that can handle harsh terrain. It is a high-performance automobile that is capable of 0-60 in just three seconds—powered by the four electric motors that offer 200 horsepower at each wheel and a 180 kWh battery pack that has been developed by Rivian’s team of battery engineers.
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- Credit: Rivian
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- Credit: Rivian
One of the biggest challenges for Rivian was to come up with a design that would incorporate a concentrated and potent battery pack into Rivian’s small, flexible, and compact skateboard chassis. Engineers indicated that the storage of the cells also brought upon other issues that included cooling the pack assembly in an efficient manner that allows for extended high-performance driving.
Rivian’s development of in-house battery packs allowed the company to “open up possibilities,” one engineer said. This idea enabled the possibility of the battery packs to learn the specific driving styles and charging patterns of its owner to increase the lifespan of the pack, CEO RJ Scaringe said.
It was essential to manufacture a battery pack that could last through the hottest, most-intense driving sessions, but could also maintain its integrity and range capabilities within cold winters. This idea became the main focus of Rivian’s battery team, which ultimately drove Koff’s off and on-road testing session to display impressive results.
The electric automotive market continues to grow, and pickup trucks are becoming a focus of many battery-electric manufacturers whose idea is to create a powerful, high-performance machine that is capable of handling the most strenuous tasks thrown at it. Tesla’s Cybertruck, Ford’s electric F-150, Rivian’s R1T, Lordstown’s Endurance, and other battery-powered pickups will attempt to push their way into a market that is concentrated with petrol-powered machines.
Rivian’s R1T is expected to begin production in 2021.
Watch the Rivian R1T undergo off-road a speed performance testing below.
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Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
Tesla plans to supply over 100 Megapack units to support a large stationary storage project in Japan, making it one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities.
Tesla’s Megapack grid-scale batteries have been selected to back an energy storage project in Japan, coming as the latest of the company’s continued deployment of the hardware.
As detailed in a report from Nikkei this week, Tesla plans to supply 142 Megapack units to support a 548 MWh storage project in Japan, set to become one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities. The project is being overseen by financial firm Orix, and it will be located at a facility Maibara in central Japan’s Shiga prefecture, and it aims to come online in early 2027.
The deal is just the latest of several Megapack deployments over the past few years, as the company continues to ramp production of the units. Tesla currently produces the Megapack at a facility in Lathrop, California, though the company also recently completed construction on its second so-called “Megafactory” in Shanghai China and is expected to begin production in the coming weeks.
READ MORE ON TESLA MEGAPACKS: Tesla Megapacks help power battery supplier Panasonic’s Kyoto test site
Tesla’s production of the Megapack has been ramping up at the Lathrop facility since initially opening in 2022, and both this site and the Shanghai Megafactory are aiming to eventually reach a volume production of 10,000 Megapack units per year. The company surpassed its 10,000th Megapack unit produced at Lathrop in November.
During Tesla’s Q4 earnings call last week, CEO Elon Musk also said that the company is looking to construct a third Megafactory, though he did not disclose where.
Last year, Tesla Energy also had record deployments of its Megapack and Powerwall home batteries with a total of 31.4 GWh of energy products deployed for a 114-percent increase from 2023.
Other recently deployed or announced Megapack projects include a massive 600 MW/1,600 MWh facility in Melbourne, a 75 MW/300 MWh energy storage site in Belgium, and a 228 MW/912 MWh storage project in Chile, along with many others still.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla highlights the Megapack site replacing Hawaii’s last coal plant
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Elon Musk responds to Ontario canceling $100M Starlink deal amid tariff drama
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, opens new tab on February 3 that he was “ripping up” his province’s CA$100 million agreement with Starlink in response to the U.S. imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.
Elon Musk company SpaceX is set to lose a $100 million deal with the Canadian province of Ontario following a response to the Trump administration’s decision to apply 25 percent tariffs to the country.
Starlink, a satellite-based internet service launched by the Musk entity SpaceX, will lose a $100 million deal it had with Ontario, Premier Doug Ford announced today.
Starting today and until U.S. tariffs are removed, Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts.
Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario. U.S.-based businesses will…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 3, 2025
Ford said on X today that Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts:
“We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy. Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it.”
It is a blow to the citizens of the province more than anything, as the Starlink internet constellation has provided people in rural areas across the globe stable and reliable access for several years.
Musk responded in simple terms, stating, “Oh well.”
Oh well https://t.co/1jpMu55T6s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2025
It seems Musk is less than enthused about the fact that Starlink is being eliminated from the province, but it does not seem like all that big of a blow either.
As previously mentioned, this impacts citizens more than Starlink itself, which has established itself as a main player in reliable internet access. Starlink has signed several contracts with various airlines and maritime companies.
It is also expanding to new territories across the globe on an almost daily basis.
With Mexico already working to avoid the tariff situation with the United States, it will be interesting to see if Canada does the same.
The two have shared a pleasant relationship, but President Trump is putting his foot down in terms of what comes across the border, which could impact Americans in the short term.
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Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
