Do I Spy Running Boards???

[COdogman]

The caption says "running boards" but they look like sliders. I am in the market for sliders but I'm goring to wait until I know how they are attached. Ideally I'd like them to not be branded, but most slider companies love to laser cut their logos in to them.

In the video @Laurent was kind enough to post, Weistec says they were designed as sliders and do not affect ground clearance.

They also say both trailers have a 50KWh battery pack which could be pulled from the trailer and installed (via forklift) in the bed of the R1T or behind the seats of the R1S. The solar panels can add approx 8KWh back per day.

Very interesting. I bet that solar trailer is going to be very pricey.

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[ironpig]

In the video @Laurent was kind enough to post, Weistec says they were designed as sliders and do not affect ground clearance.

They also say both trailers have a 50KWh battery pack which could be pulled from the trailer and installed (via forklift) in the bed of the R1T or behind the seats of the R1S. The solar panels can add approx 8KWh back per day.

Very interesting. I bet that solar trailer is going to be very pricey.

Yeah I am not interested in the trailer. It's not a solution for a problem I have, but it's great to see people thinking about these things.

 

[COdogman]

Yeah I am not interested in the trailer. It's not a solution for a problem I have, but it's great to see people thinking about these things.

No worries. I was just adding the stuff about the trailers for anyone who didn’t want to watch the video.

 

[kanundrum]

Ill be putting together a group buy, already in touch with weistec will let yall know.

 

[Leonbmx]

They have some detailed pictures of the DCE Rock Sliders/ steps here: https://s00n.rivianstories.com/members/9291035/feed

 

[iansriv]

The solar panels can add approx 8KWh back per day.

Wonder if Rivian could install solar panels on the roof? I saw a thin foldable panel in Australia that they were testing out to power an EV.

 

[COdogman]

Wonder if Rivian could install solar panels on the roof? I saw a thin foldable panel in Australia that they were testing out to power an EV.

I think we are getting closer to that being possible!

Solar panels keep getting more efficient, but I admit I am surprised an array as small as the one in the video can provide that much juice. If true I would love to see Rivian or someone else offer a simple “solar awning” that could add some juice directly, without pulling a trailer.

 

[jjswan33]

Great information. I’d totally buy some of these assuming they are functional rock sliders.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

 

[kylealden]

I'm way more excited to see high quality aftermarket racks and sliders with elegant mounting solutions than the trailers. Super promising stuff.

The trailers are cool and all but don't really stand up to scrutiny. 50kwh is realistically less than a third of a charge after losses. In other words, it is very unlikely to even pay for itself in towing. And with an L2 plug, it will take all night to do it. And almost certainly can't L3 charge itself back up. So if you frequently do one-night jaunts into the deep backcountry at the very edge of your range, and need more gear than the truck can haul (whether it's the kitchen or the motorcycles or whatever), I guess this solves for you. Or if you want to camp for three weeks and use solar to fight vampire losses. But for anything else (cross country road trips, extended multi-day overland, etc.), this adds more problems than it solves. And probably costs >$50k to do it.

I am about as rabidly pro-EV as they come, but if you really need to extend range with an L2 backup charging solution, bring a generator. The "batteries are bad for the environment" argument is FUD in the context of an EV that will more than makeup for its manufacturing costs over its service lifetime, but a lithium trailer is a middle finger to the environment and your wallet and a net worse experience than a generator.

 

[louisdeg]

Hopefully this is something that will be mass produced. Still can't believe Rivian didn't think about running boards.

Probably deduct range at Highway speeds

 

[Zoidz]

Wonder if Rivian could install solar panels on the roof? I saw a thin foldable panel in Australia that they were testing out to power an EV.

Solar panels on the roof of an EV are a gimmick. At very best, they can provide enough power to charge a phone and offset the parasitic drain on the battery. At best.

 

[jebinc]

Heavier than I thought (they should be).

 

[rivianguy]

I'll put it out there that I've been working with a design and production company here in Seattle on some running boards/sliders (among other things) for the Rivian's. If you are looking for something that's shipping tomorrow then the timing probably not going to line up, but if your timing is a bit more flexible and you'd like to have an opportunity to provide input on the actual design feel free to DM me and I can add you to the list of folks we will reach out to for input in the next few weeks.

 

[iansriv]

This is what I was referring to.

https://www.reuters.com/business/au...km-trip-with-printed-solar-panels-2022-04-20/

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