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So the new land rover defender weighs up to 5200lbs and I believe is a unibody and looks like it is performing nicely. They are known for their torque management system, but Rivian with their quad motor has the potential to be even better. Crossing my fingers that all the testing in Arizona has payed off.Rivian traction should be second to none, which will help it excel in many (most) offroad scenarios.
There are two potential downsides to Rivian vehicles offroad. First is gross weight, which will hurt on softer surfaces and possibly some climbs. Second (and we don't know much yet), is articulation, which will affect ability to put traction to the ground & could be an issue at Moab and other offroad scenarios with rocks or uneven surfaces.
Center of gravity will be low, which is good. However weight definitely makes a difference...not sure how much of a weight difference between pack sizes.skyote, does this mean we have to choose between on-road range with larger battery packs and off-road traction and versatility with lighter battery packs?
Why do you think that?Yeah, that would very interesting. But I’m afraid the Rivian wouldn’t fare very well.
R1S is better than R1T, but approach & departure angles are a big deal for a lot of rock obstacles. Even the R1S is a far cry from a Bronco or Jeep, but the R1T is better than a Toyota Tacoma, so it's all relative.Why do you think that?
I don't think the difference in weight will be a huge factor... I did some basic math with these 2 assumptions... 21700 cell weighs 70 Grams and has 17.3 wh capacity (this was done with a very quick google search) so the weight and capacity could vary a little. This does not take the extra weight of the module itself into consideration which would add a little more.skyote, does this mean we have to choose between on-road range with larger battery packs and off-road traction and versatility with lighter battery packs?
I would modify this slightly to "traction traction traction". Airing down is extremely important for rock obstacles, mainly so that tires can more easily form to the surface & "grab" more traction. Airing down also helps vehicles not dig as much in soft sand...I've seen people get stuck & fairly easily get out after only airing down the tires.For off-roading it's "Tires Tires Tires".