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Will the Rivian's 4 independent motors translate to superior snow/ice control relative to other AWD systems?

huskylord

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Just watched another awesome electric motor supercar video from Drako motors ($1.2M). They just posted a video of their sports car in the winter and touted that it's 4 motors give it superior winter handling

https://electrek.co/2021/03/25/drako-gte-1-million-electric-supercar-driving-snow/

I know tank turn is awesome, and that from a climbing, off road, capability, 4 motors helps......but does it give better snow handling relative to the subarus and audi's of the world?
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Babbuino

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Just watched another awesome electric motor supercar video from Drako motors ($1.2M). They just posted a video of their sports car in the winter and touted that it's 4 motors give it superior winter handling

https://electrek.co/2021/03/25/drako-gte-1-million-electric-supercar-driving-snow/

I know tank turn is awesome, and that from a climbing, off road, capability, 4 motors helps......but does it give better snow handling relative to the subarus and audi's of the world?
It should, but it's all up to the IWD software. The motors should be very responsive to the different commands, but they way the configure is critical.
 

Reed

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Based on the Rivian videos covering off-road handling, rock work and winter testing, I think the Rivian platform is going to get very high marks for driving in snow.

I suspect I will be in for a big adjustment when I start driving my Rivian R1t in snow. My current truck is basically a 'dumb' system. When a slide starts, it's up to me to react with steering and gas peddle. My understanding is that the Rivian computer will step in during a slide to change what the four motors are doing, requiring a much different response from me.
 

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It should, but it's all up to the IWD software. The motors should be very responsive to the different commands, but they way the configure is critical.
Yeah, this is it. Rivian can, in theory, make this the most responsive AWD system available, with far more capability than anything out there in a system that relies on differentials. They just need the software to do it. Personally, I'm confident that they will deliver, but we'll find out next winter.
 

Babbuino

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Yeah, this is it. Rivian can, in theory, make this the most responsive AWD system available, with far more capability than anything out there in a system that relies on differentials. They just need the software to do it. Personally, I'm confident that they will deliver, but we'll find out next winter.
If it's on par with LR, then I'll be happy. Although hard to say since LR have years perfecting their terrain management.
 

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Based on the Rivian videos covering off-road handling, rock work and winter testing, I think the Rivian platform is going to get very high marks for driving in snow.

I suspect I will be in for a big adjustment when I start driving my Rivian R1t in snow. My current truck is basically a 'dumb' system. When a slide starts, it's up to me to react with steering and gas peddle. My understanding is that the Rivian computer will step in during a slide to change what the four motors are doing, requiring a much different response from me.
I suspect you're right about the big-brained Rivian doing a better job than we humans, who have been conditioned to attempt control through our own lizard-brained inputs. That said, with 6,000 lbs. connected to a snow-covered roadway by only around two square feet of rotating contact patches, even Rivvy might ask (in a HAL 9000-like voice) "What were you thinking, Dave" as you're leaving the roadway. I can hear it now, "Dave, please get in the back seat now and please keep your hands off of my steering wheel until I advise that it is safe for you to return to the 'Driver's' seat again." Spoiler Alert: If you hear the doors lock after you get out, this won't end well.

Given the freezing rain and black ice that we can experience around here, those can be even worse than snow, no matter what you have for tires. Granted, studded tires might help, but I doubt I'll ever run them in Oregon, lest the locals hold a "mostly-peaceful" protest by beating me and Rivvy with their bike pumps.
 

kanundrum

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I would say its all in the software. From a hardware perspective slip is measure via voltage input and output on motors on each wheel, if 1 wheel is using more voltage vs 3 other wheels the computer can easily detect and interpret as slip as the electric backbone architecture is monitored and managed in terms of which volts go where.

From there its easy to either increase or reduce voltage to provide or take away power based on the situation all within a matter of milliseconds.

The most recent ice testing video they mentioned something along those lines, so I am assuming traction will be unparrallel and can only get better with software which is the best part of BEV architecture.
 

Babbuino

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I would say its all in the software. From a hardware perspective slip is measure via voltage input and output on motors on each wheel, if 1 wheel is using more voltage vs 3 other wheels the computer can easily detect and interpret as slip as the electric backbone architecture is monitored and managed in terms of which volts go where.

From there its easy to either increase or reduce voltage to provide or take away power based on the situation all within a matter of milliseconds.

The most recent ice testing video they mentioned something along those lines, so I am assuming traction will be unparrallel and can only get better with software which is the best part of BEV architecture.
Any idea what chip is Rivian using for their computer? I don't remember hearing about it.
 

SANZC02

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It should, but it's all up to the IWD software. The motors should be very responsive to the different commands, but they way the configure is critical.
Who thinks a 1.2 million dollar limited edition vehicle would ever see a snowy road?
 
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huskylord

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Who thinks a 1.2 million dollar limited edition vehicle would ever see a snowy road?
This line in the article caught my attention:

" Unlike a one-, or two-, or even three-motor electric car, or a combustion-powered car, the GTE’s four motors mean each wheel responds individually to the driver’s commands, even spinning backward if needed ...."
 

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This line in the article caught my attention:

" Unlike a one-, or two-, or even three-motor electric car, or a combustion-powered car, the GTE’s four motors mean each wheel responds individually to the driver’s commands, even spinning backward if needed ...."
WHAAAAT????? A wheel can go backward?? mind blown

OK, it's called reverse and every vehicle I have ever seen or read about has it.
 

Gearhead500

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WHAAAAT????? A wheel can go backward?? mind blown

OK, it's called reverse and every vehicle I have ever seen or read about has it.
Except when only one is moving backwards ?
 

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n8dgr8

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Good winter tires are really important. No amount of software can compensate for poor tires.

Our neighborhood has a hill. One winter there was Mercedes G-Wagon (3 locking diffs) with summer tires struggling even with the tow truck winch assisting. Meanwhile the neighbor's Honda CRV drove right around it.

The battery pack weight distribution will help the R1T compared to other trucks.
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