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Rivian Patents a Low-Range Gearbox for Electric Off-Roaders

2
Owen Bellwood
·2 min read
A photo of an orange Rivian truck driving on a hill.
A photo of an orange Rivian truck driving on a hill.


Classic Rivian, stuck without its low-range gearbox... for now.

Are you one of the lucky people driving round in a shiny new Rivian electric pickup or SUV? Nice, aren’t they? While you’ve been driving it around town or heading out onto trails, have you wished for a bit more off-road performance? Well, Rivian might soon have an answer for you.

The EV startup is working on a new low-range gearbox for its future R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck models that could help improve your off-roading prowess whenever you wheels leave the tarmac. In Rivian’s current crop of electric off-roaders, this kind of party trick hasn’t been available to drivers. But, according to a patent unearthed by Autoevolution, the trick may come to Rivian’s cars one day soon. The site reports:

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“Rivian designed a bolt-on mini-gearbox that attaches directly to every drive unit. Conveniently, it replaces the inner CV joints of the stock axles.

“Think of them as portal axles, only removable and with a variable ratio between 1.5:1 and 5.0:1. To offer such a high range, Rivian uses a planetary gearset and an actuator to engage or disengage the low range.”