Off-roading RIVIAN R1T across America

[aerohead]

Also, Also, Jan 2022 reports on pre-production Rivians, driven off-road ( mostly), 7,686 miles across the USA.
No real issues. No charging anxiety.
133 kWh pack.
314-mile range
423.5 Wh/mi
All public charging
Level 3 DC fast charging
A Yakima roof/bed-top tent over the bed ( stuffing the vortex )
Their range anxiety was with their RAM 1500 TRX support truck
'first-ever fully electric off-road transcontinental adventure.'

[Piotrsko]

If you deal with the contingencies, range anxiety is a non starter, even for me and my 40 mile ranger. Only once in the 8 years has it ever low battery shut down, and that was because my son tried to get 45 miles out of the pack in Reno hill country.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Their range anxiety was with their RAM 1500 TRX support truck

It's hard to place a bet on the success of an EV cross-country ability when there is still the need for an ICE-powered support vehicle.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

It's hard to place a bet on the success of an EV cross-country ability when there is still the need for an ICE-powered support vehicle.

If they had stuck to pavement, as the majority of Rivian owners will, there'd have been no need of any support vehicle whatsoever.
The RAM suffered component destruction, just like the EVs.
And if you'll read the article, you will discover that, at times, the Rivians had to come to the rescue of the RAM.
Also, the low speeds of off-roading placed the RAM's BSFC in its most disadvantageous location of the engine map, while the electric motors were completely unaffected, causing them to worry about fuel for the RAM, not the RIVIANs.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Also, the low speeds of off-roading placed the RAM's BSFC in its most disadvantageous location of the engine map, while the electric motors were completely unaffected, causing them to worry about fuel for the RAM, not the RIVIANs.

At least it's easier to haul some Jerry cans than a fully-charged supplemental battery pack.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

At least it's easier to haul some Jerry cans than a fully-charged supplemental battery pack.

The RIVIANs, themselves, served as jerry cans, with the ability to charge one another, if one bricked.

[Piotrsko]

Originally Posted by aerohead

The RIVIANs, themselves, served as jerry cans, with the ability to charge one another, if one bricked.

I realize there is a lagnguage gap, but Bricked is the software electronic term for becomming as useful as a standard construction fired brick. it means that it isnt moving and there is a posibility that it never will again

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

I realize there is a lagnguage gap, but Bricked is the software electronic term for becomming as useful as a standard construction fired brick. it means that it isnt moving and there is a posibility that it never will again

I'm borrowing an expression a Tesla owner shared with me. Don't know if it's proper lexicon.
He had intentionally drove his Model S until it quit, north of the Red River in Oklahoma, and had it towed to the Supercharger station in Denton.
Tesla support folks told him what to do, he had the car plugged in, charging, started , and was going to walk a few short steps for lunch while it took on some power. He didn't seem concerned, or care about the inconvenience, and happy to pay for the experience.
Which allowed me time to crawl underneath and peer into the wheel wells all I wanted.
I doubt that the MOTOR TREND guys would actually deplete a battery before intervening.

[Piotrsko]

You're forgiven for creating a Hunh? moment.

Anything special about the arches/wheel wells?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

You're forgiven for creating a Hunh? moment.

Anything special about the arches/wheel wells?

The subject of EV cooling drag became so controversial that I wanted to investigate systems I had access to. And Tesla owners, so far, have been very generous, allowing crazed madmen like me to 'live' under their cars while charging.
The Model S system is similar to Porsche.
They're extracting ram air at the low frontal stagnation point, and directing it to both sides, cooling on one, AC Condenser on the other, then dumping the higher-pressure air into the wheel wells ahead of the front tire face.
The volume of the wheel houses are minimized.
The underbody trailing edge of the wheelhouses 'blend' into the belly pan, as the 1st-gen Insight wheelhouses blended into the body sides.
You can't actually see any of the heat-exchangers or their flow volume controls.
The leading edge of the hour-glass, wheel-flop voids have deflectors molded-in, implying that they want the flow to 'jump' the void, then re-attach, once past the void, as MIT did with their MANTA solar race car by Goro Tamai's team ( photographs ). The SolarWorld GT also did this ( got to spend all day with this car ).
I don't know how to quantify anything I see. In the future, I may get access to any SAE Papers which explain and quantify specific car technology.