Date: Feb 27, 2019
Rivian is proving that there’s more than one way to get more range out of an electric car.
A new patent filing from the company reveals that its upcoming R1T electric pickup could have even more than 400 miles of range by using an auxiliary battery in the bed of the pickup.
The filing was revealed on Rivian Forums last week.
READ THIS: Rivian R1T all-electric pickup revealed: 400-mile range, 160-kw DC fast charging
According to a drawing in the patent filing, the battery could sit in the pickup bed like an auxiliary toolbox mounted to the bed rails behind the cab. Another configuration shows a battery in a flat format sitting on the bottom of the truck bed. It’s not clear whether Rivian might offer both types of accessory batteries, or if it’s just planning for either possibility. The R1T also offers an enclosed pass-through storage compartment under the bed behind the cab and a front trunk.
A unique connector on the front wall of the pickup bed feeds makes the battery an extension of the main, 180-kilowatt-hour battery to extend the range beyond the truck’s estimated 400 miles of range.