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Rivian Is Testing Its Enduro Electric Motors in New Zealand, RJ Scaringe Shares

At Rivian’s Q1 2022 earnings call, RJ Scaringe talked about the company’s new drive unit. Called Enduro, it would make its premiere with the EDV program and be adopted later on R1 and R2 products. The Rivian CEO shared on Twitter that the R1S and R1T are already being tested in New Zealand with the new electric motors designed by the EV maker.
Rivian with Enduro drive units – one in each axle – faces winter testing in New Zealand 7 photos
Photo: Rivian
This is Rivian's Enduro drive unitThis is the stator of Rivian's Enduro drive unitThis is the stator of Rivian's Enduro drive unitRivian R1T with Enduro drive units – one in each axle – faces winter testing in New ZealandRivian R1S with Enduro drive units – one in each axle – faces winter testing in New ZealanRivian R1T with Enduro drive units – one in each axle – faces winter testing in New Zealan
The main difference between the Enduro application in the EDV vehicles and the R1 models is that the vans only have the new electric motor in the front axle. The R1S and R1T facing winter testing in New Zealand have a dual-motor configuration, meaning one for each axle. Current vehicles come with four motors, two for each axle.

The new Enduro drive unit will allow Rivian to cut costs and offer more affordable options to the customers. Its current motors are based on a Bosch design, even if Rivian modified them and took care of manufacturing. The Enduro is the first electric drive unit Rivian conceived on its own.

In a conversation shared on Twitter with Silva Hiti, Rivian’s senior director for Electric Power Conversion, Scaringe asked her to introduce the new Enduro drive unit. The director said it delivers more than 600 hp and “a lot of torque,” but she did not say precisely how much. Silva showed the inverter is located on top of the drive unit and seems proud that everything was “completely designed in-house.”

The New Zealand tests show that Rivian is pushing to present the new vehicles with the Enduro drive unit as soon as possible. The Inflation Reduction Act offers a good reason for that: to retain the current federal tax credit of $7,500, many pre-order holders are turning their purchase intentions into a bidding contract regardless of when they will receive their cars. If the U.S. government does not challenge that in court, it should be enough for them to save $7,500. The new rules will exclude current Rivian vehicles from the benefit.

Besides the new Enduro drive unit, Rivian will also present an LFP battery pack for the EDV platform until the end of 2022. The company also wants its vehicles to work at 800V, making charging faster and reducing vehicle weight.


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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
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Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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