Rivian doesn't plan to keep owners tied down to built-in batteries and their ranges if a new patent discovery is any clue. The startup electric car maker filed to patent removable auxiliary battery pack technology.
The Rivian Forums first discovered the patent on Monday, though Rivian filed for the patent last July. As of today, it remains pending with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The technology would essentially boost a Rivian electric vehicle's range with an additional battery pack.
Rivian auxiliary battery pack technology patent
Rather than simply venturing out with 400 miles of range, which is what the company said to expect from its top-of-the-line trucks and SUVs, the patent describes a system and technologies that could allow owners to attach another battery pack to increase the range. In the case of the R1T (the pickup truck model), the battery pack would attach in the cargo bed. Presumably, owners could charge the removable battery and attach it whenever they need the extra range. It's unclear how much extra range the removable battery would provide.
The patent's language does appear to describe a process by which owners could attach the battery packs themselves, so we can't imagine the range doubling to something like 800 miles with the auxiliary battery. However, it's still a novel idea to boost range with a backup battery onboard. Once connected, the patent says the vehicle would make all necessary adjustments to vehicle systems to provide extra range and determine driving performance, including suspension adjustments, steering ratio, and more.
Rivian auxiliary battery pack technology patent
Rivian, fresh off of its latest round of investment led by Amazon, aims to start production of its first model, the R1T, in 2020. A year later, the R1S SUV is scheduled to enter production according to the company's current timeline. Pre-orders for the R1T are open now and require a $1,000 deposit toward the pickup's estimated $69,000 starting price.
