What Is A Tank Turn And How Does It Work On A Rivian?

While Rivian Automotive has technically been around since 2009, it has only become a legit player in the EV (Electric Vehicle) market in the past half decade or so. Of course, in its early days, Rivian wasn't actually called that, with Founder and current CEO RJ Scaringe initially naming his EV startup Mainstream Motors. While the name of his company changed, Scaringe's mission didn't, with the Rivian mastermind seeking to manufacture forward-thinking electric trucks and SUVs that are as capable on or off the road as they are environment-friendly.

Among the various innovations found in Rivian-branded vehicles, features such as autonomous driving, over-the-air upgradable software packages, and the brand's unique battery power setup tend to receive the lion's share of attention. However, for those with adventure in mind, Rivian's so-called "Tank Turn" was as exciting an innovation as any the automaker had teased when it first debuted the tech in 2019. Still, we'd wager those drivers were beyond bummed when Rivian announced it was not moving forward with Tank Turn a couple of years later.

If you're unfamiliar with the technology, Tank Turn was developed as a feature that allows a Rivian vehicle to spin in place to perform a 360-degree rotation, just as a tank might by spinning only one of its tracks. Though hyped upon its debut, Rivian ultimately pulled the plug on Tank Turn because it proved too damaging to trails in use. However, a recent promotional video hinted at the concept's imminent return. Here's how it works. 

Before we dive into how Rivian's "Tank Turn" works, there are a couple of things you should know. First and foremost, the tech is no longer called Tank Turn, with Rivian rebranding its spin-in-place concept as "Kick Turn." On top of that, Kick Turn is not available on all Rivian trucks and SUVs. The feature will only be offered on second-generation models of Rivian's Quad-Motor R1T and R1S. 

There's a good reason for that limited availability, as Rivian's Kick Turn feature requires all four motors in the R1T and R1S to work. While the function initially drew inspiration from tanks, the concept doesn't work quite the same on a four-wheeled car as it does on a vehicle with tracked wheels. Instead, the function requires that all four wheels be able to move independently, meaning each draws its own power from the vehicle's individual motors. When engaged, the driver determines which way the wheels spin, and thus which way the vehicle turns, by using push-button controls on the steering wheel. The speed of each turn is controlled through the vehicle's accelerator pedal.

While you can still spin non-stop for up to 20 seconds, the updated Kick Turn is less concerned with going the full 360-degree route. Rather, it's taking a more practical, controllable, and, per early reviews, useful approach, focusing on shorter spins that might prove helpful when you need to course-correct on the trail. To that end, you can even control the feature when the car is in motion if you're traveling at 15 mph or less.