Turning Extreme Testing Into Real-World EV Innovation: The Rivian RAD Engineering Team

Rivian has officially introduced the Rivian Adventure Department (RAD) team as part of its engineering division. The RAD will concentrate on pushing Rivian’s trucks and SUVs to their limits in extreme conditions and documenting the lessons learned from each event to apply them to production vehicles.

Previously an informal testing group, the RAD has now become an integral part of the Rivian engineering team. Their primary responsibility is to subject Rivian vehicles to harsh environments to stress-test every system in the cars.

The RAD team has already made a name for themselves by winning a class at the 2023 Rebelle Off-Road Rally and setting a production EV truck record at Pikes Peak. Rather than treating these events as mere publicity stunts, Rivian has used the lessons learned for real-world research and development, incorporating them into future software updates and hardware improvements.

For instance, the RAD team’s experience at the Rebelle Rally led to the development of a new “Desert Rally” Drive mode for production vehicles, enhancing off-road maneuverability.

To tackle Colorado’s Pikes Peak, the RAD team created custom software that allowed them to adjust the truck’s performance on the fly, enabling it to navigate tight corners with the agility of a sports car. This software was later applied to all Gen 2 Quad Motor vehicles through an update, allowing drivers to customize drive modes in real time.

Rivian continued to involve the RAD team in events like the 2026 FAT Ice Race to gather valuable data on how their vehicles perform in extreme conditions. This data was used to enhance software codes and provide Rivian owners with updates to improve their driving experience in various scenarios, including snowy conditions.

Overall, the RAD team’s dedication to pushing Rivian vehicles to their limits in extreme conditions has led to valuable insights that benefit all Rivian owners through software updates. Subscribe to Motor Rove for more updates on Rivian’s engineering innovations.