Rivian has revealed that its upcoming all-electric
R1S SUV will be sold with a number of different roof configurations depending
on customer preference. Taking to Twitter to respond to a question from someone who has
pre-registered for the R1S, Rivian said its SUV will be available with an
electrochromic glass roof that turns from opaque to transparent at the touch of
a button, a fixed glass panel as a two-piece removable composite roof, and a
standard fixed roof.
Interestingly, the Twitter post made no mention of a
tilting or sliding sunroof, a feature one may expect in a premium SUV. However,
the presence of an electrochromic glass roof is, probably, a great alternative.
The two-piece removable composite roof also sounds rather intriguing and could
offer a similar open-air driving experience to the Jeep Wrangler.
Patents filed by Rivian last year revealed that both
the company’s R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck will also receive a feature called
‘Tank Turn’ that will allow them to spin around on the spot thanks to the
independent electric motors at each wheel. In June, we also discovered that
Rivian’s upcoming models will support vehicle-to-vehicle charging.
Both EVs will be sold in a number of configurations.
Entry-level models will use a 105 kWh battery pack with a range of about 386 km. A 135 kWh battery will also be available and good for a range
of 498 km, while top-end models will have a massive 180 kWh battery
pack.
