Popular Mechanics (South Africa)

The future of off-roading is electric

-

ELECTRIC SUPREMACY IS indisputab­le: More power, immediate torque, superior ground clearance, and in-hub motors commanding each wheel make electric vehicles (EVs) ideal for a demanding go-anywhere adventure compared with dieselor petrol-engine vehicles.

EVs’ in-hub motors are optimal for all-wheel-drive traction and handling, and bakkies’ high ride height affords graceful incorporat­ion of a floor-mounted battery pack. The lack of other underbody components such as exhaust pipes or fuel tanks grants EVs better ground clearance than petrol-engine vehicles, and thanks to zero emissions from the exhaust pipe, your adventures will be more eco-friendly.

For bakkie buyers weaned on V8s, these pickups defy the sparing output of other EVs. ‘These are muscle trucks – they’re monsters,’ says Ed Kim, vice president of industry research firm AutoPacifi­c.

In-hub motors are one of the keys to EVs’ powerful potential. While a petrol-driven engine runs from the front of the vehicle to the axles, an in-hub motor resides individual­ly in each wheel’s hub. This more direct mode of power delivery offers greater precision and efficiency, and thanks to the motors’ simple design and fewer parts, they’re cheaper to maintain than a traditiona­l engine.

Placing in-hub motors at the bakkie’s corners also liberates designers from the three-box layout of a traditiona­l pickup, but these early models still skew oldschool, turning the nose’s ‘engine’ compartmen­t into extra storage. In the future, e-trucks might not appear like classical trucks at all.

THE RIVIAN R1T WILL BE THE FIRST EV truck to reach the market. Set for early 2021, the four-door features up to 560 kW, 1 124 Nm of torque, a quartet of in-hub motors, and a battery pack upgrade for 180 kWh – the most power we know of in this crop. The peak set-up provides a projected 0–100 km/h time of 3.0 seconds, 640 km of range, and a 5 000 kg towing capacity – enough to pull a 10 m travel trailer. The base 105 kWh, 320 km-range R1T will cost $69 000 (more than R1 000 000) per Rivian with more pricing details to come.

In the field, adjustable power delivery to individual wheels provides intense grip for the R1T in slippery conditions, and an adjustable air-suspension system combines sportscar-like roll stiffness with dune buggy-esque impact absorption. The R1T links its righthand compressio­n circuits with its lefthand rebound circuits, same with the front and back, to minimise impact, and compared to active hydraulic suspension, it uses far less energy, minimising impact on battery range.

In addition to a ‘frunk’ under the bonnet, the R1T sports a pass-thru ‘gear tunnel’ between the bed and rear doors. Rivian will produce adventure modules such as a camping kitchen, cooler, and tackle kit for the tunnel. A cloud-connected infotainme­nt system up front incorporat­es on- and off-road maps, too.

 ??  ??
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from South Africa