Rivian’s RAD Skunkworks Performance Brand Wants To Push The Limits Of Electric Off-Road

American automaker Rivian doesn’t want you to forget that it builds some of the highest performance electric SUVs on the planet. Every high-end off-road automaker needs a performance sub-brand, and Rivian Adventure Department (RAD) is basically the EV answer to Land Rover’s Octa or Ford’s Raptor. RAD promises to push Rivian to the limit of speed and off-road prowess with continued development of existing and upcoming models. Rivian says it has always been in favor of developing its machines through extreme adventure, and “today we are giving that spirit, and that team, a name.” 

According to Rivian’s release on the subject, RAD has one mission: “finding the next level of what’s possible with our vehicles, bridging between where we find the extremes and the features that end up in your driveway.” It’s the kind of thing that brought about the R1S and R1T Quad, and hopefully will be in charge of the rally-look R3X expected next year.

Rivian

 “RAD represents the living, breathing expression of the passion that defines Rivian. That impulse to explore, to push limits, and to embrace the adventure is not confined to one team—it is the very DNA of our entire company, from the designers and engineers to our community of owners,” said Jeff Hammoud, Chief Design Officer. “The Rivian Adventure Department simply gives an official name and a powerful focus to the transparent, open spirit that drives every vehicle we design and every mile we seek out. It’s a promise to never stop pushing the boundaries of adventure.”

The new sub-brand grew out of the already adventurous spirit of Rivian, from the team who ran the Long Way Up program, Rivian’s entries at the Rebelle Rally, Pikes Peak, and more. The brand made its official debut on Thursday at FAT Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana. 

Lilly Macaruso, Rivian Engineer and Rebelle Rally Winner says the company uses “the real-world as our proving ground, creating and refining features that end up in your Rivian.” For a relatively small company, events like Rebelle and Pikes Peak provide proof that the vehicles they build are tough and fast, but also deliver attention. The old saw of racing on Sunday to sell on Monday isn’t lost on Rivian, and RAD hopes to expand some of that. Not only are these trucks forged in the crucible of real-world competition and adventure, but they’re doing it in the public eye, right out in the open. 

Rivian

There will be more coming from RAD, we’re told, but the team is already showing new performance benefits to existing Rivian owners. RAD has developed something called RAD Tuner for Gen 2 Quad owners to create their own drive modes in real-time. RAD Tuner allows you to adjust power output, torque bias, stability control, and brake regen to match the conditions of the trail you’re on. Apparently this started as an internal tool for developing the trucks to improve their standing in desert rally and hillclimb, taking real world racing applications and giving them to their customers. 

Electric performance is essentially unbeatable on the road, and Rivian wants to make sure the same is true when the pavement disappears, too. Will a RAD Rivian ever replace a Ford Raptor or Ram TRX? I can tell you right now I’d rather have the Rivian, without even having seen the full extent of what RAD can do. Perhaps we’ll see new performance-oriented RAD models coming in the near future, or perhaps it’ll just be a re-naming of the Quad model, but in either case, I hope the blue/red/yellow stripe package is something I can order.