Rivian plans LFP cells, heat pumps, 800V upgrades; Production plan in 2022 halved to 25,000
Rivian reveals production update on R1T, R1S and EDV vans; information about pre-orders; and what led to the most significant product update in months, as part of the shareholder letter and Q&A held on Thursday.
The company is ramping up production, gradually and with more conformity and starting with the supply chain. As of March 8, Rivian reports that it has produced 1,410 vehicles in 2022. Along with the reported number of vehicles for 2021, it has produced a total of 2,425 vehicles.
Rivian currently has about 83,000 pre-orders from customers in the US and Canada for two R1T truck models. Due in part to ongoing supply issues, total production is now expected to be 25,000 trucks by 2022 – half of what was previously expected.
Furthermore, Rivian has revealed a bunch of tech surprises with its quarterly update. Perhaps most surprising is the “260+ miles” Standard package, which it tried to direct more people to as part of last week. price increase is poor communicationwill include a “new package architecture” with lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) cell chemistry instead of the high-nickel NCA cells of other models.
LFP cells have been widely used in the Chinese electric vehicle market for more than a decade, although they are relatively rare in the US market – except for the recently launched base version of the Tesla Model 3.
![Rivian battery pack [from video]](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian-battery-pack-from-video_100749193_l.jpg "Rivian battery pack [from video]")
Rivian battery pack [from video]
![Rivian battery sub-module [from video]](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian-battery-submodule-from-video_100749195_l.jpg "Rivian battery sub-module [from video]")
Rivian battery sub-module [from video]
![Rivian cooling pad between battery layers [from video]](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/rivian-cooling-plate-between-battery-layers-from-video_100749194_l.jpg "Rivian cooling pad between battery layers [from video]")
Rivian cooling pad between battery layers [from video]
On the plus side, these cells can be charged regularly up to 100% and the charging speed is more consistent and predictable. On the other hand, as they age, it’s a tough test for car manufacturers’ battery management systems, as individual cells have larger voltage variances than NMC cells. particular.
But there’s another potential problem with LFP cells that Rivian may be more concerned about: They can’t store as much energy in extreme cold as conventional lithium-ion cells. That means greater energy demands when driving in cold weather tend to increase, with more significant impact when temperatures drop below freezing.
Rivian also notes that it is developing the battery cells in-house. Like other proprietary EV manufacturers like Tesla and Lucid, it use only cylindrical cells.
Rivian compares Dual Motor and Quad Motor R1 . models
Another big change that Rivian details a little more is the introduction of upcoming in-house engine technology. The new engine technology will debut on the RCV platform, which underpins Amazon’s limited EDV trucks, where it will be offered in single-engine and dual-engine front-wheel drive versions. The new engine technology will be introduced into trucks by the end of 2022, then to R1 products – including Quad Motor versions, in the second half of 2023.
“By using this engine in both consumer and commercial platforms, we intend to achieve cost-effectiveness, provide accessible pricing, and expand our addressable market. ,” said the company, noting that it has built over 100 pre-production engines and is currently doing validation testing.
Rivian dual engine components
Rivian dual engine components
Rivian R1T . four-engine AWD chassis
Rivian R1T . dual-engine AWD chassis
The company also said it will “continue to make significant investments” in the next-generation platform, including new in-house actuators, charging systems and heat pumps. The heat pump-based heat system under development will provide effectively improve cold weatheraccording to the company.
Also, as part of the revision to 800 volts, Rivian says that it will include an onboard charger, a DC-to-DC converter and a DC-to-AC converter, “where the DC-AC and AC-DC power supplies are bidirectional semiconductors and share the same semiconductor, magnetism, and controller.”
Rivian electric trucks are designed around a 400-volt battery pack and system voltage. But as CEO RJ Scaringe said Green car report in 2018, the trucks Designed from the ground up to upgrade up to 800 volts, including a package that can be easily adjusted to accommodate mathematical differences.
Two-way home chargers and corresponding home energy products are still under development.
Rivian Waypoints charges destination
The company also says it’s investing in improved network architecture and “simplified electronic topology,” with more powerful processing capabilities for infotainment, expanded sensors, and more. next generation computing platform for autonomy.
Despite lower targets set for 2022, RJ CEO Scaringe called production rates at their Illinois plant “in line with expectations,” noting that there are regular checks with suppliers to increase the rate. Higher inflation and shipping costs were also noted as problems.
Rivian can produce about 150,000 vehicles a year at its Illinois plant, so if all goes according to plan, Rivian’s capacity this year will be a fraction of that. The company plans to strengthen a Second manufacturing plant in Georgiacapable of producing 400,000 vehicles per year, starting in 2024.
