Rivian Shelves Thrilling 360° 'Tank Turn' Feature On Abusive Usage Worries

More than three years after it posted a video of its truck doing a 360-degree “tank turn,” Rivian Automotive Inc RIVN CEO RJ Scaringe has said the company will no longer offer the feature on its vehicles.

What Happened: Rivian will not be pursuing the feature on its vehicles as it doesn’t “feel congruous” with the company’s approach, the CEO said in a direct online interaction.

“Over the last year and a half, we have arrived at the view that it’s a feature that while we can do it, it’s so easily abused and so hard to make sure that we don’t tear up trails and do things that are in contrast to what we stand for as a company,” Scaringe said about the feature.

A tank turn enables the vehicle to rotate on its center axis like a tank.

Scaringe, however, reiterated that the company likes to have fun with its vehicles but without causing damage to the trail or leaving ruts.

Why It Matters: Rivian introduced the quad motor tank turn in December 2019. It posted a video of one of its trucks spinning on the spot which now has over 2.3 million views on YouTube.

At the Q&A, Scaringe and Rivian Design Head Jeff Hammoud also showed off a clay model of the R2, a smaller EV and potentially the third one from the company’s lineup.

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