- Revolutionary rear wiper innovation. Rivian has designed a distinct rear wiper system for the R2, concealed in a heated trough to avoid freezing.
- Intricate engineering task. The design demanded creating an entirely new system due to the vehicle’s unique architecture.
- Seamlessly integrated solution. The wiper is flawlessly integrated, permitting full glass drop without blockages.
- Collaborative effort and commitment. Extensive time and work were devoted to achieving this groundbreaking design.
Main point: Rivian’s R2 boasts a pioneering rear wiper system, highlighting the company’s dedication to innovative engineering and design.
AI-assisted, editor reviewed
The Rivian R2 was conceptualized and crafted differently than the R1. In an effort to reduce costs, both for Rivian’s production and for consumers’ expenses, the R2 underwent a simplification process. Except for one element: the rear window wiper. That component is quite complex.
Rivian Chief Design Officer Jeff Hammoud remarked to The Drive, “Yeah, that was something we spent a lot of time deliberating.” The reason? As stated by RJ Scaringe, the automaker’s CEO, nothing like it currently exists.
“We aimed to have a rear wiper on the drop glass, but we didn’t want it to be visible on the body. You’ve likely seen vehicles with wipers on the body, and we also couldn’t place it in the spoiler due to the pass-through design. Thus, we cleverly concealed it in that ledge, which is intricate, since no wipers like that exist. Developing this required designing a complete wiper system from the ground up,” Scaringe stated.
This led to obstacles, according to Scaringe. “We needed to devise a solution for all the evident challenges, such as water accumulation and freezing in cold conditions. Hence, it rests in a heated trough. We also needed to plan for a snow mode, so it can pop up and stay out,” Scaringe explained. He added, “and in cold climates, you can set it to pop up to prevent it from getting stuck. A considerable amount of effort went into this. We even showcased an image of it in a cold chamber test, where the entire vehicle was encased in ice, yet the wiper was operational.”
Hammoud informed The Drive, “You can see on the version that lacks it [referring to the trough wiper], attached to the glass [pointing to the Standard trim]. You don’t have to concern yourself because it’s integrated. For this vehicle [referring to the Premium and Performance trims with the inset wiper design], due to the pass-through spoiler, it couldn’t be placed at the back of the spoiler, right? Because it simply wouldn’t work and would disrupt the pass-through, which is crucial for aerodynamics. So the alternative was to attach it to the body. Other than its poor aesthetics, even if it’s mounted to the body, you still require a method for it to clear the glass.”
Hammoud further noted, “We believe we came up with an elegant solution that integrates beautifully and conceals it, allowing for full glass drop. This way, when you are loading and unloading the vehicle, it does not obstruct you. That is another issue with the ones attached to the body during use.”
However, creating a complete rear wiper system from scratch posed a challenge. Scaringe pointed out, “A dedicated team had to focus on that.”
“Countless hours, evenings, and weekends were spent to bring this together, but what we hope customers will notice is that it is a refined detail, and they will [think], when they see it, that they appreciate how the trough was developed properly and how all the kinematics were executed well, these are fantastic details,” Scaringe remarked.
Scaringe concluded by stating, “It turned out well. It was difficult.”
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