Rivian was granted a patent on Tuesday for a battery pack strike shield from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
The patent describes a protective strike shield attached to the bottom of EV battery packs on the vehicle, which provides structural support to withstand ground strikes without damaging the batteries inside.
According to Rivian‘s claim, “the ability to withstand ground strikes is of particular concern with certain vehicles such as electric off-road vehicles,” as the “uneven terrain such vehicles often traverse results in a high risk of ground strikes during driving.”
“The battery packs of these vehicles must withstand such ground strikes without puncturing, crushing, or otherwise structurally compromising the batteries or other components within,” it adds.
Rivian owner Chris Hilbert first flagged the patent on X.
In August, the company’s founder and CEO RJ Scaringe teased the launch of a midsize off-road SUV, likely named the R2X.
“It doesn’t take a huge amount of imagination to think of, like, what comes (next), like, if there’s R2, what are the other R2 variants, yeah? And we sort of hinted at that with R3, where we did an R3X. You could imagine X versions, you could imagine other versions,” Scaringe stated in an interview.
Cybertruck Armor Package
The patented object is similar to the ‘Cybertruck Terrestrial Armor Package’ launched in August.
Tesla said it includes an “aluminum underbody battery shield provides greater protection from rocks and debris when off-roading on tough terrain.”
The package, which also includes left and right-side rock sliders, is available on Tesla‘s online store for $3,500.
Battery Protection Shield
Tesla began including battery protection shields in its vehicles from 2014, after a probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Even though the agency closed its investigation into two fires involving Model S vehicles, the company proceeded to reinforce approximately 16,000 vehicles with a shield to reduce the risk of damage that could potentially lead to a fire.
“NHTSA has not identified a safety defect trend at this time that would justify the agency issuing a recall request letter,” the safety regulator stated then.
Tesla has added a triple-layer metal shield, made of titanium and aluminum, to the underbodies of its vehicles to protect the batteries.
Vehicles manufactured before March 6, 2014, could be retrofitted with this shield free of charge upon request.
Security of the Shield
Last month, Tesla was granted a new patent for a system that detects the integrity of a battery enclosure — as it refers to the protective shield, “which isolates the system from the external environment,” as noted in the filing.
According to the company, “the system uses sensors located within the battery enclosure to generate pressure and temperature sensor data,” which it analyses to “detect any lack of integrity in the enclosure.”
These include “leaks or breaches, which could compromise the battery’s performance and safety.”
Upon detecting a potential integrity issue, the system generates an alert.
This patent is particularly relevant for the Cybertruck, which includes off-road features such as the ‘Wade Mode,’ which allows it to drive through water up to approximately 32 inches deep.
Rivian‘s R1 series, specifically designed for off-roading, supports a maximum water fording depth of 39 inches, according to its website.
A few months ago, Rivian showcased its upcoming R2 SUV being tested for water fording, with videos showing it driving through water up to 30 inches deep.
