The Rivian R2 Required a Rear Wiper That Wasn't Available, So Rivian Created One.

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      Innovative rear wiper design. Rivian has developed a distinctive rear wiper system for the R2, concealed within a heated trough to prevent freezing.

      Challenging engineering task. The design necessitated the creation of an entirely new system due to the vehicle’s unique structure.

      Integrated and practical solution. The wiper is perfectly integrated, enabling full glass drop without any obstruction.

      Team effort and commitment. A substantial amount of time and effort was dedicated to realizing this innovative design.

      In summary: Rivian's R2 boasts a revolutionary rear wiper system, highlighting the company's dedication to cutting-edge design and engineering.

      AI supported, editor reviewed.

      The Rivian R2 was crafted and engineered differently from the R1. To optimize costs for both Rivian and consumers, the R2 was designed with simplification in mind—except for one part: the rear window wiper, which is complex.

      Rivian Chief Design Officer Jeff Hammoud shared with The Drive, “That was something we really spent a lot of time discussing.” The challenge arose because, as CEO RJ Scaringe noted, nothing similar exists currently.

      Joel Feder stated, “We wanted the rear wiper on the drop glass, but we didn’t want it mounted on the body. You might have seen cars with wipers on the body, but we couldn't place it in the spoiler because it was a pass-through. So, we hid it in the ledge, which is complicated since there are no wipers like that. This required developing an entire wiper system from the ground up,” Scaringe explained.

      This brought about challenges, according to Scaringe. “We had to create a system to manage the obvious issues, like what happens when it fills with water and it’s cold outside—how do we ensure it doesn’t freeze? So, we designed it to sit in a heated trough. We also had to create a snow mode, allowing it to pop up and stay raised. If you're in a cold climate, you can set it to pop up, minimizing any risk of getting stuck. A lot of work went into this. We even released an image of it being tested in a cold chamber, with the car covered in ice while the wiper still functioned.”

      Rivian R2 Standard with a glass-mounted rear wiper, Joel Feder indicated.

      Hammoud mentioned to The Drive, “You can see on the version without it [referring to the wiper in the trough], which is attached to the glass [pointing to the base Standard trim]. There’s no concern because it’s integrated. In this vehicle [referring to Premium and Performance trims with the inset wiper design], due to the pass-through spoiler, we can't place it at the back of the spoiler, as it would interfere with aerodynamics. The alternative would have been to attach it to the body. Besides looking unappealing, even a body-mounted wiper would still need a way to get off the glass."

      Hammoud continued, “I believe we arrived at a really nice solution that's very well integrated and concealed, allowing for full glass drop. So, when you’re loading or unloading the vehicle, it’s not in the way. That’s another issue with wipers attached to the body; they obstruct movement when taking items in and out.”

      Creating a complete rear wiper system from scratch was indeed a challenge, Scaringe noted, “A whole team worked on that.”

      “A lot of effort went into this, with numerous late nights and weekends to make it happen, but what we hope customers see is just a beautiful detail. When they pull the thread, they might think, wow, they considered everything from developing the trough correctly to refining all the kinematics—those are fantastic details,” Scaringe added.

      Scaringe concluded, “It turned out well. It was tough.”

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