Rivian, the electric vehicle manufacturer, is making moves towards implementing a steer-by-wire system in their future vehicles. In a recent job listing, Rivian mentioned the need for a steering engineer to work on developing this technology for the company. Steer-by-wire is a concept that replaces traditional mechanical linkages with electronic actuators, offering benefits such as customizability, reduced complexity, and variable steering ratios.
While steer-by-wire has not yet seen widespread adoption in the automotive industry, Tesla made headlines with the release of the Cybertruck, which exclusively uses a steer-by-wire system. Since then, other companies like Lexus have also started working on similar systems. Rivian seems to be following suit, with job listings indicating their interest in developing a rear-wheel steering system, and potentially a full vehicle steer-by-wire system.
Large electric vehicles like the Rivian R1 platform could benefit greatly from rear-wheel steer-by-wire systems, as seen in other vehicles like the Hummer EV and Rolls-Royce Spectre. These systems improve maneuverability in big vehicles, making tight turns easier to navigate. It remains to be seen whether Rivian will implement steer-by-wire on all their vehicles or just certain models, as they continue to develop the R2 and R3 models.
With Volkswagen’s significant investment in Rivian for technology assistance, there is speculation that we may see steer-by-wire technology in future VW group vehicles or Scout vehicles. As the automotive industry continues to innovate and adapt to new technologies, Rivian’s exploration of steer-by-wire systems could pave the way for more efficient and customizable steering options in electric vehicles.
