Rivian Reveals Adventure Department, Teases Future Performance

The electric automaker is expanding its adventurous ethos with a new in-house performance division.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Rivian has officially unveiled its new Adventure Department (RAD), an in-house performance engineering division focused on developing hardware and software upgrades to enhance the driving experience of Rivian's electric vehicles. While the company has yet to confirm any official RAD-branded models, the team is working on innovations like the RAD Tuner, a customizable drive mode selector now available on quad-motor R1 models. Rivian's design chief and R1 lead engineer discussed the importance of transparency and collaboration with owners as the automaker pushes the boundaries of electric vehicle performance.

Why it matters

Rivian's move to establish an internal performance division signals the company's ambition to appeal to enthusiasts and expand beyond its current lineup of adventure-focused electric trucks and SUVs. By empowering owners to customize and tune their vehicles, Rivian is aiming to build a more engaged community around its brand as it competes in the rapidly evolving EV market.

The details

Rivian's Adventure Department (RAD) is a new skunkworks-style engineering division focused on developing hardware and software upgrades to enhance the driving dynamics of Rivian's electric vehicles. One of the first RAD innovations is the RAD Tuner, a customizable drive mode selector now available on quad-motor R1 models that allows owners to fine-tune vehicle performance. Rivian has also decided to bring electric motor production in-house, replacing the Bosch motors used in earlier models, which has enabled the development of the RAD Tuner. While Rivian has not confirmed any official RAD-branded models, the company's design and engineering teams emphasized the importance of transparency and collaboration with owners as they push the boundaries of EV performance.

  • Rivian went public with its Adventure Department in March 2026.
  • Rivian recently clinched a second-place finish at the 2026 FAT International Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana.

The players

Jeff Hammoud

Rivian's chief design officer.

Luke Lynch

Rivian's chief R1 engineer.

Rivian

An American electric vehicle manufacturer and automotive technology company.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's really about trying to find the limit. You can set a goal—I think about —and we want to go and do that. How do we make a car to do that, or how do we adapt one of the cars that we've got to go and do it? It doesn't have to [become] a whole vehicle. It's just something that you should give to the customer to have fun.”

— Luke Lynch, Rivian's chief R1 engineer (Road & Track)

“Our RAD Tuner started off [as] this engineering diagnostics tool that the team was using to control all the different behaviors in the vehicle. And it's what we use to create the drive modes for Rebel Rally and Pikes Peak. We said, 'This is such a cool tool for engineers, but what if we actually made this available to the customers?' So that was one of the things where maybe not everybody would want to use it, but it's the enthusiasts who want to go in and try those things.”

— Jeff Hammoud, Rivian's chief design officer (Road & Track)

What’s next

Rivian has not confirmed any official RAD-branded models, but the company's focus on performance and transparency with owners suggests that more enthusiast-focused products and features are likely to come in the future.

The takeaway

Rivian's establishment of the Adventure Department signals the company's ambition to appeal to a growing base of EV enthusiasts who want more customization and performance capabilities from their electric vehicles. By empowering owners to fine-tune their Rivian's driving dynamics, the automaker is aiming to build a more engaged community around its brand as it competes in the rapidly evolving EV market.