Rivian has formally announced the creation of a new internal division called RAD, which stands for Rivian Adventure Department. This team is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of performance and capability across Rivian's electric vehicle lineup.
While the RAD group has existed as an internal skunkworks team since the company's early days, it is now being formalized as an official division. This move underscores Rivian's commitment to developing more extreme and highly capable electric vehicles for enthusiasts.
The spirit of RAD is already evident in Rivian's achievements. A Rivian R1T won the 2023 Rebelle Rally, marking the first EV victory in that off-road competition. The company also set and then broke the production electric truck record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2023 and 2024.
Rivian states that the RAD team will use real-world experience from such events as a proving ground to inform features and performance for future vehicles. The division has already released the RAD Tuner, a software upgrade for 2026 and newer quad-motor models that allows owners to create custom drive modes.
The official announcement was made at the 2026 FAT Ice Race in Montana, where Rivian is competing with a specially liveried R1S. It remains unclear if RAD will result in specific badged models or if it will continue to operate as a behind-the-scenes performance development team.