Rivian is looking to patent wheel covers with active aerodynamic elements to further improve the efficiency of its electric vehicles.
Smooth wheel covers—like the ones available on the updated 2025 Rivian R1S and R1T—can help reduce aerodynamic drag, but they’re generally fixed in place, and thus not optimized for all scenarios. In its patent filing, which was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in August 2023, but only published by that office Mar. 6, Rivian discusses giving aero wheels movable elements to gain flexibility.
Rivian active aero wheel cover patent image
As described by Rivian in the filing, the wheel cover would include a series of openings aligning with wheel spokes when the cover is in one position, and block them to create a smooth surface in another. That movement would be actuated by a spring, which would rotate the cover to different positions.
In addition to giving customers the aesthetic choice of covered vs. uncovered wheels without having to remove anything, Rivian suggests in the filing that active wheel covers could help evacuate built up air pressure from the wheel wells—further improving aerodynamic performance. In their open position, the wheel covers could also serve a cooling function, according to the automaker, similar to the active grille shutters on many current production cars.
Rivian active aero wheel cover patent image
The boxy shapes of SUVs and pickup trucks like Rivian’s electric off-roaders presents a challenge in minimizing drag. That’s led other automakers to consider some elaborate active aerodynamic aids, such as the deployable rear step with an integrated diffuser for pickup trucks patented by Stellantis.
Hyundai has also tested an active air skirt that the automaker believes could be helpful in reducing drag in SUVs, or any electric vehicles with wider wheels. The automaker said in 2024 that tests using a Genesis GV60 from its luxury brand showed a 2.8% reduction in the coefficient of drag, worth an estimated 3.7 miles of range. But so far Hyundai hasn’t discussed production plans.