Rivian Is the Latest EV Brand Hyping a Driving Trick Tailor-Made for TikTok

How do you distinguish the most high-performance and expensive EV trucks and SUVs from their generic electric sedan, crossover, and hatchback cousins?

The automotive industry’s strategy seems increasingly apparent, especially now that Rivian has rejoined the chat.

Taking Turns Turning Heads

GMC

When did elite EVs stop just being quiet and quick and start doing donuts?

In the race to stand out in a rapidly electrifying market, premium automakers have introduced various new turning capabilities that seem as much about brand identity as they are about off-road utility.

These aren’t your dad’s parking assists. We’re talking about vehicles that rotate in place, drive diagonally, and pivot around trail obstacles like ballerinas—all made possible by advanced electric drivetrains.

It’s one of the most unexpected—and entertaining—side effects of the EV revolution.

Mercedes-Benz

Let’s start with Mercedes-Benz, which recently introduced its first electric G-Wagen, the G 580 with EQ Technology, last year. It looks nearly identical to its gas-powered sibling—boxy, luxurious, rugged—but includes one very un-G-Wagen feature: G-Turn.

G-Turn uses the SUV’s four electric motors to rotate the vehicle almost entirely in place. It’s like a donut, but coordinated and slow, the kind of move you’d only need in the most extreme off-road scenario—or when making a viral video.

The feature showcases just how sophisticated torque vectoring can be in an all-electric platform. It also sends a message: this isn’t just an electrified icon. It’s a whole new beast.

Then there’s GMC, which leaned into theatrics right from the start with its HUMMER EV.

The vehicle’s so-called CrabWalk capabilities leverage four-wheel steering, allowing the goliath-sized truck or SUV variant to maneuver with four wheels angled in the same direction.

It might prove genuinely useful for navigating tight trails or angling into particularly tricky parking spots, but let’s be honest: it also looks downright weird in motion. And that’s precisely the point.

The feature was also introduced to the 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, solidifying CrabWalk as a signature of GMC’s premium EV lineup. It’s the kind of bold, attention-grabbing tech that pairs nicely with 1,000 horsepower and a 0-60 time faster than a sports car.

Rivian (Almost) Comes Full-Circle

Photo by Alex Frankel for Gear Patrol

Rivian is the latest premium EV maker to flaunt a wild new turning capability poised to ship with the company’s soon-to-be-released R1S and R1T Quad Launch Editions.

In a brief teaser video shared on Instagram last week, the brand showed off the R1S Quad Launch Edition performing a so-called K or ‘Kick-Turn’. Rumors of the capability started making the rounds back in 2021 after a patent application from Rivian focused on the maneuver was spotted.

The recent video shows firsthand what the patent described. The big seven-seater SUV turns 90 degrees while standing nearly still on dusty terrain. The date 7/8/2025 is written on the side of the vehicle, nodding to the release date of the new version.

The video’s comments highlight how closely it mirrors one of Rivian’s first viral moments – one that’s left a sour taste in many early adopters’ mouths.

Five years ago, Rivian also generated plenty of buzz for another seemingly incredible turning capability, which it cleverly called ‘Tank Turn.’

The feature was clearly conceived to highlight a unique benefit of upgrading to the first generation of quad-motor Rivians. Not only were the vehicles faster and more performant, but since each wheel had a dedicated electric motor, the vehicle could also pivot a full 360 degrees while sitting essentially in place.

But after releasing a viral video into the world, Rivian soon announced it wouldn’t be available at launch, largely because getting the vehicle to stay in place while rotating was a difficult engineering feat, according to comments made to Motor Trend by R1T chief engineer Charles Sanderson in September 2021.

Eventually, Rivian announced that Tank Turn wouldn’t be shipping ever, but not because the brand couldn’t figure out how to make it work.

Instead, according to statements Rivian CEO RJ shared reported by Kelly Blue Book, the company held off because Tank Turn could be “so easily abused” and damage driving trails, which would be “in contrast with what we stand for as a company.

As the EV World Turns

Tyler Duffy

All of these features—G-Turn, CrabWalk, K-Turn—exist because EVs enable an entirely new relationship between software and motion.

Unlike combustion vehicles, which rely on fixed axles and mechanical differentials, EVs (especially high-end ones) can use independent electric motors at each wheel. That opens up possibilities that weren’t just impractical before—they were impossible.

Each wheel can be spun forward, backward, or held stationary, in exact coordination with the others. Add in four-wheel steering or real-time terrain feedback, and suddenly turning isn’t just a matter of angle—it’s a programmable experience.

But what are we really looking at here: groundbreaking capability, or just a flashy sales pitch?

Mercedes-Benz

The answer probably lies somewhere in between. These maneuvers might be genuinely helpful for serious off-roaders, saving space, time, and traction in the wild.

For most drivers, though, the appeal is likely more emotional, akin to something like launch control or Sport Mode than a true game-changer in mobility.

All that matters is that these turning tricks make EVs feel advanced in a tangible, mechanical way. They also demonstrate control, power, and innovation simultaneously.

And in a world where most EVs are defined by software updates and range estimates, seeing a vehicle spin on command or sidestep boulders certainly makes for eye-catching video reels, at least until the novelty wears off.

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