Rivian says tank turn video was fake

But it notes it has talked about the feature before.

Rivian reminded fans and critics alike that you can't trust everything you see on the internet. Earlier this week, a video showing its R1T concept car performing a tank turn spawned countless reports claiming the feature would eventually appear on a production truck. It was fake, according to the Michigan-based start-up.

"That wasn't an official video, and it was [computer-generated imagery]," Digital Trends learned from a Rivian spokesperson.

There's no word yet on who made the video, or why. It was taken down relatively quickly due to a copyright claim by Rivian, according to YouTube.

The video was fake, but the tank turn feature could very well be real sooner or later. The spokesperson added that Rivian has discussed a feature called Tank Steer before, though he stopped short of confirming whether it will be available on the R1T (pictured) and the R1S tentatively scheduled to enter production in 2020.

Both off-roaders will feature one electric motor per wheel, a layout which makes the Tank Steer function possible. To execute a 180-degree left turn on-location, the wheels on the left side of the truck need to spin backwards while the ones on the right side need to spin forward. Tanks have used this technology to steer for decades, but it has never appeared on a regular-production car before.