- Rivian is pushing out a major software update starting today.
- Second-generation R1S and R1T vehicles will get a hands-free driving feature that works on some highways, though it still requires supervision.
- Dual-Motor Performance Rivians are also getting a new “Rally” mode, while all Rivians will benefit from a host of quality-of-life upgrades.
After years of lagging behind the similarly priced competition, Rivian is finally getting serious about automated driver assistance tech.
The EV maker is adding hands-free highway driving to the second-generation R1S and R1T via a software update, it announced Tuesday.
Rivian’s “Enhanced Highway Assist” will allow owners to “take their hands off the wheel for extended periods of time when engaged on compatible highways, as long as they’re paying attention to the road,” Rivian’s release said. This mirrors similar systems like General Motors’ Super Cruise and Ford BlueCruise, both of which we have found to be excellent.
Whether the new system stacks up to those established ones is something we’ll have to test later.
Photo by: Patrick George
A second-generation 2025 Rivian R1T.
This isn’t the end of the upgrades coming to Rivian’s suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). When CEO RJ Scaringe announced that hands-off driving was “weeks away,” he also noted that “eyes off” driving—where the driver does not need to pay attention—should be available on highways in 2026. As always, we wouldn’t recommend buying any product on a promised future feature, rather than the product that exists today. Scaringe did admit, however, that the cars will likely need LiDAR before Rivian can allow broad-domain, level 4 autonomy that works on city streets rather than just conditionally on highways.
Hardware limitations mean that hands-off driving won’t be coming to first-generation R1 vehicles. If you got an R1 before summer or fall 2024, you’re out of luck there. But Rivian still has more goodies for you.
The company is also enabling a “Rally” mode in the vehicle’s drive mode selector.
Available for all Dual-Motor R1s with the Performance Pack, the new mode can be enabled whenever you’re in off-road mode. It “delivers heightened throttle response and crisper steering on almost any terrain, including ice, mud, dirt, or asphalt,” according to Rivian.
Photo by: Patrick George
If you have a Dual Motor Rivian without the Performance Pack, you can now purchase it over-the-air for a one-time fee of $5,000, giving you access to Rally Mode. You just need to have the Standard+, Large or Max Pack version of either generation R1. The Performance Pack gives you 665 horsepower and 829 lb.-ft. of torque, up from 533 hp and 610 lb-ft. It also enables Sport and Soft Sand Modes.
Finally, Rivian is giving R1 vehicles a few so-called “quality-of-life” tweaks. Owners have long complained that changing the vehicle’s wheel size required you to book a service appointment so the vehicle’s sensors and software could account for the new diameter.
Now, that’s a user-configurable option. Rivians are also getting a chime for when the vehicle in front of them moves away after a stoplight, as a reminder to look up from your damn phone. They’ll also now tilt the mirrors down in reverse and allow you to open the charge door from the app. The coolest of these is the new tire puncture detection system, which can detect slow leaks before they become fully deflated, giving you more time to pull over.
That’s a good list of updates. It’s also a reminder that companies that prioritize software innovation will be able to deliver continuing value to consumers. Your car getting better silently at night is far better than having to get minor bug fixes sorted at your local dealer. The sooner the rest of the industry learns this, the better.
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