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Rivian R1T and R1S Will Get a New Sand Mode and Other Features in a Future Update

Rivian received a lot of praise for the R1T not only because it was the first electric truck on the market, but because it is a genuinely good vehicle. Nevertheless, the startup led by RJ Scaringe made a lot of bad steps lately and it appears to continue down this road. Perhaps to make up for the delays and price increases, Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe announced new features coming in a future OTA update.
Rivian R1T and R1S will get a new Sand mode in a future update 10 photos
Photo: RJ Scaringe via Twitter
Rivian R1T and R1S will get a new Sand mode in a future updateRivian R1T and R1S will get a new Sand mode in a future updateRivian R1T and R1SRivian R1T and R1SRivian R1SRivian R1TRivian R1TRivian R1TRivian R1T and R1S Interior
Rivian seemed to have everything lined up for a stellar execution when they launched the R1T electric truck. They had powerful backers, plenty of orders, and a pile of cash but somehow they run into the same problems that Tesla faced years ago. Production ramp-up is proving difficult, the second factory they built in Georgia faces other problems on its own, and the price increase that was later retracted did not help either.

In the latest development, Rivian sent a letter to R1T and R1S reservation holders with Ocean Coast interiors that their vehicles would be further delayed. According to Electrek, the reason behind the delay is “adjusting the production sequence to maximize production output.” Rivian is no doubt trying to reduce production complexity to move more vehicles down the production line.

The light wood in Ocean Coast is more challenging to produce, so in order to move faster, we are focusing initially on producing with Black Mountain and Forest Edge,” writes the letter. “We are also using more batching of exterior colors and wheel options. [...] While these ramp-optimized build plans may affect some people’s delivery timing — moving some up and some back — this will enable us to deliver as many vehicles as quickly as possible.”

This did come at an unfortunate timing as Ford launched the F-150 Lightning production the very same day. Perhaps trying to make the news more palatable, Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe took to Twitter with an interesting announcement. The R1S and R1T will gain a new “Sand mode” in a future OTA update, and Scaringe shared a video of a prototype testing the said feature.

Not only that, but Rivian will also offer new features inspired by Tesla, like a Dog mode and a Dashcam feature. This was also confirmed by RJ Scaringe in a reply to another Twitter user. The former is particularly useful to pet owners. It allows them to keep the cabin at a constant temperature so that the pets can stay in the car while the owner is shopping or eating. The Dashcam would probably put the Rivian cameras to good use, recording what’s going on around the vehicle.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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