Photo: Rivian
Rivian is preparing another update for its R1 vehicles in time for a February release. The 2024.03 update brings quick controls, individual passenger windows locking, ride quality improvements, and a mysterious "Gear Guard's Late-Night Adventure" feature that no one knows what it is.
Rivian is among the most promising EV startups thanks to a very successful lineup and a well-executed strategy. Analysts also believe that Rivian is on track to reach profitability, unlike many of its peers. The Rivian R1T was the first electric pickup truck in the US, but this was not its only quality. Many consider it among the best vehicles you can buy, electric or gas-powered, and some even think it's better than the Tesla Cybertruck.
A significant part of Rivian's success is owed to timely and meaningful software updates. The company delivers roughly one important software update per month. Other updates are pushed whenever necessary to squash bugs or solve other issues. Just because the Rivian software team is enthusiastic doesn't mean its software is always perfect. Once in a while, problems did appear, and recently, this meant bricking some customer vehicles.
Hopefully, this won't happen with the upcoming software update, which is being tested internally. The 2024.03 update brings many improvements, as well as new features, to the Rivian fleet. Among them is the addition of Quick Controls, a new feature that replaces the former Vehicle app. This allows drivers to instantly access commonly used vehicle controls, such as doors, lights, and exterior mirrors. Quick Controls can also be configured to show automatically when the vehicle is in Park. You can customize Quick Controls in Settings > Vehicle > Access.
The update also brings a more granular control over which passenger windows to lock. You can now select the windows you wish to lock in Vehicle > Shortcuts > Window Locks > Edit. By default, both rear passenger windows can be locked (not the front passenger window). Rivian also brings a new round of improvements to ride quality with new on-road modes (Firm/Moderate/Soft), improved Ride Feel in Conserve mode, and enhanced performance in Soft Sand mode. The latter has been fine-tuned with input from the winning Rivian Rebelle Rally Team.
The release notes of this update also mention a "Gear Guard's Late-Night Adventure," with the sole description being "Do you ever wish Gear Guard was real? We do." It's unclear whether this promises better night-time video quality from the vehicle's cameras. Rivian owners have complained about poor video quality that makes it impossible to read a license plate in case something happens and is caught on camera. However, it could very well be just a game or video, so don't get your hopes up before we know more about it.
The update improves the Driver+ assistance system with better Highway Assist. The infotainment system will also offer the ability to scan a QR code for a quick connection to the vehicle's Wi-Fi hotspot. Besides that, the 2024.03 software update also fixes many bugs and issues with previous software versions. Depending on how bug-free it proves during testing, the update will probably land on customers' vehicles in a week or two.
A significant part of Rivian's success is owed to timely and meaningful software updates. The company delivers roughly one important software update per month. Other updates are pushed whenever necessary to squash bugs or solve other issues. Just because the Rivian software team is enthusiastic doesn't mean its software is always perfect. Once in a while, problems did appear, and recently, this meant bricking some customer vehicles.
Hopefully, this won't happen with the upcoming software update, which is being tested internally. The 2024.03 update brings many improvements, as well as new features, to the Rivian fleet. Among them is the addition of Quick Controls, a new feature that replaces the former Vehicle app. This allows drivers to instantly access commonly used vehicle controls, such as doors, lights, and exterior mirrors. Quick Controls can also be configured to show automatically when the vehicle is in Park. You can customize Quick Controls in Settings > Vehicle > Access.
The update also brings a more granular control over which passenger windows to lock. You can now select the windows you wish to lock in Vehicle > Shortcuts > Window Locks > Edit. By default, both rear passenger windows can be locked (not the front passenger window). Rivian also brings a new round of improvements to ride quality with new on-road modes (Firm/Moderate/Soft), improved Ride Feel in Conserve mode, and enhanced performance in Soft Sand mode. The latter has been fine-tuned with input from the winning Rivian Rebelle Rally Team.
The release notes of this update also mention a "Gear Guard's Late-Night Adventure," with the sole description being "Do you ever wish Gear Guard was real? We do." It's unclear whether this promises better night-time video quality from the vehicle's cameras. Rivian owners have complained about poor video quality that makes it impossible to read a license plate in case something happens and is caught on camera. However, it could very well be just a game or video, so don't get your hopes up before we know more about it.
The update improves the Driver+ assistance system with better Highway Assist. The infotainment system will also offer the ability to scan a QR code for a quick connection to the vehicle's Wi-Fi hotspot. Besides that, the 2024.03 software update also fixes many bugs and issues with previous software versions. Depending on how bug-free it proves during testing, the update will probably land on customers' vehicles in a week or two.
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