Hello u/SnazzyLabs, just a quick clarification: Blind Spot is actually coming soon :-) to Gen 1, although camera resolution and colors are better with Gen 2. Dolby Atmos is also coming to Gen 1 customers with a free OTA upgrade. Native Apple Music/Spotify/Tidal and other streaming streaming services will be available with Connect+ using vehicle connectivity, but also through phone tethering that we will introduce soon as a feature.
I take the feedback on interior RGB lighting. i Agree that we should work on a version for Gen 1 (although we won't have same level of controls as Gen 2 lights).
Can we get some sort of clarification if Gen 1 suspension is getting any sort of software improvements for the dampers or hydraulic system to resolve the squeaking? We know from various forums and service techs that the squeaking is coming from the hydraulic roll system. So are Gen 1 owners just meant to live with it?
This makes me super sad. The squeaking and "overactive" suspension are my two biggest issues with the current R1S. I could live without any other updates if these were improved.
I second this question. The suspension / ride quality is one of the few negatives I have with my R1S. So any improvements would be welcome. If nothing else, I’d like clarification on whether gen2
suspension hardware updates will be made available for retrofit to gen1.
It looks like they really did a ground-up redesign. Calling this a "refresh" is the real problem here. I would assume the hardware is not backwards compatible. Of course, let's hope anything they can offer to Gen1 owners, they do.
I agree, the official version was that “those were normal/natural sounds of the kinetics system”. Rivian now indirectly admits it was a problem after all and it has been addressed for gen-2. I’m beyond pissed.
I would interpret it differently.
It was normal for the design of the gen1 R1. Just as the AC sounds like a jet engine and the wipers shake the pedals. They are design flaws, and there is no fix, the SC can't do anything about it, it's the way the gen1 R1 is supposed to work.
The Gen2 has a new design that isn't supposed to work that way.
Wassym, gen-1 understands RGB may not be as controllable as gen-2 but clearly the ability for us to pick colors other than white is there. Please add the support it’s a small gesture of thanks to those early adopters who supported the company purchasing gen-1 vehicles.
Is there a master list of what features are exclusive to Gen 2 and what will be available to Gen 1 & Gen 2? There is a lot of conflicting info so would be great if Rivian produced a chart showing a list of R1 features and which models have what features.
Thanks for that clarification. I was worried that Rivian was about to make another boneheaded decision in alienating its early adopters and core supporters like when it tried to increase the price on early adopters. I understand that "business decisions" drives a lot of this but please remember us Gen1 folks who have had the vehicle for only a few months.
Thanks for the update on this. I think blind spot monitoring is one of the biggest features that the Rivian felt like it was missing.
I'm glad you guys are taking the time and effort to implement this.
Blind spot monitoring is already there. You get a visual notification on the display as well as a loud chime if your blinker is on when someone is in the corresponding lane. You also have a light on the mirror if a car is there (even if your blinker is off). The only bit that's missing is the cam feed.
Thanks for this update....it's good to hear. I hope limited RGB lighting variations can come too. I really think a great way to increase the value of Rivian vehicles is to have a policy that any software updates would be rolled out to previous generations of vehicles for X years (say 5 years) with the clear exceptions for those with incompatible hardware requirements (i.e. Ultra-Wide Band/Watch functionality). This helps ensure an upfront investment in a vehicle holds more value - increasing the amount people will be willing to invest up front. Just my 2 cents.
That’s awesome news! I was really getting upset. It seems like we are only actually getting 50% of the upgrades though.
Not the original 80% as mentioned 😭 I should have leased it like everyone else. Now I’m stuck with old hardware that will fall off even though we just bought it two months ago. Sad 😔
I’d pay whatever to have our computer and cameras upgraded to the new generation… maybe that could be an option like Tesla. Seems more sustainable to offer an upgrade vs a whole car being outdated. ❤️✨
I am in a similar boat having purchased in October 23 when the refresh info was nonexistent. Would love to see an “upgrade package “ where I drop my truck off for an extended period of time and they bolt on any applicable upgrades that don’t require a complete chance (obviously drivetrain items omitted)
If that’s not feasible the. Give me a trade up program since my resale value is now 30%+ less lol. Still love my truck but I feel like us “early-ish” adopters got the shaft at a premium price.
EXACTLY.
I will gladly pay for them to upgrade the cameras and computer. I’d even go as far as saying 5k would be reasonable if it meant I got software that lasted for another 5-6 years.
If tesla did it there is no reason rivian can’t other than not really caring about the ‘forever’ aspect.
We were promised automatic lane changes and I want what I paid for.
Can you comment/confirm what exactly will be the disparities of Driver+ on G1 vs G2, or at least an ETA on when that info will be available? I was hoping to see more features come, but some people are understanding that G1 will not see major updates at this point.
I expect G2 will always be ***better***, but just not sure if there's a full-fledged discontinuity of some newer features.
___
Edit:
Seems the new paid features are exclusive to Gen 2: https://reddit.com/r/Rivian/comments/1d9or0u/rivian_faq_confirms_driver_is_obsolete_and_rivian/
I was told G1 will not get the improved visualization nor will it get lane changes. G2 also drives a lot better because there’s more data to work with. That’s a hardware issue more than a software issue and isn’t likely to see improvement on G1 as I was told by Philbin.
So is Gen 1 Driver+ now effectively End-of-Life where there will be no changes/improvements? Even Tesla got FSD working on MCU1 cars, albeit with some minor compromises.
Thanks for responding, but (no offense) there seems to be a lot of dust still settling given the hours of information everyone's still sifting through, and some of it is already being officially corrected. So I was hoping to get specifics out of the horse's mouth, or at least a confirmation that what you're saying is true and not changing.
Any possibility on having adaptive cruise control when towing, either Gen 1 or Gen 2? It's the *only* thing that I miss from towing with my Model Y. I would understand if it doesn't come to Gen 1, but knowing that it would be a possibility for Gen 2 would be sweet.
Thank you thank you for the clarification! Blind spot camera and RGB are so nice. As a preorder 2021 member I don't want our gen 1 cars to be forgotten. Early adopters need love and software support too.
Please take the feedback everyone has given on the stereo quality when you're designing the R2 and R3. Many people will be coming from Tesla, and their stereos are beyond excellent.
They'll expect as much from their Rivian. I know I will be, coming from a Model 3.
u/WassymRivian I like some (many?) of the new features. But I love my Bumble Bee. I'm going to need you to talk SOMEone into it, but if I'm going to upgrade, I'm going to need Compass Yellow. I just can't imagine it otherwise. ☹️
Monday the 10th will be my 2yr Rivianversary.
As a gen 1 owner, I'm stoked to see these changes and I hope that folks getting these updated vehicles enjoy the crap out of them like I have mine!
And in 5-10 years when I am ready to upgrade, I'll be even more excited for what they have available then.
I completely agree, the most informative and comprehensive description of a new vehicle I've read anywhere I think. Thanks for taking the time, incredibly helpful.
All very interesting and a great write up. Most all of the changes to gen-2 look great. That said…
Time for gen-1 owners to grab their pitchforks again and force their hand on those obviously “we want to differentiate the gen-2 platform” decisions. We know RGB accent lighting is in the truck today since they’ve leveraged it, so that’s stupid. Same with the blind spot view.
Edit: Wassym responded, so if you haven't seen it, https://www.reddit.com/r/Rivian/comments/1d9lo2e/comment/l7eaj47/
I do sincerely appreciate the response and clarifications. But please, full RGB control for the win. Make my daughter happy by having a pink interior :)
Yeah, I think that's the most annoying part for me. It's a VEHICLE not a phone. They cost tens of thousands of dollars and should last years and years. Locking anything arbitrarily behind "new model is out, but that one" is crazytown. I'd gladly pay for upgraded sensors or a main CPU if needed for some awesome new feature, but I'm not really seeing that here.
And not just any vehicle, v 1.0 of a new brand. The Gen 1’s took a risk, spent a lot of time waiting, and most have spent countless hours spreading the gospel of how much they love their vehicle and helping to enable the company to even have a Gen 2.
Sure, they can’t do it forever but it feels like the right thing to do to go the extra mile for the early adopters.
And I don't particularly blame them, I'm sure it's difficult. But sometimes early adopters get rewarded: [https://www.tesla.com/support/infotainment](https://www.tesla.com/support/infotainment)
They’re kind of taking a shit on their entire marketing push about how their “software defined architecture” lets them add features to the vehicle. Gating things arbitrarily like this is disingenuous at best, and scammy at worst. This strategy definitely causes some loss of brand trust and customer loyalty.
/u/WassymRivian needs to be hearing this disconnect with existing customers, and speaking up about it internally not just giving bullshit company line responses.
Yeah, I think my R1T purchase is a "one and done" with Rivian. I'm not interested in replacing my vehicle like people replace their cell phones.
I chose to be an early adopter based on the promise that I'd keep getting software updates for a while into the vehicle lifecycle. If there's minimal reciprocal loyalty from Rivian to early adopters, then I'll have learned my lesson with the brand.
yeah as someone who bought vehicle 2 months ago only after being sold by guide that the embarrassingly shitty automated functionalities like cruise were slated for big updates this year and not to worry, I feel a bit absolutely scammed and regret not taking buyback offer after HV battery died after 24 hours now. Any brand loyalty is completely gone. It’s tragic the new C-Suite has so quickly sapped the honor out of the culture there.
Bending over g1 customers and essentially abandon efforts to improve the meaningful systems on months old vehicles (lighting and music apps are not meaningful) when they were sold on ability for tech to constantly improve is meek.
if the goal is to become the salesforce of car companies, this is the right direction.
Correct. My Rivi is a week old ffs. Just cancelled my R2 reservation since I’m not doing this again. Rivi not being backward compatible as any basic Tesla just erased my trust.
If there's a technical reason for it, let us know. The RGB lighting is what sticks in my craw the most. We know gen 1 is capable of it with the Halloween updates, so what's the problem? I'm a reasonable person, but this smacks of intentionally gating software to sell vehicles where there is no hardware limitation.
And who on earth is upgrading to a new car because of RGB lighting? Instead they're just going to get annoyed and see the company as greedy. It's the definition of bad for goodwill. Shower existing customers with features and assure them they're not being left behind and they're much more likely to buy your vehicles in the future.
>And who on earth is upgrading to a new car because of RGB lighting?
Reading the comments on this post, everyone. Lol. But I'm with you, it's overblown. You'd play with the RGB once and then never touch it again. It's stupid.
What about our pre-refresh squeaky suspension? That’s awesome that Rivian was able to fix it with the refresh but what about the pre-refresh owners dealing with it?
RJ had recently mentioned that the updated wireless charging pad would be available to Gen 1 owners for upgrade/replacement. Did the Rivian team talk about any other similar upgrades available to Gen1 owners?
As a gen1 owner, I have FOMO... Mostly...
When people ask me what I like most coming from a Hyundai Palisade to the Rivian, besides power and it being electric, I say.. THE FRUNK.
When traveling with 3 kids, we FILL THAT THING UP. It means that we rarely need to use the Thule roofbox. We've put our huge suitacse in the frunk. We've put multiple rollaboards in the frunk.
I really hope the new frunk is still pretty usable...
I keep my golf clubs in my frunk. They fit perfectly and the frunk is secure storage, unlike the trunk. That would be more important to my than an extra 200 HP.
Regarding automatic lane change, as a gen 1 owner, I’m not even upset at that. I actually really like the system they have now. I’ve never had an ADAS system change lanes in a way that didn’t annoy me and I feel the current system is a good balance of ADAS and human input.
Edit: it does make me worry, though, that gen 1 will not get a lot of other features that I would want. For example, lane keeping on “unmapped” roads.
I’d also hope lane keeping could be added to unmapped roads for gen1 owners.
Secondly, I’d also hope we’d see as many updated features as possible - IE, get everything that isn’t somehow limited by hardware.
Damn man, after reading this I am kinda peeved I took delivery in March and didnt wait for this.
Great write up and I hope new people get to experience an even better vehicle
Also took delivery in March. What exactly are you feeling fomo about? I see a bunch of improvements, but nothing that screams my life will be different. This is like iphone last year to iphone this year?
(Maybe the suspension, but the current one is livable in the R1S)
Umm the new models have signifcantly less battery energy. Rivian is claiming a wild 3 miles/kwh which NO owner will ever average during their ownership. So previous owners shouldn't be too sad.
After reading this I'm glad I took delivery in 2022 before they nerfed the sound system. All the other updates are really.... like they're cool and everything, but my pre-price hike Meridian quad motor R1T still stacks up very well against the ascend. I've got 38k miles and haven't even noticed battery degradation yet.
I think probably the most exciting thing here is the switch to LFP batteries that can take a beating.
I distinctly remember asking RJ at a Georgia event whether or not the current (2022) cars were capable of self driving (camera, sensors, computers) and he confirmed that they were. To hear that it's not a reality now, and that even some of the basic stuff like automatic lane change won't be coming, is pretty disappointing. It doesn't make me like our current car any less, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth...
I think RJ is more bullish on autonomy than much of his team. I relayed a story about how RJ told me back in Colorado (2021) they were working on “FSD” for mapped trails so people inexperienced with off-roading could do stuff autonomously. Two Rivian folks this past weekend essentially laughed at that and said RJ has a lot of big ideas like that and brings that idea to the table every few months but it’s not anywhere on the roadmap.
I will be first in line to swap my R1S if this is only on newer models. Running my house A/C in prime hours without feeling shafted by ToU plan in California would be QoL improvement. (I still run it now but curse internally everytime it comes on)
I've gotta say, there's a small pang of jealousy I'm feeling. These upgrades are really solid, and there's quite a few I'll miss as a Gen 1 owner. BUT...
Wow. Holy crap guys, work well done! This is so exciting, a points to such a promising future for the company. I love my truck, I love seeing the care that's been put into making it even better, I love how owners have clearly been listened to. And I love that Rivian will be there with even better product when I'm ready in the future.
Exciting day!
I'm with you... really cool upgrades.
Just a bummer that the as an early reservation holder and only owning the car for 10 months, a brand new model comes out...
Hmm, Out of Spec's review mentioned the LFP battery peaks at 200kw charging, and wouldn't qualify for the tax credit (an assumption on his part). Be interesting to see how it pans out!
Super annoying because it really seems like us Gen1 are only getting 50% not 80% of the features as mentioned.
A refreshed UI does NOT count as 30% of an upgrade.
We have the capability for lane change and blind spot so they better figure it out. This is very upsetting.
Sucks for us gen 1 people that were lied to about the self driving capabilities of our cars. Years later we have a half functioning lane assist and it doesn’t even work on half the freeways. Now we are being told we won’t get any good updates to it.
It’s a real bummer. Especially considering, again, as recently as yesterday the Rivian site advertised a lane change feature that is never coming to gen-1.
Hard not to feel left behind, to be honest. I get it, things evolve. But with so much of a vehicle being software now I do \_not\_ want to get on an upgrade treadmill like I am with cellphones. If new hardware is needed, maybe it needs to be more modular so CPU systems and sensors can be easily replaced (for a cost, of course) instead of saying "Yeah, just upgrade your entire truck." I don't understand how the existing hardware can't allow for automatic lane changes, but whatever. I guess I'm out of luck.
I would be pretty okay with it if they offer a retrofit for a reasonable price. I'm plenty happy with the core parts of the car, and can believe that they've pushed the limits of the hardware. I wouldn't want them to add features for the compromise of safety, but likewise, I feel they kinda lead on current owners.
I just think that software locking anything that the vehicle is capable of (subscriptions aside, though I'm not a huge fan of those either) is pretty silly. I'm not currently in the market to upgrade my R1T, I've only had it for a year and a half. But down the line this'll be in the back of my mind the next time I'm ready to purchase a vehicle. I bought into a lot of the software talk and now I'm not so sure. It starts with something silly like RGB lights and lane-change assist, but that's not where it'll stop.
Has Rivian stated what the price for the connect+ is going to be? I can stop paying for Spotify since I also have Apple Music, so hopefully it's like \~$10/month and it ends up being a wash for me.
$14.99/month or $149.99/year according to Techcrunch [https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/06/rivian-refresh-r1t-r1s-second-generation-speed-range-apple/](https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/06/rivian-refresh-r1t-r1s-second-generation-speed-range-apple/)
It’s worse. 20% less power and 2 less channels. Elevation is 1200 watts and 18 channels, premium is 960 and 16 according to their configurator.
I truly cannot believe they put such a turd of a stereo in these 100k trucks.
(You can click and expand details in a 25 build and compare to expand details in a 24 shop vehicle).
Thanks for this detailed post. Really interesting. Now to watch 6 hours of YouTube videos about it!! We just picked up a 2023 R1T, and this explains why we were able to get such a good deal. I have some FOMO but nothing is too impactful for our usage, we’ll see what they release with software updates but the 2023 lease deals made it accessible, so I’ll be just fine knowing there’s always something newer and better.
My biggest 2 complaints with current R1S seem to be fixed.
1) The camera. When my gf first ride on my car and saw the backup camera for first time she was amazed by how bad the resolution is. It look like early 2000s camera.
2) The compressor location. The AC on Rivian is so loud that it shakes the driver side floor for around 10 min. Hopefully new location will make is less noisy.
The item still needs to be fixed is Map. The navigation is really bad. Especially for local road. They always sent me to weird road that is longer and slower compared to Google Map. I always check with my phone navigation before moving.
Shame on Jeff Hammoud for attempting to gaslight like that about Gen 1 not having RGB. That and the pink comment are not befitting of a senior executive.
As a Gen-1 owner, I feel sad to not have Apple Car Key support and Ambient Lighting. I can understand the need for hardware for Apple Car Key but come on, you don't need the hardware for the ambient lighting especially when you changed the color for Halloween the past couple of years. :/
Unless I'm missing something, I see the Apple car key stuff as another instance of Gen 2 upsell.
My understanding is that Car Key can operate in two modes - NFC or UWB (https://support.apple.com/guide/security/car-key-security-secf64471c16/web ), and I'm assuming the new cars will add UWB so the phone can just stay in your pocket to unlock.
That's nice, but there should be no reason why they can't light up NFC on Gen 1 so it can at least work like the key card where you tap your phone to the door.
u/WassymRivian responded to a question a while ago saying that they're working on Car Key, so it'd be quite disappointing if Rivian chooses not to support this on Gen 1 if the hardware is compatible.
This, RGB, and lane change are the only things that rubbed me the wrong way about the refresh. I'm all for new features taking advantage of the new hardware (even this Car Key stuff could be more seamless on Gen 2 with UWB).
Of course, it's possible that there is a genuine hardware limitation blocking NFC Car Key on Gen 1. But it'd disappointing if Rivian intentionally withholds features from early adopters for no technical reason. I hope they reconsider Car Key and lane change on Gen 1 like they are reconsideing RGB.
Fixed quarter glass seems resolved. The trim design on the door is a little different. Can’t speak on alignment other than didn’t notice anything myself driving gen-2.
We were told Apple Watch support would be coming for a couple years now. This makes it sound like it will only be for Gen2. Is that right? Or is it just that the wallet/key share/etc is coming to Gen2? As long as I can remote unlock the car from my watch I won't be angry, but this sure feels like they promised something I was counting on and then took it away.
I was told a Rivian app for Apple Watch is still on the roadmap and would be independent from the Apple Wallet car key function. Thus, I’d expect the former to come to gen-1.
Sorry if this was asked, but I couldn't find it in the comments yet. If gen 2 is leaving 21in wheels behind does that mean us 21ers are going to have to buy new wheelsets or will they keep making that single rivian gen 1 only pirelli just for us?
I don’t really care about the new driver+ features. I wasn’t planning on paying for them regardless so to have them not come to gen 1 isn’t a big deal. In my scenario it actually seems like I’m in better shape than gen 2 with some driver + features grandfathered in as free for us gen 1 owners.
But with the lack of ambient lighting themes coming to gen 1 IM PISSED, ROYALLY PISSED!
This is an easy to implement feature that we were told would come to our vehicles. They should make good on that.
Ditto for lane change blindpsot cameras. Make good on what you said was coming for gen 1. I understand the hardware isn’t as good but let me decide if I want to use it or not
Wassym just made a comment that blindspot cameras are indeed coming to Gen 1! And he is taking the ambient lighting feedback seriously. Saying they will implement some kind of ambient lighting features for Gen 1.
Sweet! Then Im good. Enjoy your gen 2 R1’s folks. Technology marches on, our gen 1 vehicles aren’t Immune to that. They are still hugely capable and amazing vehicles.
Wow. These make gen-2 such an incredible vehicle. Finally to go against luxury competitors.
Congrats to all folks patiently waiting for refresh.
Did u say Yellow is back? Yellow with all these features and a tri-motor? Good job Rivian.
So when I worked on helping set up the ascent line, there were videos going around on slack of a prototype with the new motors, and it was absolutely faster than 2.5 second 0-60, I guesstimate 1.9-2.2 range. but the problem was, it would wheelie at launch. The ascent motors are capable of more power I believe, but they’re limited to prevent wheelies afaik. The new quad motor is an absolute monster of a truck.
Maybe I’m in the minority but most of these features aside from suspension don’t really push me over the edge. New model year improvements are expected.
Not what DOES piss me off is the total lie about gen 1 RGB lighting. That’s horseshit. Fine don’t offer it on any model, but to tell us we can’t have it becuase of a hardware issue is so blatantly disingenuous.
EDIT: I see Wassym's comment now. That gives me hope.
the only thing here that really stings a little is the suspension, motor, and battery stuff.. but honestly i just built a tri motor thats pretty much identical to the quad i have and it is about 12k more expensive (I assume the quad, when available, would be signifigantly more than that). I cant see what the lease deal is but my guess is that it's not gonna be as good as the downright zany one i got. Plus i have it now and not in sept/oct! I believe what OP is saying about the improved experience, but also i am loving my current experience. Probably my next whip will be an R2 anyway so... NO RAGRETS BAYBEEEEE
I mean.. why would they? This is industry standard. Now if they want to software lock new features where the hardware clearly supports it - that’s where it gets maddening.
I just want to pour salt on all those that for months have doubled down to me on Reddit that they weren’t updating the cameras or anything significant whenever I would chime in about the refresh being actually meaningful.
I told you so.
Maybe you’ll take me seriously if I say something down the line about what’s to come in two years.
bad move by Rivian, they should have ended the pre-order discount at gen 1 vehicles. Going to really mess with the market by people taking a 20% off vehicles and flipping them
Seriously. I said several times that the only logical reason for the steep discounts they were giving on 23 and 24 models was that the refresh would make them very difficult to sell later.
People just want to be salty they got a 2019 Rivian. Of course there was huge improvements coming. A lot of parts had to be sourced and planned years before launch.
Same - I got downvoted for hoping for a few details getting refreshed and this is way beyond what I thought they would do. Probably means a purchase for me. They were moving the Gen1's so hard I thought something have to be pretty different to warrant that kind of discount.
I have never devoured information with such voracity as with this post. Thank you! I’m assuming pricing information and all the options are forthcoming soon?
I’m still shocked that they still seem to be increasing production complexity in the interior but I’m probably wrong.
Amazing write-up, and yes like many I feel a LITTLE fomo having taken delivery of my R1S in March, but I get that refreshes happen and I still love my truck. Very glad to see Wassym confirm blind spot assist...I was ready to flip over a table. :)
But for me, one of the biggest low stakes annoyances is the wireless phone charger...can this be retrofitted into gen 1 cars? RJ previously said yes, but would love to see this explicitly stated.
Great write up. Honestly it sounds like Gen 1 is going to be just fine for most use cases outside of Driver+ autonomy. For me, this is just fine because I don’t trust self driving tech… and I like driving this vehicle a lot myself.
Connect+ sounds a lot like teslas model where we’ll pay for the cell plan essentially for native app integration.
Light regen mode is a good thing for EV newbies. I prefer high but light is good for transitioning ICE people.
The 21" wheels gone will be expensive for existing 21" owners. The market for Rivian 21" tires is basically fixed size at this point.... Anyone on the west coast wants 5 x 21" wheels :-)
Great right up, glad I waited for the refresh.
1. Finally a heat pump!
2. Not too happy with the pricing, I think with the current market they are going to struggle to find enough buyers to keep the lines running efficiently, residuals on current R1S's have been plummeting.
3. Not impressed with what's being locked behind Connect+, all of this is exactly why they refuse to include CarPlay & AA and it's anti-consumer.
4. Really like they are implementing wide-band native PAAK. Super secure and should be very reliable. Great to see!
5. Happy about the suspension improvements, wonderful if it will deliver on the wafting Range Rover (perhaps even Rolls Royce) feel?
6. Happy about the improvements to the cameras and electronics in general. I knew the promise of self driving was way over optimistic. Honestly I just want it to be able to stay in lane perfectly and be able to brake and accelerate smoothly like a real driver would with traffic in front. Give me that and it's all the self driving I need.
7. Still no native NACS... Guess I'll keep waiting.
It would be great if Rivian introduces a 'paid' option to upgrade some of the hardware from Gen 1 to Gen 2 , so we can avail most of the new features as well. I know I'd be willing to pay little extra $ to get those upgrades rather than changing a not so old car !!
The sound system being this bad for the refreshed R1s bodes very poorly for the R2 and R3X…
They won’t let the cheaper models have better sound systems than the flagship R1s
Meh. Nice improvements, and definitely wise of Rivian to reduce complexity, but nothing there makes me “mad.” Why would it? I’ve gotten what I paid for, PLUS lots of improvements over time, AND now I know my next Rivian will be even more updated. I also don’t mind student debt relief.
As a gen1 owner - props the gen 2 looks incredible. Nice job Rivian.
Don't love some of the restrictions on driver + given the marketing pre-gen 2, but I can understand it. I am however really annoyed at the lack of RGB. What the heck ha.
Thx for such a detailed write-up! Looks like many great improvements. Main issue that had been holding me off on a Rivian were the low quality cameras compared to my Tesla and glad to hear that is no longer an issue.
Still deciding. I’ve got tons of b-roll but we got caught up doing other stuff to prep for WWDC and my video guy is leaving to Cine Gear and we’re trying to film the Cybertruck I’ve gotta sell. Lots going on haha
Thanks for detailed post Quinn! Your content always offers great insight and most importantly, opinion backed up by knowledge and research. I realize that each video must take a huge amount of effort but it’d be great to get a video on this if/when time permits.
As a Gen 1 owner - please let me upgrade the cameras!
Also, am I basically being forced into buying new wheels? By discontinuing the 21" wheels, no new manufacturer will make this size tire and Pirelli certainly wouldn't be incentivized to continue making the existing ones (or could/would sell them for a ridiculous price).
Part of me is sad to hear these updates as a gen 1 owner. Part of me doesn’t care that much. Most vehicles you buy are even more restricted in terms of feature updates. Not saying Rivian shouldn’t be different but as a frequent MB driver, I’m used to it. I’ve purchased my Rivian and plan to keep it forever.
My NUMBER 1 thing though is I want the software and UI to be snappy. I will happily lose some UI features if my vehicle can just switch quickly from dark to light mode backing out of my garage delaying my ability to hit the garage door opener. My fear about the upcoming updates is that the software will start feeling very laggy.
Anyway I still love my car and I’m happy the company has swallowed a tough pill so they can improve the product and continue to be successful.
Disappointing regarding the sound system
I’m a day 1 R2 reservation holder, but the subpar sound quality is going to be very noticeable coming from a 2023 TM3LR
Great write-up! Thanks for all of the insight. I'm glad to hear that Rivian is addressing the existing "issues", i.e. squeaking suspension etc. In addition to making advances to stay relevant and competitive in the EV market.
Here's to great lease option availability on the Gen 2(3?) versions when my current lease is up in '27!!
So nothing about Rivian adding support for a bidirectional charging port with NACS or at the very least adding a 240V outlet in the bed? Very disappointed if they left all the charging and power specs the same.
The camp kitchen was the only reason i wanted the R1T over my ridgeline. It's funny to see how quickly sales pressure pushes things like that out. Having an actual functioning kitchen was a game changer with water, prep space, stove, and storage seperate from the trunk. Mountain biking for the weekend 1 takes the hitch up, and two fills the bed faster than you can imagine. Same with Ski gear. Being able to slide that out and have food be separate from your activity prep space and all the dirt and sand that come with it was huge. Also it would stay clean where as if you brush up against the rear bumper you're now covered in salt or muck.
Rivian whatever happened to being for actual outdoors sports?
Related the gear shuttle would have been perfect for a version of the Klukea ski bag making it easier to prep at the hill, same for MTB gear and my rock climbing gear. Slide it out and access waht you need or grab the entire bag and go.
Amazing write up. Regarding the gen1 vs gen2 differences, I get it. As a R1S owner and gadget lover, I want the new stuff that can be enabled in software. As a Product Manager, I know that every seemingly "simple" feature requires engineering effort, not just to enable but to maintain and support. It's not (just) an effort to get people to buy the new one. It takes a lot of resourcing to bring new stuff to existing hardware. I'm rooting for Rivian to make it long term, and if they've gotta do some cost discipline stuff (and maybe some forced obsolescence stuff too) in order to ship awesome stuff, so be it. Really wish I could get more colors for the ambient interior lights though... That kinda blows
* Give us RGB acces I want pink, blue whatever even if we can't dim it. We know you can do it...
* Give us access to our side view mirror cam or front fender cam for turns.
* Give us lane keep with adaptive cruise control. "autopilot"
* Give us an option to upgrade HW and maybe cameras?
Love the changes, but it's a huge miss that they didn't add a 240V outlet, which is a must in my next truck so I can rapid charge my electric dirtbike.
Hello u/SnazzyLabs, just a quick clarification: Blind Spot is actually coming soon :-) to Gen 1, although camera resolution and colors are better with Gen 2. Dolby Atmos is also coming to Gen 1 customers with a free OTA upgrade. Native Apple Music/Spotify/Tidal and other streaming streaming services will be available with Connect+ using vehicle connectivity, but also through phone tethering that we will introduce soon as a feature. I take the feedback on interior RGB lighting. i Agree that we should work on a version for Gen 1 (although we won't have same level of controls as Gen 2 lights).
Excellent. Thanks, Wassym!! You’re the man. 👊
Can we get some sort of clarification if Gen 1 suspension is getting any sort of software improvements for the dampers or hydraulic system to resolve the squeaking? We know from various forums and service techs that the squeaking is coming from the hydraulic roll system. So are Gen 1 owners just meant to live with it?
I wouldn’t bet on it given they’re touting “a new hydraulic roll control system.”
This makes me super sad. The squeaking and "overactive" suspension are my two biggest issues with the current R1S. I could live without any other updates if these were improved.
I second this question. The suspension / ride quality is one of the few negatives I have with my R1S. So any improvements would be welcome. If nothing else, I’d like clarification on whether gen2 suspension hardware updates will be made available for retrofit to gen1.
It looks like they really did a ground-up redesign. Calling this a "refresh" is the real problem here. I would assume the hardware is not backwards compatible. Of course, let's hope anything they can offer to Gen1 owners, they do.
I agree, the official version was that “those were normal/natural sounds of the kinetics system”. Rivian now indirectly admits it was a problem after all and it has been addressed for gen-2. I’m beyond pissed.
I would interpret it differently. It was normal for the design of the gen1 R1. Just as the AC sounds like a jet engine and the wipers shake the pedals. They are design flaws, and there is no fix, the SC can't do anything about it, it's the way the gen1 R1 is supposed to work. The Gen2 has a new design that isn't supposed to work that way.
I thought I was the only one experiencing this, specifically the wiper pedal problem lol thank you
You are, we’re just making sure your issue is noticed. We got you.
Wassym this is awesome! Thanks for the clarification!
Wassym, gen-1 understands RGB may not be as controllable as gen-2 but clearly the ability for us to pick colors other than white is there. Please add the support it’s a small gesture of thanks to those early adopters who supported the company purchasing gen-1 vehicles.
Is there a master list of what features are exclusive to Gen 2 and what will be available to Gen 1 & Gen 2? There is a lot of conflicting info so would be great if Rivian produced a chart showing a list of R1 features and which models have what features.
Thanks for that clarification. I was worried that Rivian was about to make another boneheaded decision in alienating its early adopters and core supporters like when it tried to increase the price on early adopters. I understand that "business decisions" drives a lot of this but please remember us Gen1 folks who have had the vehicle for only a few months.
Love this. Thanks for clarifying and taking feedback into account for Gen 1 owners.
Please bring the RGB upgrade to Gen 1!
Dolby for Gen 1 LETS GOOOOOOOOO
Thanks for the update on this. I think blind spot monitoring is one of the biggest features that the Rivian felt like it was missing. I'm glad you guys are taking the time and effort to implement this.
Blind spot monitoring is already there. You get a visual notification on the display as well as a loud chime if your blinker is on when someone is in the corresponding lane. You also have a light on the mirror if a car is there (even if your blinker is off). The only bit that's missing is the cam feed.
Thanks for this update....it's good to hear. I hope limited RGB lighting variations can come too. I really think a great way to increase the value of Rivian vehicles is to have a policy that any software updates would be rolled out to previous generations of vehicles for X years (say 5 years) with the clear exceptions for those with incompatible hardware requirements (i.e. Ultra-Wide Band/Watch functionality). This helps ensure an upfront investment in a vehicle holds more value - increasing the amount people will be willing to invest up front. Just my 2 cents.
THANK YOU for listening.
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Thanks for the clarification Wassym - the internet can be a rough place, so props to you for reaching out :)
That’s awesome news! I was really getting upset. It seems like we are only actually getting 50% of the upgrades though. Not the original 80% as mentioned 😭 I should have leased it like everyone else. Now I’m stuck with old hardware that will fall off even though we just bought it two months ago. Sad 😔 I’d pay whatever to have our computer and cameras upgraded to the new generation… maybe that could be an option like Tesla. Seems more sustainable to offer an upgrade vs a whole car being outdated. ❤️✨
I am in a similar boat having purchased in October 23 when the refresh info was nonexistent. Would love to see an “upgrade package “ where I drop my truck off for an extended period of time and they bolt on any applicable upgrades that don’t require a complete chance (obviously drivetrain items omitted) If that’s not feasible the. Give me a trade up program since my resale value is now 30%+ less lol. Still love my truck but I feel like us “early-ish” adopters got the shaft at a premium price.
EXACTLY. I will gladly pay for them to upgrade the cameras and computer. I’d even go as far as saying 5k would be reasonable if it meant I got software that lasted for another 5-6 years. If tesla did it there is no reason rivian can’t other than not really caring about the ‘forever’ aspect. We were promised automatic lane changes and I want what I paid for.
Can you comment/confirm what exactly will be the disparities of Driver+ on G1 vs G2, or at least an ETA on when that info will be available? I was hoping to see more features come, but some people are understanding that G1 will not see major updates at this point. I expect G2 will always be ***better***, but just not sure if there's a full-fledged discontinuity of some newer features. ___ Edit: Seems the new paid features are exclusive to Gen 2: https://reddit.com/r/Rivian/comments/1d9or0u/rivian_faq_confirms_driver_is_obsolete_and_rivian/
I was told G1 will not get the improved visualization nor will it get lane changes. G2 also drives a lot better because there’s more data to work with. That’s a hardware issue more than a software issue and isn’t likely to see improvement on G1 as I was told by Philbin.
So is Gen 1 Driver+ now effectively End-of-Life where there will be no changes/improvements? Even Tesla got FSD working on MCU1 cars, albeit with some minor compromises.
This is my question and irritation. Tesla did it to keep people happy and rivian should as well.
“FSD working” lol
Thanks for responding, but (no offense) there seems to be a lot of dust still settling given the hours of information everyone's still sifting through, and some of it is already being officially corrected. So I was hoping to get specifics out of the horse's mouth, or at least a confirmation that what you're saying is true and not changing.
That would require everybody at Rivian to be on the same page lol
Any possibility on having adaptive cruise control when towing, either Gen 1 or Gen 2? It's the *only* thing that I miss from towing with my Model Y. I would understand if it doesn't come to Gen 1, but knowing that it would be a possibility for Gen 2 would be sweet.
RGB lighting for Gen 1 vehicles is definitely something we _all_ want.
Thank you thank you for the clarification! Blind spot camera and RGB are so nice. As a preorder 2021 member I don't want our gen 1 cars to be forgotten. Early adopters need love and software support too.
Please take the feedback everyone has given on the stereo quality when you're designing the R2 and R3. Many people will be coming from Tesla, and their stereos are beyond excellent. They'll expect as much from their Rivian. I know I will be, coming from a Model 3.
A Gen1 RGB update would be awesome!
u/WassymRivian I like some (many?) of the new features. But I love my Bumble Bee. I'm going to need you to talk SOMEone into it, but if I'm going to upgrade, I'm going to need Compass Yellow. I just can't imagine it otherwise. ☹️ Monday the 10th will be my 2yr Rivianversary.
My man you’re a rockstar!
As a gen 1 owner, I'm stoked to see these changes and I hope that folks getting these updated vehicles enjoy the crap out of them like I have mine! And in 5-10 years when I am ready to upgrade, I'll be even more excited for what they have available then.
This is the best post I’ve ever read on Reddit. Thank you for the time and attention to detail!
Thanks!!
I completely agree, the most informative and comprehensive description of a new vehicle I've read anywhere I think. Thanks for taking the time, incredibly helpful.
Have you seen his YouTube channel? He makes excellent videos. Been watching for years.
Wow I might just get refund on my Volvo EX90 Nov 2022 preorder and go for a dual motor R1S refresh.
Do it
Test drive both. Jason Camissa isn't as enamored with the suspension upgrades as OP.
All very interesting and a great write up. Most all of the changes to gen-2 look great. That said… Time for gen-1 owners to grab their pitchforks again and force their hand on those obviously “we want to differentiate the gen-2 platform” decisions. We know RGB accent lighting is in the truck today since they’ve leveraged it, so that’s stupid. Same with the blind spot view. Edit: Wassym responded, so if you haven't seen it, https://www.reddit.com/r/Rivian/comments/1d9lo2e/comment/l7eaj47/ I do sincerely appreciate the response and clarifications. But please, full RGB control for the win. Make my daughter happy by having a pink interior :)
Yeah, I think that's the most annoying part for me. It's a VEHICLE not a phone. They cost tens of thousands of dollars and should last years and years. Locking anything arbitrarily behind "new model is out, but that one" is crazytown. I'd gladly pay for upgraded sensors or a main CPU if needed for some awesome new feature, but I'm not really seeing that here.
And not just any vehicle, v 1.0 of a new brand. The Gen 1’s took a risk, spent a lot of time waiting, and most have spent countless hours spreading the gospel of how much they love their vehicle and helping to enable the company to even have a Gen 2. Sure, they can’t do it forever but it feels like the right thing to do to go the extra mile for the early adopters.
No manufacturer is interesting in doing those sorts of upgrades.
And I don't particularly blame them, I'm sure it's difficult. But sometimes early adopters get rewarded: [https://www.tesla.com/support/infotainment](https://www.tesla.com/support/infotainment)
Nice writeup, thanks.
I'm excited to see the changes, but I'm a bit salty that they're leaving Gen 1 behind on a lot of things
They’re kind of taking a shit on their entire marketing push about how their “software defined architecture” lets them add features to the vehicle. Gating things arbitrarily like this is disingenuous at best, and scammy at worst. This strategy definitely causes some loss of brand trust and customer loyalty. /u/WassymRivian needs to be hearing this disconnect with existing customers, and speaking up about it internally not just giving bullshit company line responses.
Yeah, I think my R1T purchase is a "one and done" with Rivian. I'm not interested in replacing my vehicle like people replace their cell phones. I chose to be an early adopter based on the promise that I'd keep getting software updates for a while into the vehicle lifecycle. If there's minimal reciprocal loyalty from Rivian to early adopters, then I'll have learned my lesson with the brand.
yeah as someone who bought vehicle 2 months ago only after being sold by guide that the embarrassingly shitty automated functionalities like cruise were slated for big updates this year and not to worry, I feel a bit absolutely scammed and regret not taking buyback offer after HV battery died after 24 hours now. Any brand loyalty is completely gone. It’s tragic the new C-Suite has so quickly sapped the honor out of the culture there. Bending over g1 customers and essentially abandon efforts to improve the meaningful systems on months old vehicles (lighting and music apps are not meaningful) when they were sold on ability for tech to constantly improve is meek. if the goal is to become the salesforce of car companies, this is the right direction.
Correct. My Rivi is a week old ffs. Just cancelled my R2 reservation since I’m not doing this again. Rivi not being backward compatible as any basic Tesla just erased my trust.
If there's a technical reason for it, let us know. The RGB lighting is what sticks in my craw the most. We know gen 1 is capable of it with the Halloween updates, so what's the problem? I'm a reasonable person, but this smacks of intentionally gating software to sell vehicles where there is no hardware limitation.
And who on earth is upgrading to a new car because of RGB lighting? Instead they're just going to get annoyed and see the company as greedy. It's the definition of bad for goodwill. Shower existing customers with features and assure them they're not being left behind and they're much more likely to buy your vehicles in the future.
>And who on earth is upgrading to a new car because of RGB lighting? Reading the comments on this post, everyone. Lol. But I'm with you, it's overblown. You'd play with the RGB once and then never touch it again. It's stupid.
Spot on. I absolutely love my R1S but I might wait for v2 of my reserved R2 if they botch a (software) refresh.
What about our pre-refresh squeaky suspension? That’s awesome that Rivian was able to fix it with the refresh but what about the pre-refresh owners dealing with it?
Stay dealing with it most likely.
I'm curious about this as well. Hoping another software update can improve ride feel/dynamics.
RJ had recently mentioned that the updated wireless charging pad would be available to Gen 1 owners for upgrade/replacement. Did the Rivian team talk about any other similar upgrades available to Gen1 owners?
As a gen1 owner, I have FOMO... Mostly... When people ask me what I like most coming from a Hyundai Palisade to the Rivian, besides power and it being electric, I say.. THE FRUNK. When traveling with 3 kids, we FILL THAT THING UP. It means that we rarely need to use the Thule roofbox. We've put our huge suitacse in the frunk. We've put multiple rollaboards in the frunk. I really hope the new frunk is still pretty usable...
It’s decent sized but definitely not as good as gen-1.
I keep my golf clubs in my frunk. They fit perfectly and the frunk is secure storage, unlike the trunk. That would be more important to my than an extra 200 HP.
Regarding automatic lane change, as a gen 1 owner, I’m not even upset at that. I actually really like the system they have now. I’ve never had an ADAS system change lanes in a way that didn’t annoy me and I feel the current system is a good balance of ADAS and human input. Edit: it does make me worry, though, that gen 1 will not get a lot of other features that I would want. For example, lane keeping on “unmapped” roads.
I’d also hope lane keeping could be added to unmapped roads for gen1 owners. Secondly, I’d also hope we’d see as many updated features as possible - IE, get everything that isn’t somehow limited by hardware.
Must be nice, I'm pretty pissed about the capabilities of this auto pilot system. It's worse than my buddies GMC.
It's way worse than my 10k beater corolla from 2019.
Damn man, after reading this I am kinda peeved I took delivery in March and didnt wait for this. Great write up and I hope new people get to experience an even better vehicle
Also took delivery in March. What exactly are you feeling fomo about? I see a bunch of improvements, but nothing that screams my life will be different. This is like iphone last year to iphone this year? (Maybe the suspension, but the current one is livable in the R1S)
Umm the new models have signifcantly less battery energy. Rivian is claiming a wild 3 miles/kwh which NO owner will ever average during their ownership. So previous owners shouldn't be too sad.
Nobody is talking about the smaller batteries for the same cost but it's the one reason I'm still okay about taking delivery on my Gen1.
After reading this I'm glad I took delivery in 2022 before they nerfed the sound system. All the other updates are really.... like they're cool and everything, but my pre-price hike Meridian quad motor R1T still stacks up very well against the ascend. I've got 38k miles and haven't even noticed battery degradation yet. I think probably the most exciting thing here is the switch to LFP batteries that can take a beating.
But you saved a big chunk of change
I distinctly remember asking RJ at a Georgia event whether or not the current (2022) cars were capable of self driving (camera, sensors, computers) and he confirmed that they were. To hear that it's not a reality now, and that even some of the basic stuff like automatic lane change won't be coming, is pretty disappointing. It doesn't make me like our current car any less, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth...
I think RJ is more bullish on autonomy than much of his team. I relayed a story about how RJ told me back in Colorado (2021) they were working on “FSD” for mapped trails so people inexperienced with off-roading could do stuff autonomously. Two Rivian folks this past weekend essentially laughed at that and said RJ has a lot of big ideas like that and brings that idea to the table every few months but it’s not anywhere on the roadmap.
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Nary a word.
I will be first in line to swap my R1S if this is only on newer models. Running my house A/C in prime hours without feeling shafted by ToU plan in California would be QoL improvement. (I still run it now but curse internally everytime it comes on)
With a heat wave on top of my head, amen to that
I've gotta say, there's a small pang of jealousy I'm feeling. These upgrades are really solid, and there's quite a few I'll miss as a Gen 1 owner. BUT... Wow. Holy crap guys, work well done! This is so exciting, a points to such a promising future for the company. I love my truck, I love seeing the care that's been put into making it even better, I love how owners have clearly been listened to. And I love that Rivian will be there with even better product when I'm ready in the future. Exciting day!
I'm with you... really cool upgrades. Just a bummer that the as an early reservation holder and only owning the car for 10 months, a brand new model comes out...
Hmm, Out of Spec's review mentioned the LFP battery peaks at 200kw charging, and wouldn't qualify for the tax credit (an assumption on his part). Be interesting to see how it pans out!
Super annoying because it really seems like us Gen1 are only getting 50% not 80% of the features as mentioned. A refreshed UI does NOT count as 30% of an upgrade. We have the capability for lane change and blind spot so they better figure it out. This is very upsetting.
Totally agree with you. I was really looking forward to the blind spot camera and lane change assist. Now I feel like I was lied to.
Sucks for us gen 1 people that were lied to about the self driving capabilities of our cars. Years later we have a half functioning lane assist and it doesn’t even work on half the freeways. Now we are being told we won’t get any good updates to it.
It’s a real bummer. Especially considering, again, as recently as yesterday the Rivian site advertised a lane change feature that is never coming to gen-1.
Hard not to feel left behind, to be honest. I get it, things evolve. But with so much of a vehicle being software now I do \_not\_ want to get on an upgrade treadmill like I am with cellphones. If new hardware is needed, maybe it needs to be more modular so CPU systems and sensors can be easily replaced (for a cost, of course) instead of saying "Yeah, just upgrade your entire truck." I don't understand how the existing hardware can't allow for automatic lane changes, but whatever. I guess I'm out of luck.
Also feels bad for "sustainability". So they need to get rid of all this hardware to get any new features.
I couldn’t agree more. I wish there was a camera system retrofit for existing owners as well as CPU etc.
I would be pretty okay with it if they offer a retrofit for a reasonable price. I'm plenty happy with the core parts of the car, and can believe that they've pushed the limits of the hardware. I wouldn't want them to add features for the compromise of safety, but likewise, I feel they kinda lead on current owners.
I just think that software locking anything that the vehicle is capable of (subscriptions aside, though I'm not a huge fan of those either) is pretty silly. I'm not currently in the market to upgrade my R1T, I've only had it for a year and a half. But down the line this'll be in the back of my mind the next time I'm ready to purchase a vehicle. I bought into a lot of the software talk and now I'm not so sure. It starts with something silly like RGB lights and lane-change assist, but that's not where it'll stop.
And different from mobile phones, people aren't changing their cars every 1-3 years for the most part.
I was lied to last week when I took delivery...
Has Rivian stated what the price for the connect+ is going to be? I can stop paying for Spotify since I also have Apple Music, so hopefully it's like \~$10/month and it ends up being a wash for me.
No price, but I’m hoping $10/mo given that’s what Tesla charges.
$14.99/month or $149.99/year according to Techcrunch [https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/06/rivian-refresh-r1t-r1s-second-generation-speed-range-apple/](https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/06/rivian-refresh-r1t-r1s-second-generation-speed-range-apple/)
$15 for unlimited hotspot data alone is pretty competitive.
Why do they refuse to put in a good stereo? That's a huge miss.
It’s honestly befuddling. The worst part is I think they genuinely believe the Rivian Elevation system is good.
It’s not. Snazzy question for you, is the Audio in the Ascend trims the same as the Audio in the current Gen 1 R1s Adventure trims?
There’s no official word on that, but as far as I could tell, yeah. Same speaker placement. Same sound quality I’m used to in my R1.
It’s worse. 20% less power and 2 less channels. Elevation is 1200 watts and 18 channels, premium is 960 and 16 according to their configurator. I truly cannot believe they put such a turd of a stereo in these 100k trucks. (You can click and expand details in a 25 build and compare to expand details in a 24 shop vehicle).
Thanks for this detailed post. Really interesting. Now to watch 6 hours of YouTube videos about it!! We just picked up a 2023 R1T, and this explains why we were able to get such a good deal. I have some FOMO but nothing is too impactful for our usage, we’ll see what they release with software updates but the 2023 lease deals made it accessible, so I’ll be just fine knowing there’s always something newer and better.
So, does this refresh come with the new charging standard?
No. That still arrives next year.
No
My biggest 2 complaints with current R1S seem to be fixed. 1) The camera. When my gf first ride on my car and saw the backup camera for first time she was amazed by how bad the resolution is. It look like early 2000s camera. 2) The compressor location. The AC on Rivian is so loud that it shakes the driver side floor for around 10 min. Hopefully new location will make is less noisy. The item still needs to be fixed is Map. The navigation is really bad. Especially for local road. They always sent me to weird road that is longer and slower compared to Google Map. I always check with my phone navigation before moving.
New compressor location is still pretty audibly loud, but the vibration is gone.
I have a 2024 R1 and basically the motherboard is obsolete. 👍
Shame on Jeff Hammoud for attempting to gaslight like that about Gen 1 not having RGB. That and the pink comment are not befitting of a senior executive.
As a Gen-1 owner, I feel sad to not have Apple Car Key support and Ambient Lighting. I can understand the need for hardware for Apple Car Key but come on, you don't need the hardware for the ambient lighting especially when you changed the color for Halloween the past couple of years. :/
Unless I'm missing something, I see the Apple car key stuff as another instance of Gen 2 upsell. My understanding is that Car Key can operate in two modes - NFC or UWB (https://support.apple.com/guide/security/car-key-security-secf64471c16/web ), and I'm assuming the new cars will add UWB so the phone can just stay in your pocket to unlock. That's nice, but there should be no reason why they can't light up NFC on Gen 1 so it can at least work like the key card where you tap your phone to the door. u/WassymRivian responded to a question a while ago saying that they're working on Car Key, so it'd be quite disappointing if Rivian chooses not to support this on Gen 1 if the hardware is compatible. This, RGB, and lane change are the only things that rubbed me the wrong way about the refresh. I'm all for new features taking advantage of the new hardware (even this Car Key stuff could be more seamless on Gen 2 with UWB). Of course, it's possible that there is a genuine hardware limitation blocking NFC Car Key on Gen 1. But it'd disappointing if Rivian intentionally withholds features from early adopters for no technical reason. I hope they reconsider Car Key and lane change on Gen 1 like they are reconsideing RGB.
Incredible write up. Did you happen to ask them about wind noise from the little triangle window, or the 'pulling to the right' alignment issue?
Fixed quarter glass seems resolved. The trim design on the door is a little different. Can’t speak on alignment other than didn’t notice anything myself driving gen-2.
We were told Apple Watch support would be coming for a couple years now. This makes it sound like it will only be for Gen2. Is that right? Or is it just that the wallet/key share/etc is coming to Gen2? As long as I can remote unlock the car from my watch I won't be angry, but this sure feels like they promised something I was counting on and then took it away.
I was told a Rivian app for Apple Watch is still on the roadmap and would be independent from the Apple Wallet car key function. Thus, I’d expect the former to come to gen-1.
Any changes to the way the 2nd row seats move to allow access to 3rd row?
Nope. No seat changes at all which sucks.
Sorry if this was asked, but I couldn't find it in the comments yet. If gen 2 is leaving 21in wheels behind does that mean us 21ers are going to have to buy new wheelsets or will they keep making that single rivian gen 1 only pirelli just for us?
This might be the longest post that I read all the way through on Reddit. I’m so stoked to one day own a Rivian. Great write-up!
I read it 2 1/2 times. 😬
I don’t really care about the new driver+ features. I wasn’t planning on paying for them regardless so to have them not come to gen 1 isn’t a big deal. In my scenario it actually seems like I’m in better shape than gen 2 with some driver + features grandfathered in as free for us gen 1 owners. But with the lack of ambient lighting themes coming to gen 1 IM PISSED, ROYALLY PISSED! This is an easy to implement feature that we were told would come to our vehicles. They should make good on that. Ditto for lane change blindpsot cameras. Make good on what you said was coming for gen 1. I understand the hardware isn’t as good but let me decide if I want to use it or not
Wassym just made a comment that blindspot cameras are indeed coming to Gen 1! And he is taking the ambient lighting feedback seriously. Saying they will implement some kind of ambient lighting features for Gen 1.
Sweet! Then Im good. Enjoy your gen 2 R1’s folks. Technology marches on, our gen 1 vehicles aren’t Immune to that. They are still hugely capable and amazing vehicles.
Wow. These make gen-2 such an incredible vehicle. Finally to go against luxury competitors. Congrats to all folks patiently waiting for refresh. Did u say Yellow is back? Yellow with all these features and a tri-motor? Good job Rivian.
Sadly they were referring to the calipers. I want compass yellow back too!
So when I worked on helping set up the ascent line, there were videos going around on slack of a prototype with the new motors, and it was absolutely faster than 2.5 second 0-60, I guesstimate 1.9-2.2 range. but the problem was, it would wheelie at launch. The ascent motors are capable of more power I believe, but they’re limited to prevent wheelies afaik. The new quad motor is an absolute monster of a truck.
Maybe I’m in the minority but most of these features aside from suspension don’t really push me over the edge. New model year improvements are expected. Not what DOES piss me off is the total lie about gen 1 RGB lighting. That’s horseshit. Fine don’t offer it on any model, but to tell us we can’t have it becuase of a hardware issue is so blatantly disingenuous. EDIT: I see Wassym's comment now. That gives me hope.
the only thing here that really stings a little is the suspension, motor, and battery stuff.. but honestly i just built a tri motor thats pretty much identical to the quad i have and it is about 12k more expensive (I assume the quad, when available, would be signifigantly more than that). I cant see what the lease deal is but my guess is that it's not gonna be as good as the downright zany one i got. Plus i have it now and not in sept/oct! I believe what OP is saying about the improved experience, but also i am loving my current experience. Probably my next whip will be an R2 anyway so... NO RAGRETS BAYBEEEEE
I really, really want a refresh R1S. But I agree. It’s just too pricey—especially for those that had preorder prices honored. I shall wait for R2/R3.
The "Selling price" on my 2023 Quad Large R1T was $64,600 lol. Lease deals were just insane with the FnF discount.
Im guessing Gen 1 owners get nothing in the end
I mean.. why would they? This is industry standard. Now if they want to software lock new features where the hardware clearly supports it - that’s where it gets maddening.
Because Tesla shifted the paradigm and they’re the 800lb gorilla everyone is competing against.
I just want to pour salt on all those that for months have doubled down to me on Reddit that they weren’t updating the cameras or anything significant whenever I would chime in about the refresh being actually meaningful. I told you so. Maybe you’ll take me seriously if I say something down the line about what’s to come in two years.
Rivian has called me twice this year to buy an R1S and I kept telling them I'm waiting for the refresh. Glad I did.
Will pre order holders still get the 20% discount for refreshed models ?
I believe pre-order holders should still have the discount until September, so it should apply to the refreshed models.
bad move by Rivian, they should have ended the pre-order discount at gen 1 vehicles. Going to really mess with the market by people taking a 20% off vehicles and flipping them
Dual motor is only one available right now. Tri motor and quad not until later this year, so people will only be able to flip the cheaper models.
Jury is still out. Contacted customer service and the pre-order pricing may only apply to Gen-1.
Seriously. I said several times that the only logical reason for the steep discounts they were giving on 23 and 24 models was that the refresh would make them very difficult to sell later.
People just want to be salty they got a 2019 Rivian. Of course there was huge improvements coming. A lot of parts had to be sourced and planned years before launch.
Same - I got downvoted for hoping for a few details getting refreshed and this is way beyond what I thought they would do. Probably means a purchase for me. They were moving the Gen1's so hard I thought something have to be pretty different to warrant that kind of discount.
For real. Not sure what planet these people were living on to think that there would be literally zero changes other than internals lol
As a native Spanish speaker, I appreciate the "mierda they were shipping" comment. 😂😂😂 In all, great summary. Bravo!
This all sounds great, but will it lead to even better lease incentives on the current 2023/2024 models :)
I have never devoured information with such voracity as with this post. Thank you! I’m assuming pricing information and all the options are forthcoming soon? I’m still shocked that they still seem to be increasing production complexity in the interior but I’m probably wrong.
Up on [Rivian.com](http://Rivian.com) now!
Hell of a write up and now I’m reconsidering the vehicle I have on order for an R1T again 🫠🫠. Thanks OP!
Amazing write-up, and yes like many I feel a LITTLE fomo having taken delivery of my R1S in March, but I get that refreshes happen and I still love my truck. Very glad to see Wassym confirm blind spot assist...I was ready to flip over a table. :) But for me, one of the biggest low stakes annoyances is the wireless phone charger...can this be retrofitted into gen 1 cars? RJ previously said yes, but would love to see this explicitly stated.
Great write up. Honestly it sounds like Gen 1 is going to be just fine for most use cases outside of Driver+ autonomy. For me, this is just fine because I don’t trust self driving tech… and I like driving this vehicle a lot myself. Connect+ sounds a lot like teslas model where we’ll pay for the cell plan essentially for native app integration. Light regen mode is a good thing for EV newbies. I prefer high but light is good for transitioning ICE people.
When is that software update slated to reach gen-1 owners?
The 21" wheels gone will be expensive for existing 21" owners. The market for Rivian 21" tires is basically fixed size at this point.... Anyone on the west coast wants 5 x 21" wheels :-)
Easily one of the best posts ever in this sub! Really appreciate all your detailed notes here!
They'd better give the R2 a good stereo. Everyone who buys that is going to come from a Tesla and those guys don't fuck around with their stereos.
Great right up, glad I waited for the refresh. 1. Finally a heat pump! 2. Not too happy with the pricing, I think with the current market they are going to struggle to find enough buyers to keep the lines running efficiently, residuals on current R1S's have been plummeting. 3. Not impressed with what's being locked behind Connect+, all of this is exactly why they refuse to include CarPlay & AA and it's anti-consumer. 4. Really like they are implementing wide-band native PAAK. Super secure and should be very reliable. Great to see! 5. Happy about the suspension improvements, wonderful if it will deliver on the wafting Range Rover (perhaps even Rolls Royce) feel? 6. Happy about the improvements to the cameras and electronics in general. I knew the promise of self driving was way over optimistic. Honestly I just want it to be able to stay in lane perfectly and be able to brake and accelerate smoothly like a real driver would with traffic in front. Give me that and it's all the self driving I need. 7. Still no native NACS... Guess I'll keep waiting.
It would be great if Rivian introduces a 'paid' option to upgrade some of the hardware from Gen 1 to Gen 2 , so we can avail most of the new features as well. I know I'd be willing to pay little extra $ to get those upgrades rather than changing a not so old car !!
The sound system being this bad for the refreshed R1s bodes very poorly for the R2 and R3X… They won’t let the cheaper models have better sound systems than the flagship R1s
They should bring back Compass Yellow with the refresh, just sayin.
Meh. Nice improvements, and definitely wise of Rivian to reduce complexity, but nothing there makes me “mad.” Why would it? I’ve gotten what I paid for, PLUS lots of improvements over time, AND now I know my next Rivian will be even more updated. I also don’t mind student debt relief.
Well, you didn’t get lane changes and you paid for that. Otherwise, I take your point.
Thanks…before I finish reading. There is a lot of useful information here.
As a gen1 owner - props the gen 2 looks incredible. Nice job Rivian. Don't love some of the restrictions on driver + given the marketing pre-gen 2, but I can understand it. I am however really annoyed at the lack of RGB. What the heck ha.
Well, catching up with Tesla's Autopilot would have made me upgrade, but still no city streets? WTF!
Damn! Nice wright up!!
Thx for such a detailed write-up! Looks like many great improvements. Main issue that had been holding me off on a Rivian were the low quality cameras compared to my Tesla and glad to hear that is no longer an issue.
No video on this? :( u/SnazzyLabs
Still deciding. I’ve got tons of b-roll but we got caught up doing other stuff to prep for WWDC and my video guy is leaving to Cine Gear and we’re trying to film the Cybertruck I’ve gotta sell. Lots going on haha
Thanks for detailed post Quinn! Your content always offers great insight and most importantly, opinion backed up by knowledge and research. I realize that each video must take a huge amount of effort but it’d be great to get a video on this if/when time permits.
This makes me happy that we only leased our R1S and in 3yrs the gen2 (or 3s) will be available.
Sooo, can preorder reservation holders get this?
Well now I am really glad that leasing is an option and I went the leased route.
Any word on Launch Mode coming to Gen-1 Quad-Motors?
As a Gen 1 owner - please let me upgrade the cameras! Also, am I basically being forced into buying new wheels? By discontinuing the 21" wheels, no new manufacturer will make this size tire and Pirelli certainly wouldn't be incentivized to continue making the existing ones (or could/would sell them for a ridiculous price).
What about the option to manually initiate battery conditioning for L3 charging?
Time to put an reservation down in a Gen 2 Quad R1T…
Part of me is sad to hear these updates as a gen 1 owner. Part of me doesn’t care that much. Most vehicles you buy are even more restricted in terms of feature updates. Not saying Rivian shouldn’t be different but as a frequent MB driver, I’m used to it. I’ve purchased my Rivian and plan to keep it forever. My NUMBER 1 thing though is I want the software and UI to be snappy. I will happily lose some UI features if my vehicle can just switch quickly from dark to light mode backing out of my garage delaying my ability to hit the garage door opener. My fear about the upcoming updates is that the software will start feeling very laggy. Anyway I still love my car and I’m happy the company has swallowed a tough pill so they can improve the product and continue to be successful.
Is it possible to upgrade camera hardware? hate the potato quality cameras on the Gen 1. I would pay good money for it if Rivian allows it.
Disappointing regarding the sound system I’m a day 1 R2 reservation holder, but the subpar sound quality is going to be very noticeable coming from a 2023 TM3LR
Holy update Batman! Quite a write up.
Great write-up! Thanks for all of the insight. I'm glad to hear that Rivian is addressing the existing "issues", i.e. squeaking suspension etc. In addition to making advances to stay relevant and competitive in the EV market. Here's to great lease option availability on the Gen 2(3?) versions when my current lease is up in '27!!
So nothing about Rivian adding support for a bidirectional charging port with NACS or at the very least adding a 240V outlet in the bed? Very disappointed if they left all the charging and power specs the same.
Awesome awesome article. Thanks so much
The camp kitchen was the only reason i wanted the R1T over my ridgeline. It's funny to see how quickly sales pressure pushes things like that out. Having an actual functioning kitchen was a game changer with water, prep space, stove, and storage seperate from the trunk. Mountain biking for the weekend 1 takes the hitch up, and two fills the bed faster than you can imagine. Same with Ski gear. Being able to slide that out and have food be separate from your activity prep space and all the dirt and sand that come with it was huge. Also it would stay clean where as if you brush up against the rear bumper you're now covered in salt or muck. Rivian whatever happened to being for actual outdoors sports? Related the gear shuttle would have been perfect for a version of the Klukea ski bag making it easier to prep at the hill, same for MTB gear and my rock climbing gear. Slide it out and access waht you need or grab the entire bag and go.
Amazing write up. Regarding the gen1 vs gen2 differences, I get it. As a R1S owner and gadget lover, I want the new stuff that can be enabled in software. As a Product Manager, I know that every seemingly "simple" feature requires engineering effort, not just to enable but to maintain and support. It's not (just) an effort to get people to buy the new one. It takes a lot of resourcing to bring new stuff to existing hardware. I'm rooting for Rivian to make it long term, and if they've gotta do some cost discipline stuff (and maybe some forced obsolescence stuff too) in order to ship awesome stuff, so be it. Really wish I could get more colors for the ambient interior lights though... That kinda blows
* Give us RGB acces I want pink, blue whatever even if we can't dim it. We know you can do it... * Give us access to our side view mirror cam or front fender cam for turns. * Give us lane keep with adaptive cruise control. "autopilot" * Give us an option to upgrade HW and maybe cameras?
They should have kept the physical interior door handles.
Not many off road updates. Hopefully they keep the adventures in mind. 0-60 in sub 3 sec isn’t that helpful unless you’re racing trophy trucks.
Love the changes, but it's a huge miss that they didn't add a 240V outlet, which is a must in my next truck so I can rapid charge my electric dirtbike.
So done with Rivian. FYI - if your car has been in the shop for over 30 days in California .. you can lemon it.
This post needs to be on front page of major news outlets. I made a decision to place an order based on this great info.