OTA updates are changing everything we know about cars. Now, Rivian has updated his R1T and R1S to give the EV a lot more range.
Over-the-air (OTA) updates have been around for some time. Use them to update phones, computers, and all other goodies. But who would have guessed that “OTA” updates would come to be used in the automotive industry?
How to change or modify the performance or nature of the car? These are the times we live in now. While it’s free (unlike some manufacturers), there’s nothing to complain about as long as it adds extra capacity and improves performance.
American electric car manufacturer Rivian, sending a barrage of OTA updates to the R1T electric truck and R1S electric SUV. In particular, it improved the range capability of large battery packs by approximately 5-14 miles.
OTA update adds 5-14 miles to R1T and R1S
The R1T and R1S already had a fair amount of juice when it came to their range of electric trucks and SUVs. Both vehicles have been updated over the air, increasing the R1T’s estimated total range from 314 miles to 328 miles. This represents an increase in range of 14 miles for the all-electric truck. 14 miles is a pretty big number for an EV range.
The R1S’s updates weren’t that significant, but given that it’s a three-row SUV, the R1S already had a good range even before the update. The R1S can travel a total of 316 miles. Currently, you can reach up to 321 miles in total. This is a 5 mile increase over the existing number. Rivian has increased the range of her R1T and R1S to 328 miles and 321 miles respectively.
The full changelog for the update can be found on Rivian’s website and details everything that has changed over the air in R1S and R1T.
However, these ranges and estimates are for the quad motor variant of the large battery option only. Rivian has since removed range estimates for dual-motor vehicles from his website. However, this comes with controversy and confusion with enthusiasts. Rivian’s configuration and products can be very confusing for most people.
The Rivian R1T and R1S have a range of 328 and 321 miles
Rivian currently offers three different battery pack options. There is a standard battery pack that is not available on the quad motor all-wheel drive models. But according to Rivian, any of the standard, large, or max battery options can be equipped with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variant that’s not yet available. Although it claims to be in
So for now, Rivian is really only sending updates to the large quad motor variants. Other than that, no other variants have been updated. All of this can be taken with a grain of salt, as the updates are highly specific to only one variant of both the R1T electric truck and the R1S three-row electric SUV.
Along with the update being sent to the R1T and R1S, Rivian also removed the ability to add accessories to their lineup. Fans weren’t too happy with the move.
In addition to range updates, Rivian is sending out a number of other over-the-air (OTA) updates to its quad-motor R1T and R1S lineup. They added a snow mode to their electric car along with many other enhancements.
Rivian continues to send updates despite troubles
Rivian’s new Snow Mode is designed for snowy roads. Snow Mode assists the vehicle and driver by softening throttle response to prevent wheel spin and keep the electric vehicle under control. It also adds brake regeneration to keep the wheels from locking up. This snow mode also allows the vehicle owner to remotely warm up his R1T or R1S and defrost the windshield before getting in the car in case of heavy snowfall.
Rivian recommends using this mode only on unplowed roads. Off-road snow roads require the driver to use all-terrain off-road mode. This update also fixed many bugs related to brakes and suspension. Also, the EV now automatically goes into sleep mode when the door is left open for an extended period of time.
All these updates demonstrate Rivian’s dedication to building electric vehicles. We continue to improve the functionality of R1T and R1S in spite of various difficulties. Supply chain and manufacturing issues aside, Rivian was denied by a Georgia court his package of $1.5 billion incentives to build a factory in Georgia. Rivian, too, has failed to keep its promises, withdrawing from its contract with Mercedes-Benz and continuously delaying its release.
Nevertheless, even after facing so many challenges, Rivian continues to send OTA updates to their lineup to improve their vehicles. They rightfully need credit.
Source: Rivian, Reuters
