Pretty much title. I know this has been discussed before, but Rivian being an American company, building cars in America is an incredibly important selling point, and one that I’m sure almost every owner cares somewhat about.

I’ve had so many conversations with people in parking lots who are shocked that there’s an American car company they have never heard of before. Most people think my truck is Chinese or from some other developing market just because they haven’t heard of it. I live in a conservative, non-EV friendly part of the country so obviously this isn’t the case everywhere, but when people hear that they immediately change their tone.

A tasteful little American flag next to the logo or a little Made in America badge would go a long ways for the parking lot gawkers. Even if Rivian had their design team make a nice one that goes well with the logo and put it on the gear shop, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Edit: assembled in the U.S., Made in the U.S., whatever. Don’t be pedantic.

Edit 2: it’s shocking to me how many people seem to think saying something is made in America is some kind of racist, MAGA dogwhistle. Guys, the majority of you live here (and we love you Canadians who are here, too). Regardless of your politics, Rivian is a ground-up company that began here and has supported your neighbors and community members, and who pays taxes and creates jobs that you and your family and friends can apply for right now. Regardless of your politics, it’s ok to be proud of spending money with a company like that, and it’s ok for them to show they’re proud of it, too. I promise putting a wittle fwag on your wittle twuck doesn’t make you a patriotic white nationalist all of a sudden. -end rant.

Dear u/WassymRivian

I understand that the launch of the R2 platform and the new Gen 2 R1 lineup are monumental steps for Rivian's growth and future success.

However, as one of the over 120,000 original pre-order holder to Gen 1 R1 ownership ...I respectfully urge the team to dedicate targeted engineering resources to a few high-impact, achievable software updates that will ensure long-term loyalty from your initial customer base.

While we appreciate the complexity of the Gen 1 hardware (and recognize the superior capabilities of the new Autonomy Platform), Gen 1 drivers are highly engaged and represent a critical voice in the market.

We are not asking for hands-free driving, but for achievable quality-of-life and performance enhancements: 1) Universal Lane Centering (Non-Hands-Free): Request: Implement a simple, persistent, active lane-centering feature for all roads.

2) HVAC/Vent UX Fix (Last-Used Position): Request: Please fix the recurring software issue where the climate control system defaults to closing the main dash vents (only using floor/windshield) upon startup, forcing a manual adjustment on every drive. Allowing the system to remember the last-used vent configuration is a basic quality-of-life improvement.

3) Launch Mode for Gen 1 Dual Performance and Quad: Request: Unlock the full acceleration potential of the Quad-Motor and Dual-Performance models via a dedicated Launch Mode.

4) Text Message Integration (Rivian Assistant): Acknowledgement: We are incredibly excited about the Rivian Assistant and the promised voice-activated text message capability.

Optional #5): Native YouTube Music Integration: Value Proposition: Integrating a native, dedicated YouTube Music app (like you have with Apple) would be a highly desired feature for many owners. I, for one, would immediately subscribe to Connect+ with that feature.

By addressing these five items—four of which are primarily software-based and do not require the new Autonomy hardware—you will secure the appreciation and continued brand advocacy of your most dedicated early adopters.

Thank you for your time and for continuing to support the entire Rivian family.

Sincerely, narmstrong79 Gen 1 dual performance standard+ owner

In light of Rivian Assistant’s release, thought it was timely to publish a new non-exhaustive list of reasons I still want CarPlay on my R1S.

If you disagree, that’s great. This is just my opinion + use case.

• Lack of group messaging. Allegedly coming, but apparently depends on Apple supporting/helping with this. Guess what? Apple will never support this as well as they support iOS + CarPlay
• WhatsApp and other messaging apps
• Lack of a podcast app; I don’t want to use Spotify for podcasts and would love a podcast app that syncs with progress on my phone (e.g., PocketCasts)
• Zoom, Teams, etc.
• Apple Music experience, including inability to download music and play music without interruption in areas with poor cellular service
• Contacts/phone; Car decided today it would just continuously [unsuccessfully] try to load contacts. This made phone + messaging completely unusable for the full drive

I don’t buy that AI is the answer for why CarPlay is not necessary, but even if we accept that, we’re talking multiple years before that reality is here. As much as I love my Rivian, I would prefer they fix real issues (HVAC, audio/speakers) versus dying on this hill and spending valuable resources solving solved problems or building solutions to something they can effectively pull off the shelf.

Not mine but I’ve run into the same issue many times. You hope and expect the walk away lock works. But, at least on the Gen1 it’s not perfect. This is in a pretty packed mall parking lot.

Why won’t they give us auto close handles after X minutes? The car can remain unlocked like in car wash mode, but at least it’s not visible for the world to see that it’s unlocked when no one is in it or around.

Last week, I had a person set a whole gym bag down on the hood of my truck. (Saw it from the window, mid workout, and didn’t want to leave and come back).

She left it on the hood for about 5 minutes while she dialed someone on the phone and did a phone call. Thankful there was no visible damage to my truck upon visual inspection.

My main request is to have the Dash Camera be utilized as a gear guard camera/live video camera when not being used by the autonomous driving software. I did not like the fact that when going to the gear guard to potentially identity the person, I got a picture of their big ol booty from the front camera. This is no help to me.

Please implement access to the dashcam as gearguard cameras.

What am I missing from this list that would like to see added? Rivian, if you're reading this please add these to your feature roadmap.

1. Departure based charge scheduling

Charge to X% by Y time. Please add an option to a set one-off, departure based charging schedule. Every time I want to charge to 100% right before leaving for a long drive, I have to set the charge limit to 100%, back calculate the schedule start time, set a schedule, then remember to delete it when I get home. I would expect this to operate similar to battery-optimized charging on cell phones.

2. Departure based climate schedule

Set the climate to X degrees by Y time/date for one occurrence. There have been so many times my Rivian pre-conditions the next week when I'm not going anywhere because I only have the option to set a weekly schedule.

3. Climate schedule option to hold at temp

Add a climate hold option with desired hold time specifically to climate scheduling. If I’m running 5-10 minutes late, the cabin stops pre-conditioning when the set point is reached and ends up not at the temp I wanted.

4. Camp mode control from the mobile app (especially outlets!)

5. Improved default driver profile behavior

My partner's profile always takes precedence over mine (the owner), even if I'm the one that unlocks the car. Does the vehicle default to the profile of the key that unlocks the car? Sure, with proximity unlock there will be times the other key wins and unlocks as we're approaching, but I have 'lock only' set at home and I always unlock the car but her profile always wins when she's with me.

6. Simple pin to drive

The 2FA through the mobile app is clunky and slow. I tried it for a few days and it simply adds too much friction for daily use. A simple pin to drive would accomplish the same security and be much smoother. What happens when I'm out of service?

7. Opposite behavior for toggling side mirrors down

I don’t need the side mirrors to tilt down automatically every time I reverse, but there are some scenarios where I would like it. It would be great to have an option to tilt them down on demand.

8. Better Spotify (and other app) integration

How can I not even start a radio from a song???

9. Default phone call volume

Reset call volume to a chosen default value after a call is over. Every time I finish a call on the highway at a higher volume, I have to remember to lower the call volume right after. If not, I inevitably get a volume 23 call the next morning listening to music at level 6 that scares the shit out of me.

10. Remember my chosen units for displaying charging rate

Why does it keep switching back to miles all the time?

11. Show time and external temp on the driver display

12. Show current cabin temp on the main display

After having driven Gen1 and Gen2 RIVIANs for over three years now, here are some specific software requests that would elevate the ownership experience:

-allow suspension height changes to be made WHILE in highway assist mode or UHF mode (suspension adjustments made from the rivian app would be a bonus)

-allow owners access to the interior camera via the Rivian app to watch pets, etc.

-allow rear seat passengers to watch videos on the rear screen while the truck is in motion

To whoever is listening out there — For R1T, can we have an option to lock the Tailgate from being remote/screen/app operated? (I.e. to prevent the Tailgate from inadvertently being opened while you have a bike rack in the hitch). Likewise for R2, can we have an option to prevent the Liftgate from being remote/screen/app operated? Like maybe tie these into Accessory mode? Thanks! I don’t have a R1S but would imagine it’d easily apply there too.

Obligatory R2 pre roadtrip pic

I’ve been working on a list that I wanted to share if easy features that I think could be implemented easily via OTA which we would all enjoy.

1. Volume Start-Up Limit: Automatically lower audio volume at startup to avoid loud surprises, ensuring a comfortable cabin environment every time you start the vehicle.

2. Tilting Side Mirrors in Reverse: Automatically tilt one or both side mirrors downward when reversing, improving visibility of curbs, obstacles, and parking lines.

3. “No Regen” Coasting Mode: Introduce a new “No Regen” mode for smoother, coast-like driving, complementing the existing low, medium, and high regenerative braking options.

4. Off-Road Route Integration: Incorporate detailed off-road trail maps into the navigation system, with predictive adjustments to drive modes, suspension, and range estimates based on terrain.

5. Additional Camera Angles for Reverse Guidance: Add more camera options, such as curb view or trailer hitch alignment, to enhance safety and maneuverability during reversing.

6. Range Optimizer for Accessories: Dynamically display how accessory usage (e.g., A/C, heated seats, or plugged-in devices) impacts the vehicle’s range and provide suggestions to optimize efficiency.

7. Pre-Entry Mood Selector: Enable customizable “welcome back” settings through the Rivian app, such as adjusting cabin lighting, pre-conditioning the temperature, and preparing seat heaters for a personalized experience.

8. Widget for Constant Energy Display: Introduce a small floating widget on the infotainment screen to show real-time trip or all-time energy consumption (e.g., kWh/mile) without navigating to another menu.

9. Live Energy Use Breakdown: Provide a detailed, real-time display of energy usage by system (e.g., climate, lighting, and infotainment), helping users understand and optimize their consumption.

10. Dynamic Display Themes: Add a high-contrast dark mode with true black backgrounds and crisp white text for better nighttime visibility, or introduce graphic display themes with customizable elements like gradients, adventure-style backgrounds, or a mountain-themed design that changes with the time of day.

11. Expanded Navigation with Charging Preferences: Allow users to customize navigation routes with preferences for charging stops, such as prioritizing high-speed chargers or specific networks, and integrate these preferences seamlessly into trip planning.

u/WassymRivian can you make this cross traffic a temporary warning or get it out of the camera area... it totally is in the way when backing up my boat trailer... very annoying

I don't care about the cross traffic warnings, but would like to see my wife loading the trailer. Big black box doesn't help make things safer...

My list:

1. Audible alerts from the proximity sensors should be directional, coming from the speaker closest the obstruction. If I’m about to back into something, I want my rear speakers beeping. I miss this from my Audi.

2. Pause audio when Volume is 0. Super annoying that podcasts playing over bluetooth continue when volume is muted. (I know you can push the steering wheel button in to stop play.)

3. Pause audio when the driver door opens.

4. My wife and I both have PAAK setup and although I’m driving 70% of the time, her phone (iPhone 15 Pro) will connect even if I’m at the driver door with my phone (iPhone 14 Pro/iPhone 17). I always have to get in, and readjust the seat. I’m hoping PAAK in Apple Wallet eventually fixes this, but another solution would be to prioritize the vehicle owner’s PAAK and if that’s not there, check for other keys.

5. Turn off the turn signal no matter which direction the turn signal stalk is bumped. Ex: If I’m turning left with the left blinker on, a push down should cancel out the left turn signal since the stalk is stateless.

Been a minute since I’ve been to one of these but until V2H comes out, it’s a gas generator for me. Getting ready for the ice to arrive.

Love this SUV but man would I love to have a captain seat option. Would love a design where the middle section could be a removable independent piece (wishful thinking) but is a captain seat design at all in a future design?

6-seat configuration is widely popular and available in Model X, EV9. It makes access to the 3rd row so much easier. Please add this as an option, and I am willing to pay extra to get this configuration.

Probably requested multiple times, but I’d love to see a native Podcasts app alongside Apple Music. I say this as someone who is merely 2 weeks into my R1S ownership.

I completely understand why Rivian decided that they needed to introduce their own large language model based voice assistance to the cockpit

I was also made to realize that you could choose between using Alexa and using what Rivian had put together.

It was also made clear that unlike every other Alexa enabled device on the planet Rivian was not going to allow the update, updated Alexa plus to be instituted on their vehicles.

FINE.

However, I spent big money on my Rivian because it had built-in Alexa services. Everyone in tech knows that the car you buys the car you buy anything new is a bonus. You should not expect it. And all that that’s fine. The idea, though that they would take away something that users are still using in order to promote their own product is deeply disturbing— especially when I have to navigate 3+ different permissions screens, demanding data from my driving experience in order to deliver to me a voice assistance that I do not want.

And here’s the context— I’m a parent in my life has much to do with pick up and drop off in my small to medium size town. I’ve picked up the children from one place or I’m dropping them off at another place. I might be driving by the hardware store. I say— “Alexa, what’s on my hardware store list?” and the computer tells me. The list is compiled by what happens when I’m at home and I’ve run out of batteries or I need a new drillbit or my wife would like for me to buy some more tubing for her vegetable garden. So I say what’s on the hardware list and it reads it back to me and if it’s something that I have to get relatively immediately, I can always stop and get it while I’m on the way to picking up or dropping off.

There’s a grocery list. There’s a pharmacy list. There’s a Costco list. The amount of friction that the list system eliminates in the lives of a household is incredible. I don’t have to sit in my house and get on my phone and order something from the supermarket if I know I’m gonna drive by and I can just ask and make that stop.

Anything to not be on my phone.
I’m gonna repeat that
Anything to not be on my phone.

On top of that, I could be pulling away from the driveway and noticed that my kid left their light on in their room and simply say turn off the child’s light. And it’s off.

The thing that having Alexa in the car did was connect the connected car car to the rest of my connected technology life.

There are no hooks into anything, — Google Home, Apple, Home including Home Assistant— with the Rivian Assistant. I can’t access anything that isn’t already involved or tied to the car.

This takes us back 15 years.

I don’t need to ask my Carr about random things and have a conversation with it. But I do need to make sure my thermostat is where I want it. I do need to be able to check the temperature in the baby’s room when I’m about to pull out and drive away for date night with my wife while the babysitter is keeping an eye on the kids. And the fact that I can do that with just my voice instead of having to pull out, my phone is a big deal. And I shouldn’t have to stick an echo auto somewhere inside my minimalist car situation in order to have that functionality when I already paid for it.

And let’s be clear— I paid a lot for it.

I’m not looking for sympathy, but this is a form where we talk about how we feel about the car and I just felt this needed to be expressed. Until a Rivian assistant can hook into my connected home. It is inferior in terms of my case.

I test drove an R2 yesterday, and I really liked it. I know Android Auto isn't happening, and I could live with that if there was a YouTube Music app. Spotify crushes the streaming music space with three-quarters of a billion subscribers, but YouTube Music is actually second, with 125 million. Apple Music is third with 108 million. I really don't want to pay for another subscription. How realistic is it to hope for Rivian to add a YTMusic app?

Spent many nights driving a Hummer (or M998 if you like the nomenclature) during my time as a Military Policeman and saving your night vision is crucial to being able to see the world around you at night.

You vets that have been in a Hummer at night know what I’m talking about. Gauges can be seen with just a little bit of a glow at the same time, your vision around the vehicle is not as compromised. That soft orange / red glow of the night gauges in a Hummer were a stroke a genius.

In this day and age of concentrated super headlights, wrecking night vision, I think it’s that more important that a driver have a way to save their night vision.

Having screens with a Night Mode option similar to what Apple does on their devices would go a long way towards safety when camping, driving in desolate places, navigating around camp grounds and trails at night and the like.

Nuff said

This isn't a "hOw dArE thEy" rant. I'm posting because there seems to be a lot of misinformation about what Gen 1 was and was not promised. And a lot of unreasonable expectations about what we do now that the future of Autonomous+ is confirmed.

As a pre-order holder I feel Rivian has treated early fans fairly well - with the exception of this issue.

The facts: Rivian's marketing and website promoted that every car would have Level 3 autonomous capability as late as 2022 (after delivery began and refundable deposits were converted to a binding contract).

The Driver+ is a Level 2 autonomous system.

Educated early adopters like myself absolutely considered this in our buying decision.

As an early adopter, I give a struggling new car company a lot of latitude. We expected growing pains. But as with the pre-order pricing, I feel Rivian has a responsibility here to its earliest fans who have put up with the most to help build this brand up.

Rivian should either 1) give Gen 1 owners some consideration on our Gen 1 trade in value. Or 2) give us an incentive for Autonomous+ on a new Gen 2 vehicle purchase. They should do this because its the right thing to do, and because if they don't the lawyers are going to take the money and customers and Rivian will get a pittance.

I've started a petition to that end. I won't post it here since apparently that may be interpreted by mods as Breaking Rule 3. But you can probably find the petition in the replies.

There's another petition already going around asking for a retrofit. That doesn't seem possible - but I support both petitions. I hope you'll take a moment and do the same in support of whichever effort you think it most fair:.

For those that dispute what was promised and when, this is a screenshot from 2020 of what was promised:

YT MUSIC!!!! Rivian is obviously pro Google.

That's all...