Rivian R1S and R1T get range boost with latest software update

Rivian is scaling up its production and apparently is on track to hit the 25,000 vehicles goal this year. The company has updated its online configurator to reflect the ñatest changes in hardware and software that are affecting new vehicles leaving the factory. Good news is that the existing owners have access to the same improvements.

Up until now, the dual-motor and large battery pack models were offering 314 miles EPA in the R1T pickup and 316 miles in the R1S SUV (505 km and 508 km respectively). The latest software update from the company changes those numbers quite significantly.

The same dual-motor R1T is now showing EPA certified range of 328 miles or nearly 528 km, that’s an extra 14 miles - not bad for a couple lines of code. The R1S SUV gets an improved range of 321 miles which is only 5 miles more but those 5 miles can mean a difference between getting to a destination charger or being stuck on the side of the road.

The company confirmed before that the new software update will provide improved battery longevity and durability and will focus on improved regen braking. It’s impressive how current technology allows for development work to continue long after the vehicle goes on sale and how the EVs can improve over time.

It’s been just over a year since the first trucks started leaving Rivian’s factory and after initial teething problems, the company seems to be getting the hang of mass production. The ramp up is apparently going well and Rivian is certain it will reach the goal of 25,000 vehicles manufactured this year.

Having extra miles of range added to your electric car thanks to the miracle of OTA updates is simply magical. Knowing that the car you buy will get better over time is a completely new concept and it changes the business model for many companies. Not everyone follows this direction and some, mainly legacy, companies have a long and costly way ahead of them.

Keeping the cars for longer but at the same time making them more and more efficient makes the owning of an electric car less of an issue. While the battery technology changes fairly quickly at the moment, the older hardware can still be sufficient for many years if the software that keeps it running makes the most of it. The car becomes just a box full of hardware and it's the software that makes the difference.

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