Rivian R1S and R1T owners are promised a premium driving experience, but how does the electric automaker’s vehicle maintenance work? Vehicle care plays a critical role in ensuring a car’s longevity. It's why vehicle manufacturers offer a wide variety of services that drivers can leverage to enjoy quality care for their cars. With today's technology, drivers can initiate remote vehicle diagnostics through a smartphone application to determine whether the car needs to be serviced and remotely schedule service appointments.
Rivian claims that its EVs are built to last, but if a service visit becomes necessary, it's ready to help. As previously mentioned, the carmaker is able to tell when any of its EVs develops a fault thanks to the vehicles' software and sensors. Once Rivian confirms an issue, it'll contact the driver and dispatch a mobile technician. Meanwhile, getting assistance is quite easy as drivers only have to inform the automaker’s service team using either the Rivian mobile app or the infotainment screen.
How Rivian Uses Software Updates To Improve Its Vehicles
Alternatively, drivers can visit an approved collision center or a Rivian service location, or request immediate roadside assistance through the 24/7 service team. Although drivers can visit third-party repair shops, Rivian advises against it — doing so may affect the warranty. Away from hardware maintenance, Rivian also rolls out over-the-air software updates as part of its vehicle care packages.
Aside from including new features, software upgrades also fix bugs and greatly improve the user experience. Rivian’s software updates are focused on entertainment, accessibility, digital experience, vehicle dynamics, range and efficiency, battery management algorithms, thermal management, and more. Rivian ensures that drivers are informed of new updates through different methods. They'll get notified through the app, in-vehicle prompts, and the release notes' highlights for the upgrade.
Once an update is available, Rivian owners can opt to immediately start the installation or delay the process to a more preferable time. They can also schedule the installation to only occur at certain times. Although software updates are best suited for delivery through an active Wi-Fi connection, Rivian allows drivers to access updates over cellular. To ensure the constant availability of updates, the vehicle in question needs to be registered in the Rivian cloud. It should be noted that the EV can't be driven during an update.
Rivian may be a newbie automaker, but its models are worthy competitors in the race for dominance in the EV scene. For instance, the R1T challenges the Ford F-150 Lightning in the electric truck segment. Its large battery pack was even once used to power a surgical procedure, thereby extending the EV’s use cases. But then, the arrival of Chevrolet’s first-ever electric Silverado and Tesla's Cybertruck in 2023 and 2024, respectively, should liven things up for Rivian and the rest of the market.
Source: Rivian