Applications like RainX seem to fog the windshield under heavy wiper use. Some people really like driving with no wipers, with the rain beading and falling off. I suspect these are the same people who never keep their sunglasses clean. I want a clear view when I drive.
I have many of the same concerns about the buttons and door handles and ice/snow. Maybe for version 2 of the truck they can add some heat to these areas to keep things clean? As long as I can get in the truck I can at least open those things from the screen. Small concerns in the scheme or things.Took mine on a hunting trip in MT the past 5 days. General observations:
So bottom line for me is the truck performed quite well, but I have concerns with whether some of the gimmicky electronic gadgetry is really well adapted to severe environmental and off-road conditions.
- Performed well from a handling standpoint on snow covered roads - both highways and dirt roads.
- Sensor get blocked with crud really easily to where highway assist and even adaptive cruise won’t work.
- Range seemed to hold up well in 20-30 degree temps.
- Windshield washer is a bit flaky as it spray only on the bottom portion of the windshield
- I was out in a rain to sleet to snow transition and door handles got iced up quickly and would not retract. Didn’t affect whether I could drive it, but cleaning out the ice inside the door handles so they would close was not easy.
- I was supper concerned with the tonneau, so cleared all ice/snow before opening it. Took few attempts, but it eventually opened all the way.
- Frunk opened OK, but I can see this being an issue if the button is iced over.
- Gear tunnel functioned OK, but again the buttons are prone to ice snow buildup and doors are sluggish to open.
- Similar concerns with charge port door. Again, it functioned for me in marginal conditions, but I can see situations where it would not function
Apologies in advance if anyone takes offense to the pic.
This has me a bit concerned. I live in a place where the roads are covered with ice throughout winter. Regen braking causing skidding could be dangerous. Having said that I have never driven an EV so not sure if this is something that will be easily/safely compensated for by driving technique. I look forward to more comments about winter driving...
Thanks. I have more concerns about door handles/gear tunnel/frunk/tonneau/headlights than the tires on snow. I have enough respect for snowy conditions and experience driving on it. I can usually wait for the snowplows to solve the majority of the challenge of driving. Hunting season is the exception as I'll go where there are no plows or pavement, but know the areas pretty well. Might have to keep an old hair dryer and extension cord under the back seat if we get a good ice storm. I have had ice on traditional door handles and doors themselves that made doors impossible to open, so not sure if the retractable handles are actually that much worse.
The weight distribution on a Rivian is far different from an ICE pickup where there's no weight over the rear axle. While I can't find published numbers, with the large/heavy battery pack low and in between the front/rear, the R1 ought to be far closer to 50/50 than an ICE pickup/SUV. So adding sand likely would make next to no difference. In any vehicle the majority of your braking actually comes from the front wheels due to weight transfer. As weight transfers to the front, the rear gets lighter and has less traction/grip as a result. But on a slick surface you're not going to be able to brake hard enough before sliding for that weight transfer to become relevant. Anyone who's ridden a bicycle or motorcycle with independent brake levers knows how this works in practice.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I switched mine from High to Standard when descending steep snow covered dirt roads with lots of switchbacks. Standard allowed me to better control the amount of regen resistance via feathering the throttle. In High it was over responsive to small changes in throttle pressure and caused some wheel lock and sliding. I really like how regen works on slippery roads though - similar to down-shifting an ICE, but with more control.
Where you might take your foot off the throttle entirely in a gas car, with strong regen you instead have to modulate the accelerator. It’s more intuitive if you’re used to driving vehicles with manual transmissions.
Its probably possible to implement charge before leave through the API, although Rivian will likely implement preconditioning soon. If the developers lived in Minnesota it would already be done.
If your R1S has 20” AT it’ll be fine. The other tire options are typical all seasons obviously.
I noticed the same thing. We just got cold enough in Seattle to need heat vs AC so I wasn't sure if it was a change with the recent software update or the way it's always been but I just haven't seen heat turn on yet.
