R2 Pet Mode Concerns From Owner's Test

[R1Thrilled]

Hey everyone, I know typically it is frowned upon to self-promote but I feel compelled to share since this is related to something we all care dearly about (our pets).

I will provide a TL;DW for anyone who doesn't want to waste 10 mins.

• I got the R2 update today with Pet Mode.
• I turned pet mode on in ~90 degree summer heat in middle TN (humid) and sit in the cargo area and film myself.
• I note that it feels like the fans are barely working and it is taking a while for the temps to come down in the cabin.
• I eventually go to the driver seat and toggle the climate to Auto high (from auto low) and turn pet mode back on.
• The fan speed is noticeably higher, causing me to question if they tied pet mode to the fan speed setting prior to enabling it (WHY???)

Let me know if this is something specific to my car or if they just completely whiffed on pet mode for the R2.

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[R1Thrilled]

Comparing my experiences to my gen 1 R1T I always felt like Pet Mode supercooled the cabin, and that wasn't my experience today with the R2.

 

[DuoRivians]

It took a while for Rivian to get petmode right in the R1. Maybe they need to refine it further for the R2 as well

 

[R1Thrilled]

Also I will note that I reviewed the Owner's manual and neither it nor the prompt that pops up when you enable Pet Mode disclose that your auto fan speed impacts the behavior.

 

[R1Thrilled]

That's why I'm posting, I don't want any pups left in R2s until they update the software again, this seems like a case for a hotfix.

 

[California Gold]

Thanks for this, super informative. I have two dogs and one of them is going to be in the back of the cabin while the other is in the 2nd row. It would be great if Pet Mode was similar to Tesla's where it just works to make the car is cool as possible. I especially need this to be the case because my dogs are Doodles that have coats. Fortunately it doesn't get nearly as hot here in coastal CA but still a lot of sunny days.

I think I'm going to get tints in with the best heat rejection as soon as I can for this reason too.

 

[NCSwa]

Hey everyone, I know typically it is frowned upon to self-promote but I feel compelled to share since this is related to something we all care dearly about (our pets).

I will provide a TL;DW for anyone who doesn't want to waste 10 mins.

I got the R2 update today with Pet Mode.
I turned pet mode on in ~90 degree summer heat in middle TN (humid) and sit in the cargo area and film myself.
I note that it feels like the fans are barely working and it is taking a while for the temps to come down in the cabin.
I eventually go to the driver seat and toggle the climate to Auto high (from auto low) and turn pet mode back on.
The fan speed is noticeably higher, causing me to question if they tied pet mode to the fan speed setting prior to enabling it (WHY???)

Let me know if this is something specific to my car or if they just completely whiffed on pet mode for the R2.

Just a question on your test, were you already driving your car and then stopping and turning on Pet Mode, or did you just enter a hot car and try Pet Mode. IMO most people will be riding somewhere with their pet, and turn it on when they run into a store their pet cannot come with. If you had your Climate set to around 70ish, then turn it on, I think it could be fine..

 

[VSG]

Yeah, I think Pet mode is probably tuned to maintain temperature, not to rapidly cool (or heat) the cabin.

I don't think anyone is or should be throwing their pet into a very hot cabin, turning on Pet Mode, then walking away just hoping that it will cool down before their pet dies.

I have used Pet Mode a lot in my R1T. and before the first time I obsessively tested it to make sure it worked. And whenever I have to leave my pet I still obsessively check my phone to make sure that the cabin temperature is being maintained. Pet Mode has never failed me, even on 105 degree days in the desert with no shade (I do cover the windows to reduce heat entry in these conditions).

 

[R1Thrilled]

For anyone who is curious, this is how my Gen 1 R1T behaves using pet mode. If Rivian intends to use user set fan speed then they should note that in the manual. My guess is that was not their actual intention.


How Pet Mode Should Work (Gen 1 R1T)

 

[R1Thrilled]

Yeah, I think Pet mode is probably tuned to maintain temperature, not to rapidly cool (or heat) the cabin.

I don't think anyone is or should be throwing their pet into a very hot cabin, turning on Pet Mode, then walking away just hoping that it will cool down before their pet dies.

I have used Pet Mode a lot in my R1T. and before the first time I obsessively tested it to make sure it worked. And whenever I have to leave my pet I still obsessively check my phone to make sure that the cabin temperature is being maintained. Pet Mode has never failed me, even on 105 degree days in the desert with no shade (I do cover the windows to reduce heat entry in these conditions).

I can appreciate that maybe the test wasn’t as “real life” as it could have been. However, the R2 pet mode simply behaves differently than the R1 pet mode does with no supporting warnings or docs indicating it does.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Maybe my pups are more sensitive to noise than temperature

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Concur with VSG. Rivian might have not considered edge case of customer using pet mode without having been driving and cooling the cabin already. Suggest communicating your findings and possible use case in form of feedback through the mobile app. If they are interested in limiting their liability risk, maybe this feedback will prompt them to either revise software or be more clear in documentation.

PS-I don’t know of a single AC system that could go from 90s to low 70s in a flash. Laws of physics prohibit it.

 

[Doggman]

Thanks for the data. I think this is great to give new owners some idea of how the function works before they are trying to figure it out on the go with dogs on board.

My impression is that this does seem to work more or less as in the R1, at least my R1. We used it extensively during a recent road trip through the middle of heat dome. There are adjustments to the main HVAC settings that can/need to made and will carry over to Pet Mode in terms of the target temps and fan speed which make sense vs just an on/off switch - my Pyrenees in the way back wants McMurdo Station in June levels of chill and hurricane force winds blowing in his face where as someone with a Chihuahua or Toy Poodle in a basket on the front seat, probably not so much.

It would also seem logical that whatever the settings are that you were using while driving with your dog to your destination would be appropriate to continue as a default while you leave you dog to run into the store.

Not claiming to know what right for everyone and not trying to be a fanboy defending every stupid or failed idea the company comes out with.

This is my first vehicle with a dedicated pet mode and I wasn't about to trust RJ with my dog's life without some ground truthing first. I tested the feature quite a bit in different situations before I was at all comfortable leaving my dog unattended and even now I only use it for short periods when I am staying close by.

I'd certainly suggest that anyone considering leaving a pet in their Rivian (or Tesla) at minimum first park it (empty) in a black top parking lot in direct sun in the middle of a hot summer day for a few hours with pet mode on so they get an idea of what their dog will be experiencing.

Edit: The owner's manual ranges from mildly informative to comically vague for a lot of features. I presume they do this to give themselves latitude to make their software updates without having to entirely re-write the relevant sections everytime. Convenient for them, frustrating for us.

 

[tate16t]

Perhaps you should share your feedback via the Rivian mobile app or with support if you haven’t done so already.

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