R1 Refresh announcement soon?

[WhisperPickle]

I like the current wheel. The new wheel looks futuristic, but I'm questioning the practical & functional ergonomics of such large scroll wheels. If the larger size is so great, why haven't we seen that on mice, video game controllers, other vehicles, etc?

"I NEED one of these" said nobody, ever:

It ain’t that much of a change. You still operate it with your thumbs.

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[TxTech27]

They’ve said the UI styling will be applied across the entire line - but they won’t split the software such that one generation of R1s requires one set in order to function with the old wheel and then newer R1s require different software and modules to function with the newer R2 wheel. Perhaps years down the line? Sure, but the R2 wheel isn’t coming to the R1 anytime soon.

And I haven’t seen anything about the new UI coming by the end of the year. Thats great if they have - but given the number of additional software features that have been confirmed without giving any timeline I highly doubt they’ve publicly set a date for when the UI refresh is coming.

Wassym said 2 weeks ago the R2 UI would be going to the R1 soon and sounded like by the end of the year. Also that 80% of the features would be available to current R1s implying there would be a split.

 

[WhisperPickle]

Wassym said 2 weeks ago the R2 UI would be going to the R1 soon and sounded like by the end of the year. Also that 80% of the features would be available to current R1s implying there would be a split.

That’s great to hear and I’m happy to be corrected on that. But I still stand by - software features will be available, absolutely no way they have spooled up to produce not only new haptic scroll wheels but entirely new steering wheels. It would be very easy to replicate what we’ve seen on the R2 scroll wheel using the physical haptic feedback already in place. It won’t be identical or quite as cool but a functional UI, no problem.

Again, highly doubt we are going to see entirely new hardware in terms of a steering wheel in R1 by the end of the year nor will we see a bifurcated software package this early in R1.

 

[Rividiculous]

Well, the Rivian website just glitched on me when I went to look at the shop. For a moment it said availability was limited and suggested I reserve a custom build. Then it went back to normal. Is an update brewing?

(Also, I was like, reserve a custom build? They said that wasn’t going to be available until late summer.)

 

[ThatOneGuy]

i think at least part of this is some sort of hope from (some) existing owners that something better than what they currently own doesn’t start rolling off the line. Odd thought process, but some people are weird like that.

People seem to be forgetting that the R1 platform is 6 years old now.

I've picked up on this as well. Seems to be rooted in some sort of denial? With many folks jumping on the great deals that popped up over the last couple of months, I imagine a good chunk of them don't want to acknowledge that their new vehicle might be considered "old" shortly after they purchased it. Either way, we'll see who's right soon enough.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I've picked up on this as well. Seems to be rooted in some sort of denial? With many folks jumping on the great deals that popped up over the last couple of months, I imagine a good chunk of them don't want to acknowledge that their new vehicle might be considered "old" shortly after they purchased it. Either way, we'll see who's right soon enough.

I'm on the opposite side of that fence. I hope that there are some decent upgrades so that Rivian needs to discount the existing stock of pre-upgrade vehicles to get them off the books. I'd seriously consider an opportunity to switch to a DM-P R1S if it wasn't currently cost prohibitive.

 

[Rividiculous]

I've picked up on this as well. Seems to be rooted in some sort of denial? With many folks jumping on the great deals that popped up over the last couple of months, I imagine a good chunk of them don't want to acknowledge that their new vehicle might be considered "old" shortly after they purchased it. Either way, we'll see who's right soon enough.

I’m holding out for the refresh but totally understand the instinct to hope the vehicle doesn’t improve right away. I think that’s human.

Existing owners might want to remember that they will still have a kick-ass vehicle, they will forever have a claim to buying the original, and the more Rivian improves the R1, the more the company will thrive and be financially secure—and be there for everyone down the road. I tip my hat to those who already have R1s.

(Plus, there might be some decontenting too, and you can giggle about it.)

 

[evhelphub]

I am secretly hoping for an R1T with a NACS connector, a heat pump, no air suspension, and no glass roof. This will certainly reduce complexity, parts, etc and Rivian could offer a cheaper R1T to spur demand and spark sales again.

Fingers crossed for a new refreshed R1T with NACS, heat pump, a glass roof option and a camp speaker option.

I am secretly hoping for an R1S with no air suspension and the above however this is unlikely because R2 will be that vehicle. Would be great if Rivian offered the R2 with a glass roof option as well

I'm hoping for an optional air suspension as well. Had a ton of trouble with mine on the first go-around with the R1T and found most settings undesirable anyway. As long as a good medium for on-road driving can be implemented, count me in.

 

[Ecupip]

It ain’t that much of a change. You still operate it with your thumbs.

Looking at the new thumb wheels and how much more they are raised off the wheel, it has the potential to cause thumb stress. I don't know about you, but I am on the buttons and wheels on both sides constantly adjusting audio and cruise during my 2hrs of daily driving.

I hope the new design is better and my fear of adding more stress to already stressed-out thumbs from phones all day is nothing more than a worry.

 

[Zoidz]

I've picked up on this as well. Seems to be rooted in some sort of denial? With many folks jumping on the great deals that popped up over the last couple of months, I imagine a good chunk of them don't want to acknowledge that their new vehicle might be considered "old" shortly after they purchased it. Either way, we'll see who's right soon enough.

You guys crack me up. ? I haven’t read that into any of the posts on this thread. I personally welcome and look forward to what Rivian may do to update the R1 this week, next week or next year.

But I also recognize that Rivian announced this shutdown at least 6 months ago with a clearly stated goal of improving efficiencies, so they started the planning over a year ago. To believe or wish that an R2 prototype steering wheel is part of this shutdown and will appear in the R1 this summer is a pipe dream.

Rivian knows they are in trouble from a cost perspective. As they have repeatedly stated, lowering and optimizing manufacturing costs is their focus, and I think it’s clear that RJ has the gift of laser focus. That also implies that they will strive to maximize their previous investment in existing tooling that does not reduce cost. Retooling for new look, feel and style features after building only 100k vehicles in about 2 years is counter to everything Rivian has stated to date. I would be surprised if this retooling includes any significant cosmetic redressing, other than perhaps some downgrades such as plastic instead of wood.

 

[drivetorun]

Also, I'm pretty sure putting in the new scroll-wheel steering wheel would require all new crash test certifications, so I would guess that Rivian won't make that update as a one-off change, but will wait until a collection of more significant changes are ready to go.

 

[WhisperPickle]

Looking at the new thumb wheels and how much more they are raised off the wheel, it has the potential to cause thumb stress. I don't know about you, but I am on the buttons and wheels on both sides constantly adjusting audio and cruise during my 2hrs of daily driving.

I hope the new design is better and my fear of adding more stress to already stressed-out thumbs from phones all day is nothing more than a worry.

I hope this is a joke…….if so, well played.

“Potential to cause thumb stress” is the most absurd thing I have ever heard.

 

[WhisperPickle]

I've picked up on this as well. Seems to be rooted in some sort of denial? With many folks jumping on the great deals that popped up over the last couple of months, I imagine a good chunk of them don't want to acknowledge that their new vehicle might be considered "old" shortly after they purchased it. Either way, we'll see who's right soon enough.

Oh my, “denial”? I couldn’t give two craps if my vehicle is considered “old”.

it’s rooted in the realities of large scale automotive sourcing, planning, design, and manufacturing. A single prototype comes out (you realize nearly every part of R2 is a one-off, practically hand-built component) and people jump up thinking some of those parts will be in an R1 refresh within a few weeks.

Aside from all the internal hurdles, a different steering wheel requires all new rounds of crash testing with the federal government and we’d be seeing info about that leaking for months in advance like we do with every other automobile.

Recognizing that things like the R2 steering wheel aren’t coming to an R1 refresh isn’t some form of “denial” (95% of buyers wouldn’t even notice or care when buying a used R1 which steering wheel it has…..this is an enthusiast forum) - thinking that’s it’s going to happen is simply a lack of understanding what a change like that would take.

 

[WhisperPickle]

Cost cutting also doesn’t mean there’s not a refresh, especially if its components coming from the R2/R3 such as the steering wheel. These are all things that would streamline production in the future and increase purchasing efficiency from a parts standpoint while also provide a refresh.

They’ve literally had employees quoted saying there will be no visual change.

the R2 wheel is a prototype, one-off. Installing it would require new government crash tests (which we would be seeing leaks of for months) aside from all the internal design, sourcing, manufacturing, and implementation changes.

it is beyond a pipe dream to see a new prototype type part come out and think it’s going to be released on an R1 refresh within a few weeks when both logic and what the company has publicly stated point to the opposite.

 

[TxTech27]

They’ve literally had employees quoted saying there will be no visual change.

the R2 wheel is a prototype, one-off. Installing it would require new government crash tests (which we would be seeing leaks of for months) aside from all the internal design, sourcing, manufacturing, and implementation changes.

it is beyond a pipe dream to see a new prototype type part come out and think it’s going to be released on an R1 refresh within a few weeks when both logic and what the company has publicly stated point to the opposite.

Just because employees have said that nothing is coming doesn’t mean that’s true. Employees all the time are told not to divulge information or aren’t informed about changes until an announcement. Happens all the time, especially in technology.

I threw the steering wheel out as an example as it’s the most obvious visual change but it could be something as little as the wireless charging pad. My only point was that cost cutting doesn’t always equal zero changes or improvements if it can improve scale and efficiencies down the line.

I’m not pretending to know what’s going to happen. Just calling out that the guise of cost cutting doesn’t mean that there’s no way they change anything.

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