R2 Matrix Headlights in Action

[Mos Eisley]

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[emroch]

Is the matrix part on just the high beams or also on the regular low beam headlights (not DRL, but the actual headlights)? And is the feature able to be disabled?

I could see the jittery edges getting annoying/distracting, especially if it is falsely identifying reflective objects. Don't get me wrong, I love the matrix headlight tech and wish the US had allowed it sooner. I think it is just the relatively low "resolution" of these that is potentially concerning me. Maybe it won't be so noticeable in practice as it is in the video.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Yes, you can turn it off in vehicle settings, as you can see in the YT Short below. But you'd want that as much as you'd say "no" to gilt-free ice cream on a 100-degree day. If I could retrofit it to my gen 1, I'd do it in a heart beat.

Plus, what the wide angle camera sees is not what your eyes would see while driving. Your [focused] field of view is not as wide as the camera. You likely wouldn't notice any flickering if your eyes are where they should be while driving.

And, yes, once enabled, it automate activation and spread of high beams. R2 Owner Guide: https://assets.ctfassets.net/2md5qh...92eddc0238b6d530/r2-my27-og-en-us-2026200.pdf


"The Rivian R1S Is America’s First Car With This Special Headlight Technology, And It Is Amazing" -- theautopian.com

YouTube Short by thedukeofmiddleville:

 

[hoys]

Honestly one of the features I am most excited about in the R2. I owned a Buick Regal TourX that had Matrix headlights but were disabled for the American market. They did leave the “animation” for turning the brights on so it was like a curtain opening on a stage.
Does the R2 have a “turn on” animation for the lights?

 

[emroch]

The "Duke of Middleville" video above shows how the high beams animate in and out as he crosses 20mph, but doesn't show any animation for the low beams. They turned off abruptly when he was outside the car.

 

[oregonridet]

Best video I’ve seen.

 

[Millbarge]

The "Duke of Middleville" video above shows how the high beams animate in and out as he crosses 20mph, but doesn't show any animation for the low beams. They turned off abruptly when he was outside the car.

The 20 mph is just the threshold where the high beams are engaged--my BMW has the same thing for the auto high beams.

The matrix lights have nothing to do with the low beams. The matrix high beams use the car's camera to turn off certain LEDs in the direction of oncoming traffic or cars in front of you so you don't blind those drivers, while keeping other areas illuminated by the high beams, like the road shoulder so you can see deer or other things. Europe has had these "anti dazzle" high beams for years.

 

[Rksue1]

They sound wonderful. We should have these on pickup trucks. I can’t even begin to tell you how many no only have high beams they have fog lights as well. While the law states that you can’t have both high and fog lights at the same time we don’t seem to have anyone who enforces it.

 

[JPatton]

This seems like such a great feature! I would love to know what the experience is like from the perspective of other cars on the road, like does it work well enough and quickly enough not to be annoying or a danger to other drivers?

 

[DevonD]

They sound wonderful. We should have these on pickup trucks. I can’t even begin to tell you how many no only have high beams they have fog lights as well. While the law states that you can’t have both high and fog lights at the same time we don’t seem to have anyone who enforces it.

Lots do. I’m in Canada and my 2021 F150 Lightning had them. They were awesome! Wish my R1T had them. Basically every mid to high trim level F150 has had them since 2021. They only turn them on in the Canadian market.

 

[dcdttu]

"The Rivian R1S Is America’s First Car With This Special Headlight Technology, And It Is Amazing" -- theautopian.com

I've been curious why people are promoting the R2 as the first car with matrix headlights in the US. My friend's 2021 Model 3 had them and they were activated a couple years ago in a software update. The R2 is definitely not the first.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I've been curious why people are promoting the R2 as the first car with matrix headlights in the US. My friend's 2021 Model 3 had them and they were activated a couple years ago in a software update. The R2 is definitely not the first.

I don't know where you are getting that impression. There are multiple sources, some long established car rags saying Rivian is the first to do so, in the US, with gen2 R1. I don't know how Tesla does theirs in the '21 M3 and I don't much care TBH. Adaptive headlights and matrix headlights aren't techically equals. Matrix can tailor its beam distribution to a much wider degree than adaptive designs. Adaptive headlights has been in the US long before 2021. And no one has ever claimed R2 is the first from Rivian to have matrix headlights. If anyone did, it's flat out false. Tesla didn't start to put matrix headlights in their cars (MY) until last year.

 

[Millbarge]

They sound wonderful. We should have these on pickup trucks. I can’t even begin to tell you how many no only have high beams they have fog lights as well. While the law states that you can’t have both high and fog lights at the same time we don’t seem to have anyone who enforces it.

Europe has had anti-dazzle headlights for YEARS. Our hard-working representatives in Washington only recently loosened the 1960s era regulations to allow matrix headlights. But somehow all those Euro makes are still not offering them widely.

 

[dcdttu]

I don't know where you are getting that impression. There are multiple sources, some long established car rags saying Rivian is the first to do so, in the US, with gen2 R1. I don't know how Tesla does theirs in the '21 M3 and I don't much care TBH. Adaptive headlights and matrix headlights aren't techically equals. Matrix can tailor its beam distribution to a much wider degree than adaptive designs. Adaptive headlights has been in the US long before 2021. And no one has ever claimed R2 is the first from Rivian to have matrix headlights. If anyone did, it's flat out false. Tesla didn't start to put matrix headlights in their cars (MY) until last year.

Tesla has been putting matrix headlights in their US cars since 2021, but a software update activated them in 2024.

"Tesla first included matrix headlights on US Model 3s in late 2021 (production started around December 2021 for select trims). However, the active adaptive high-beam functionality was not activated in the US until June 2024, when Tesla released software update 2024.20"

Maybe Rivian beat the Tesla 2024 software update that enabled them? The Gen 2 R1 came out in June 2024, as did the Tesla update that enabled theirs. I only know this because I have a friend with a 2021 Model 3 and he very much as matrix headlights.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Tesla has been putting matrix headlights in their US cars since 2021, but a software update activated them in 2024.

"Tesla first included matrix headlights on US Model 3s in late 2021 (production started around December 2021 for select trims). However, the active adaptive high-beam functionality was not activated in the US until June 2024, when Tesla released software update 2024.20"

Maybe Rivian beat the Tesla 2024 software update that enabled them? The Gen 2 R1 came out in June 2024, as did the Tesla update that enabled theirs. I only know this because I have a friend with a 2021 Model 3 and he very much as matrix headlights.

Again... don't care who did it first. Makes no difference to me. I don't own a Tesla and even if I did, who gets to claim first makes no difference to me (also not what the thread is about).

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