Rivians in hot weather -- experience / tips?

[tate16t]

We are supposed to see temperatures rise to the mid 90s this week. For those in hot climates is there anything in particular you experience with the R1S in these temperatures? Is there anything you recommend?

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[Wilsonos]

Following. This will be my first summer. Looking to see what others have to say.

 

[Lucanjo]

The truck will kick on the A/C to cool the computers but best thing you can do is to run the A/C, vent the windows, and turn on the seat coolers 5-10 mins before leaving.

Leaving the windows vented will help a lot. Besides that it’s just like any other vehicle in the heat.

 

[Yossarian]

I only recently took delivery of an R1T, so will be interested to see what folks with hat weather experience have to say.

On the subject, I've always used windshield sun shades in my cars, and will use one in the R1T as well. They do a decent job of helping to mitigate the temp in cabin while parked, and they also help shield the surfaces of the dashboard area from the deteriorating effects of the sun's UV rays.

 

[COdogman]

I have a T, but we have had a bunch of days in the 90s so far this summer in CO (Plus all summer last year).

1. Use a windshield sun shade. This makes a huge difference.
2. Turn on your air conditioning and vent the windows via the app 5-10 minutes before you get back into it.
3. The HVAC settings are funky but IMO the system works best if you have ALL the vents turned on. Then just point the fronts where you want them. This cools the cabin faster than if you just had the fronts on.
4. Both in winter & summer it seems to work better when you use ”AUTO” vs. controlling the fan manually. Just adjust the temp.

When you get in and drive away, the fan/ compressor will be loud, but it tapers off as it catches up and gets closer to the temp you have it set for.

 

[Tarkus]

The truck will kick on the A/C to cool the computers but best thing you can do is to run the A/C, vent the windows, and turn on the seat coolers 5-10 mins before leaving.

Leaving the windows vented will help a lot. Besides that it’s just like any other vehicle in the heat.

I wish the windows would "auto-vent" at say 105 degrees & when the window sensor that activates the wipers gets a drop of rain, it auto closes the vented windows...

 

[MidnightRivian]

Here is your solution.

end of thread /s

 

[Lucanjo]

I wish the windows would "auto-vent" at say 105 degrees & when the window sensor that activates the wipers gets a drop of rain, it auto closes the vented windows...

I’ve thought about that feature as well, at least the auto close when rain.

 

[Betterwithcoffey]

I drive a T in PHX. A lot of what everyone else said, I'd add 2 things.
1. When you run the AC to cool it down, turn on the seats too.
2. Sometimes if your charger is in direct sunlight and gets too hot, charging with slow.

 

[Birdowin]

I have a roof sunshade from ev sportline and it makes a big difference. Easy to install and stays in place.

 

[Mobius1]

We went to Mammoth last weekend and the temp along the way was showing between 104-110. After charging in Bishop, the AC was really struggling. The car/ac were on the whole time, but it heated up fast while stationary. It caught up, as we started getting up in elevation and temps dropped. Other than that, despite the battery conditioning for 1.5 hrs to get to optimal temp, I averaged around 150 kWh charging at RANs along the way.

 

[usulio]

Yes the sunroofs are huge, but they're very well tinted, the vast majority of heat seems to come in through the front windshield. I got an almost-invisible Llumar Air 80 tint and that helps quite a bit. Sunshade when parked.

 

[moosetags]

This our second summer with Opal (our R1T). We live in the Florida Panhandle where the sun is strong and the temperatures and humidity are high.

We have found that the Rivian works well by doing several things. We have totally covered the glass roof with a reflective layer and a black cover. At home, we park Opal under a shade tree. We vent rhe windows during the day. Ten minutes before driving Opal, we turn her a/c on via the smartphone app. By the time we get in Opal, she is at a comfortable temperature.

Brian

 

[Zoidz]

Accept the fact that the compressor may sound loud and you may feel vibration on the pedals when you have a “hot start”. In reality, it’s not much louder than an ICE engine running and it quiets down after a few minutes, but it annoys some people. It’s unlikely there will be a retrofit or repair for the noise concerns, it’s not a defect or safety issue. Gen 1 is Rivian’s first vehicle and as such they missed a few things.

As others have said, sunshades, precooling via the app, and using AUTO mode making sure RECIRC is on goes a long way towards comfort.

With all that said, there is a history with some vehicles, especially R1S, having a low refrigerant charge. My experience with what I believe is a “perfectly“ working AC in my R1S, as well as others, is that it can easily cool from 110 degrees cabin temperature to about 80 in 2 or 3 minutes, and I am at 70 within 4-5 minutes. That’s about the same as my ICE SUVs I have owned. If you are coming from a sedan or coupe, recognize that the air volume and glass area is MUCH larger in the R1S than those vehicles. Manage your expectations to be realistic.

If you have AC on and 10-15 minutes later you are still hot inside, you may have a low charge and service is needed.

 

[SANZC02]

I’ve not seen any issues when temps get into the 90s with my R1S.

I do frequently go to the Coachella Valley where temperatures can exceed 100, when it starts getting over 100 I do see the charging slow down at both DCFC chargers and at L2 chargers. You will also hear the compressor get loud and stay loud, especially in temps north of 110. It is a bit uneasy hearing it but I’ve never had an issue and have driven it in temps as high as 119.

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