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Speed Limiting Through OTA Updates? What's Next?

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I just noticed today that my R1T now has a maximum speed of 111 mph. Prior to the latest software update, it had a maximum speed of 116 mph, regardless of charge level or drive mode.

On background, I was fortunate enough to be one of the very few people invited to Normal, Illinois for the "Let's Just Drive" event last July 2021 (the video is on the Rivian site, I'm the old balding guy) hosted by RJ and his wife Megan. I met with not only RJ, (who was behind the wheel of the R1T with my daughter and myself in our first Rivian adventure as passengers ) but the heads of all of the engineering departments. We also did a plant tour that was very informative. I think I may have been invited because I am a "Day One Pre-order " guy (11/26/2018).

At that event the two R1T's I drove consistently hit 130 mph. I can somewhat understand 116. But to cut top speed to 111 is making me wonder. What's next? An Orwellian speed limiter that allows us to exceed a perceived speed limit by a certain percentage?

Who's driving this thing anyway?

Have to wonder if the upper ball joint coming undone at 111 mph would hurt you more than it dis-jointing at 116?

After scheduling my appointment for the ball joint inspection, I queried my service advisor about the speed reduction. Caught off guard, he put me on a long hold. He came back with a spin that would make Karine Jean-Pierre proud. Total mis-mash , verbal nothingness. Word-salad. BUT he admitted it! Rivian WILL control how you drive.

Gotta fight this people. I'm glad I still drive my 2018 Raptor. It's slow, but it's really fun!
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COdogman

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I hardly think George Orwell had your Rivian’s top speed in mind when he wrote 1984 and Animal Farm. You might need to give those another read….

And literally all modern vehicles have their speed electronically limited, including your Raptor which is maxed out at 107mph. Get your pitchforks and lanterns ready…
 
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electruck

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None of us ever need to be driving 100+ on the street but probably not wise of them to have the limiter kicking in before the end of the quarter mile. Drag strip times matter and bragging rights still sell vehicles.
 

ads75

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I can’t tell if the OP is joking or genuinely outraged about not being able to drive over 110mph.
 

Dark-Fx

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It's the same actual speed. The display is just more accurate and doesn't intentionally over report the speed by as much. On the drag strip my truck would trap 110 mph sitting at 115 mph on the screen.

I'm still interested in borrowing a 20 AT wheel/tire set since they have a slightly larger overall diameter and seeing what my 22" tire programmed truck would run in the 1/4 mile, since they seem to have the truck limited to the same actual speed regardless of tire size.
 
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Christopher

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The limiter hasn't been changed. Previously the truck showed a MPH faster than you were actually driving. It would say you're going 115MPH but you were really going 111MPH. I believe it was two updates ago they made it more accurate.

I do wish they raised it up a little though, as I believe people running the 1/4 mile are hitting the limiter so their trap speed isn't what it should be.
 

COdogman

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Don’t kill his buzz… he really seems to want to blame “the man” for keeping him under 116mph.
 

Donald Stanfield

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As others have said, they just made the speed limit more accurate. The truck was always limited to 110. With that said, all vehicles are speed limited and I don't think anyone here is surprised that Rivian is able to change the way your truck operates through OTA updates. This is the way cars are going, and they have been vulnerable to electronic tampering for a long time. IF you don't like that you should get a car less technologically advanced not more.
 

Christopher

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As others have said, they just made the speed limit more accurate. The truck was always limited to 110. With that said, all vehicles are speed limited and I don't think anyone here is surprised that Rivian is able to change the way your truck operates through OTA updates. This is the way cars are going, and they have been vulnerable to electronic tampering for a long time. IF you don't like that you should get a car less technologically advanced not more.
Yup. Every car I've owned has had a different speed limit. My Silverado was 99MPH.

It sounds like OP thinks the limit is put in place to control our driving behavior but it could very well be for technical reasons.

Maybe the motors can't handle much more. Maybe Rivian has found higher failure rates at speeds more than 111MPH.
 

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Donald Stanfield

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Yup. Every car I've owned has had a different speed limit. My Silverado was 99MPH.

It sounds like OP thinks the limit is put in place to control our driving behavior but it could very well be for technical reasons.

Maybe the motors can't handle much more. Maybe Rivian has found higher failure rates at speeds more than 111MPH.
I read somewhere that these motors have a failure RPM that correlates with roughly 130MPH. I think 110 would be a good buffer from the catastrophic motor failure RPM.
 

SoCal Rob

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I read somewhere that these motors have a failure RPM that correlates with roughly 130MPH. I think 110 would be a good buffer from the catastrophic motor failure RPM.
All 3 factory tires are an H speed rating which is also 130 mph.
 

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None of us ever need to be driving 100+ on the street but probably not wise of them to have the limiter kicking in before the end of the quarter mile. Drag strip times matter and bragging rights still sell vehicles.
Speak for yourself, please, not for me. If there's an emergency and the roads allow it to be done in reasonable safety, the truck should be able to go as fast as the tires allow. At least 130mph. I can't stand electronic nannys. It's a free country and that means everyone has the right to take whatever risk they want to as long as they A. don't hurt anybody else, and B. are willing to suffer the consequences.

Edit: I should have said 130mph would be my preferred limit, not "at least" Thank you for correcting me.
 
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Donald Stanfield

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Speak for yourself, please, not for me. If there's an emergency and the roads allow it to be done in reasonable safety, the truck should be able to go as fast as the tires allow. At least 130mph. I can't stand electronic nannys. It's a free country and that means everyone has the right to take whatever risk they want to as long as they A. don't hurt anybody else, and B. are willing to suffer the consequences.
Well unless you are on a closed course I don't know that 130MPH is a great plan. Just like the woman who was killed in Vegas by the NFL star going 130 in his vette and rear ending her, everyone else doesn't consent to do you doing that. The right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose and if we are talking about speaking for yourself I would rather not be on the freeway with someone doing that kind of speed especially in a pickup truck.
 

Christopher

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Speak for yourself, please, not for me. If there's an emergency and the roads allow it to be done in reasonable safety, the truck should be able to go as fast as the tires allow. At least 130mph. I can't stand electronic nannys. It's a free country and that means everyone has the right to take whatever risk they want to as long as they A. don't hurt anybody else, and B. are willing to suffer the consequences.
According the tire speed rating it would be at MOST 130mph, not at least, and that's not considering any drivetrain limitations that Rivian has determined to justify a lower limit.

Rivian probably doesn't want failures that they have to fix under warranty. Maybe with time and more data they'll determine it's safe to raise in the future.
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