Why are we paying for Connect +?

[godfodder0901]

I think these are 2 separate things.. But similar in use practice.

When I recently took my R1 to the dealer for issues related to the update from August, they referred to the non-mapped roads as ADAS (adaptive cruise), and mapped roads as Driver+, and this is even how they wrote it down on the service request.

They may have, but it's inaccurate. Driver+ is the overarching suite of driver assist features. ACC is used on non-mapped roads and does not steer. Ada's is a broad term for many driver assistance systems but is most accurately alligned with HWA.

https://rivian.com/support/article/what-features-are-included-in-rivian-driver

What features are included in Rivian Driver+?
Driver+ features are standard on every Rivian vehicle. Some may be introduced through over-the-air software updates following start of production, including Lane Change Assist and Trailer Assist. Driver+ is designed to support drivers and does not replace their attention, judgment, and need to control the vehicle.

Driving Assist: Help with the manual driving tasks when you want it.

Highway Assist: Automatic steering, braking and acceleration on select highways while engaged.

Adaptive Cruise Control: Set your speed and automatically accelerate or brake, adjusting speed to keep an appropriate distance from vehicles in front of you.

Lane Change Assist: Assisted lane changes on the highway.

Active Safety Assist: Collision warning, alerts and preventative action.

Lane Safety

Lane Keep Assist: Helps steer you back into your lane if you unintentionally drift close to or over a lane marker without a turn signal.

Lane Departure Warning: Warns you if you drift too close or cross lane markers without a turn signal on.

Blind Spot Warning: Detects vehicles in your blind spots and warns you if you indicate with your turn signal that you are going to move into the occupied lane.

Light Safety

Automatic High Beams: Automatically switches the headlights from high to low beams when a vehicle is detected ahead.

Parking and reverse

Rear Cross-Traffic Warning: Alerts you to traffic approaching from the side when backing up.

Park Assist: A 360° detection system designed to help sense and alert you to objects.

Trailer Assist: Helps with reverse maneuvers while you have a trailer attached.

Collision Mitigation

Forward Collision Warning: Warns you of potential collisions with people and cars ahead.

Automatic Emergency Braking: Applies the brakes to help mitigate or prevent a collision.

Dynamic Brake Support: Supports your braking to help mitigate or prevent a collision.

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[Monkey]

Every vehicle I've owned or rented in last 10 years has had free connection with music, and Rivian wants to add a $15/mo nuisance charge for this? I've owned my R1T for 2 months now and am seriously disappointed in how they do business, they will not build Tesla like loyalty with this kind of BS

Um…. All those vehicles you owned in the past 10 years probably had free periods of service. And the industry as a whole is mostly done with that and instead of giving the first 1 to 3 years for free they’re now giving weeks or a month or two before charging. Tesla, BMW, Ford, GM, VW/Audi, Toyota, all charge for access now. Our Model X had free connectivity (and free supercharging) forever to the original owner of the car. Our Model Y had free connectivity for the first 3 years. When that expired, I let it be for a little bit, but it’s my wife’s daily driver and she signed up for the $90/year plan after going about a month without. The music wasn’t the issue, that streams from a phone just fine…. It was the extended navigation features and traffic data and other things included.

In my Lightning, I got the first 3 months free…. But I’m not signing up for it even after owning now for almost 2 years. I run CarPlay, which is vastly superior to the underlying Ford Sync interface and nav and other apps.

Like Tesla, Rivian is running their own proprietary interface and we’re pretty much stuck paying for the connectivity if we want to use all but the most basic features. In the case of Rivian (and a couple other manufacturers), there’s limits on bluetooth streaming bit rates and data modes, so streaming audio from your phone sounds like ass. I think this is improved with the upgraded premium audio in the 2nd gen. I have not had a chance to check out a new 2025 R1, even though we’re thinking about leasing an R1S. Wife wants to replace the Model Y and really wants the R2, but timing doesn’t align so leasing an R1S with the current low rates seems like a good stopgap solution.

 

[mudito]

I will gladly pay the 149 a year fee as one, it will help Rivian succeed with a steady line of income as sales fluxuate, and two it is what all new cars makers are doing, Rivian didn't invented this new revenue.

As far as the statement of Tesla charging, it is $6,000 add in for enhanced driving and $15,000 for Full Self Driving. My opinion the current Musk story is a story of wealth corrupting ones values. He started out to help solve global warming with Tesla and now he endorses the most global warming denier group ever, and of course their leader DT. My third reason for ordering my first Rivian last Sunday, is the values of RJ Scaringe for the American engineering field and global warming fight. Wish I was younger, designing the software and programming these cars has to be such a great experience. I'm retired after 48 years in IT!

Buying a Rivian or EV isn't for saving money, driving 21st century vehicle with such technology, or not just for helping the environment, buying a Rivian in my opinion should also be to be part of helping Rivian be successful. That help assures success.of our investment, and helps meet the goals of our values towards a better world for our descendents.

$149 a year? That is a good price. Cadillac EV subscription is $300 a year, Ford Blue Cruise is $800 a year, Ford Sync is $80 a year, Chevy has Super Cruise at $250 a year but incredibly Chevy has broken other services into six pieces with 6 separate subscriptions running from $180 to $360 a year.

If you subscribed to every subscription on a Chevy EV, it would come to $1,750 a year!

I don't think I will need Connect+ but as soon as the latest software update rolled out, I subscribed and pay for the yearly subscription immediately for this exact same reason (It'll be billed in October, of course).

I would like to support Rivian's Software Development with my humble $149/yr

 

[Tlohrenz]

Toyota charges $15/mo just for the hotspot. Seems Rivian is a bargain.

 

[ThirteenElectrics]

I may want to occasionally look at my car's cameras when remote, which requires Connect+. So I'll make you a deal, Rivian: implement CarPlay and I'll subscribe for three years, even though the video quality on my R1 cameras is borderline unusable.

 

[TollKeeper]

I may want to occasionally look at my car's cameras when remote, which requires Connect+. So I'll make you a deal, Rivian: implement CarPlay and I'll subscribe for three years, even though the video quality on my R1 cameras is borderline unusable.

AA/CP and I would do it!

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