Rivian’s new second-generation R1 EVs are receiving an update today that brings the new ‘Universal Hands-Free’ driving software, which the company unveiled last week during its first-ever ‘Autonomy & AI Day’.
The company says the new feature will allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel on more than 3.5 million miles of roads in the United States and Canada, including a mix of highways and flat streets, as long as there are visible lane lines.
Owners will still have to monitor the propulsion system and, crucially, it “shall not stop or slow down at traffic lights or stop signs.” Universal Hands-Free will also not make turns or follow navigation. (Rivian says the software will be re-enabled if a driver uses their turn signal and handles the turn manually.)
It is an important step forward for the company, which aims to make its vehicles fully autonomous in the coming years. But it also comes with risks: Rival automakers with similar systems, such as Tesla and Ford, have suffered multiple accidents and deaths, many of which were related to drivers’ attention wandering from driver assistance systems. Those crashes have led to investigations and lawsuits.
The updated software significantly expands the driver assistance capabilities previously available to Rivian owners. Before the update, Rivian’s hands-free driving system only worked on 135,000 miles of highways. Rivian laid out detailed plans at last week’s event to eventually make its vehicles self-driving from “point-to-point,” although this feature won’t be available until 2026.
Rivian is developing a new custom-silicon autonomy computer for its R2 SUV (debuting in 2026) that, combined with a roof-mounted lidar sensor, will one day be able to make the company’s vehicles fully autonomous, CEO RJ Scaringe said last week.
The software update released Thursday brings a few other features unrelated to Rivian’s driver assistance system. There’s a new version of the digital key that owners of second-generation R1 vehicles can add to digital wallets on iPhones, Apple Watches, Google Pixels and Samsung phones. Owners of quad motor variants of the Gen 2 R1 EVs will also get the long-teased “Kick Turn” feature, as well as the “RAD Tuner” customizable drive modes.
