R1 Refresh announcement soon?

[srkz]

Installing it would require new government crash tests (which we would be seeing leaks of for months) aside from all the internal design, sourcing, manufacturing, and implementation changes.

Crash testing is not a requirement. Manufacturers have to prove that their vehicles meet NHTSA safety requirements, but they do not have to crash test them nor do they have to publish the results of their own crash testing, if they do any. NHTSA crash tests that you see footage of are a program where the government buys new cars with their own money and then publishes the crash test results. Same with IIHS, except that's a private organization. This point, at least, is unfounded.

what the company has publicly stated point to the opposite.

What the company states must be taken in the context of the company's best interests, because a public company must always operate in their own best interests. Rivian won't publicly announce "big new changes are coming soon!" because it means people will stop buying cars to wait for the refresh and that will lose them money. They have a fiduciary responsibility not to talk about it until it's ready.

It is abundantly clear that there's a refresh coming, the only question is what gets refreshed. Personally I agree that the steering wheel won't change, it's just going to be Bosch out for quad, Enduro in across the line, new wiring harness, new sensors, cameras, and ECU/computer to go with the new network architecture and enable them to progress Driver+ past what they can currently do with their kinda-garbage Mobileye setup, new entry-level 'Explore' trim (single motor maybe?) and new premium 'Ascent' trim with more horsepower from the Enduro quad setup being more power-dense than Bosch was, and minor aesthetic changes like blacking out the chrome trim and adding a couple new paint colors.

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[Rividiculous]

it is beyond a pipe dream to see a new prototype type part come out and think it’s going to be released on an R1 refresh within a few weeks when both logic and what the company has publicly stated point to the opposite.

I am hoping for the steering wheel and while I doubt it will be introduced now, I don’t think it’s “pipe dream” territory either. Why wouldn’t both vehicles have the same wheel? Lots of manufacturers use the same wheel for multiple vehicles.

Isn’t there a decent chance they’ve been working on a new wheel (for all Rivians) for a long time and chose to show it with the R2? There wasn’t an opportunity to show it with the R1 and it wouldn’t make sense to announce it. But it does look pretty well baked.

Maybe its a 2026 thing but RJ was pretty clear the R1 is the flagship vehicle so it should get the new steering wheel at some point.

A heat pump, on the other hand…

 

[WhisperPickle]

Crash testing is not a requirement. Manufacturers have to prove that their vehicles meet NHTSA safety requirements, but they do not have to crash test them nor do they have to publish the results of their own crash testing, if they do any. NHTSA crash tests that you see footage of are a program where the government buys new cars with their own money and then publishes the crash test results. Same with IIHS, except that's a private organization. This point, at least, is unfounded.



What the company states must be taken in the context of the company's best interests, because a public company must always operate in their own best interests. Rivian won't publicly announce "big new changes are coming soon!" because it means people will stop buying cars to wait for the refresh and that will lose them money. They have a fiduciary responsibility not to talk about it until it's ready.

It is abundantly clear that there's a refresh coming, the only question is what gets refreshed. Personally I agree that the steering wheel won't change, it's just going to be Bosch out for quad, Enduro in across the line, new wiring harness, new sensors, cameras, and ECU/computer to go with the new network architecture and enable them to progress Driver+ past what they can currently do with their kinda-garbage Mobileye setup, new entry-level 'Explore' trim (single motor maybe?) and new premium 'Ascent' trim with more horsepower from the Enduro quad setup being more power-dense than Bosch was, and minor aesthetic changes like blacking out the chrome trim and adding a couple new paint colors.

Crash testing is absolutely a requirement for selling vehicles in the US. Even if the NHTSA does conduct its own crash tests manufacturers are required to conduct them on their own and submit the data to the NHTSA proving that it meets minimum safety standards before they can sell a car to the public.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

Oh my, “denial”? I couldn’t give two craps if my vehicle is considered “old”.

it’s rooted in the realities of large scale automotive sourcing, planning, design, and manufacturing. A single prototype comes out (you realize nearly every part of R2 is a one-off, practically hand-built component) and people jump up thinking some of those parts will be in an R1 refresh within a few weeks.

Aside from all the internal hurdles, a different steering wheel requires all new rounds of crash testing with the federal government and we’d be seeing info about that leaking for months in advance like we do with every other automobile.

Recognizing that things like the R2 steering wheel aren’t coming to an R1 refresh isn’t some form of “denial” (95% of buyers wouldn’t even notice or care when buying a used R1 which steering wheel it has…..this is an enthusiast forum) - thinking that’s it’s going to happen is simply a lack of understanding what a change like that would take.

Oh WhisperPickle, I wasn't calling you out specifically! That you took offense to my general statement, however, is telling.

I'm not going to rebut your claims because anything I'd say has already been said and doing so would probably be a pointless exercise. The one thing I will say regarding your point that Rivian employees have been denying a pending refresh is that, over the last ~8 months, I've noted just as many "anonymous employees" confirming a refresh is on the way. The reality is those in involved in whatever's happening (e.g. engineering, suppliers) are required to remain silent under threat of strong legal action, and those that aren't immediately involved (e.g. service techs, sales people) don't yet know what's in the works and are going off of the company's public statements.

We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Rad_ry]

Long time reader of this forum, first time posting. This is defiantly news I'm waiting on and have been since about January when we decided we would pursue an R1S. I'm very surprised they didn't announce anything during the shut down to gain momentum and cash (orders). The only reason I can logically think to not was due to a huge supply of inventory that they need to sell off, as once the refresh happens any existing inventory becomes immediately de-valued due to further price reduction. This is why we saw the lease deals, Stealth wraps, earth day promos.

I wouldn't expect much on the Q1 call, as that will be focused on the Q1 numbers, financial and sales. Often investor calls touch on upcoming and total FY guidance, but don't give product announcements.

At this point I have to imagine it's any day, as once the plant is back on line they need orders to start making, unless they need to focus on making the EDV for Amazon and other companies who have orders.

I'm checking almost daily for the updates and if they are what I'm hoping for I'll be finally placing my order!

Actually their quarterly calls are very informative and do in fact cover product developments- you should check out!

 

[RivianRunner]

I hope this is a joke…….if so, well played.

“Potential to cause thumb stress” is the most absurd thing I have ever heard.

It sounds like the new woke normal, "I feel like my thumbs are being asked to perform an inordinate amount of the operational load and are not being given enough time to de-stress."

 

[Rivian_Hugh_III]

A visual refresh is anticipated because Rivian’s goals are to simplify production, save money, and sell more Rivian’s. Lower cost would sell more, but so would new features that are not too expensive to install and generate profit from customer delight.

i think they’re holding the best software updates for If summer push. So netflix etc, plus some surprises like CarPlay.

i also expect an super R1T to be announced with availability for a winch, running boards, roof cage, etc. Also possibly 4 enduros.

For standard R1’s I think simple things like the new light bar are likely, new charger pad, plus better cameras, etc. New wheel choices perhaps, new colors. Some of these will be visual tweaks.

It can’t be too ,ing before an R1Tx and Sx come out with bells and whistles.

I expect all of that in a September announcement. Earlier would surprise.

Bottom line, Rivian has shown a capacity and willingness to delight its customers. The flashlight, vamp kitchen, speaker, even gear tunnel were designed to make people giggle with glee. So also the R3x. It’ll happen again soon. It’s the kind of company they want to be (and are).

 

[cwang089]

got a call from Minneapolis, the guy said he was a RIvian guide and wanted to know when I would be ready to take delivery. I said I was waiting for refresh announcement and he said okay sounds good, and that he will call after it.

I'm a voucher holder so would imagine he's calling before 9/30

 

[Canthoney]

This is from the Illinois investment announcement. People are speculating on Twitter that this is the refresh since it is just coming off the line. I don’t really see any differences:

 

[srkz]

Crash testing is absolutely a requirement for selling vehicles in the US. Even if the NHTSA does conduct its own crash tests manufacturers are required to conduct them on their own and submit the data to the NHTSA proving that it meets minimum safety standards before they can sell a car to the public.

Crashworthiness is a requirement, and it wouldn’t really be that big of a deal for Rivian to test again, but the NHTSA does not mandate crash tests, they only mandate that the manufacturer self-certify the vehicle is safe per the FMVSS, whether that be through crash testing, other testing, engineering analysis, etc.

https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...s-test-procedures-to-certifying-manufacturers

Test procedures, and the conditions under which they are conducted, serve an important role in the FMVSS: They provide context to the performance requirement and provide notice to the industry of NHTSA's methodology for determining compliance with the minimum performance standards established in the FMVSS. However, they are not performance requirements themselves. Although performing the test in the manner the FMVSS directs is one path a manufacturer may follow when certifying compliance with an FMVSS requirement, manufacturers are not required to use the test conditions and procedures in the standard to certify compliance. A manufacturer may base its certification on, for example, simulations or engineering analyses if it exercised reasonable care in certifying that the vehicle would meet the standard when tested by NHTSA using the standard's test conditions and procedures.[7]

 

[WhisperPickle]

A visual refresh is anticipated because Rivian’s goals are to simplify production, save money, and sell more Rivian’s. Lower cost would sell more, but so would new features that are not too expensive to install and generate profit from customer delight.

i think they’re holding the best software updates for If summer push. So netflix etc, plus some surprises like CarPlay.

i also expect an super R1T to be announced with availability for a winch, running boards, roof cage, etc. Also possibly 4 enduros.

For standard R1’s I think simple things like the new light bar are likely, new charger pad, plus better cameras, etc. New wheel choices perhaps, new colors. Some of these will be visual tweaks.

It can’t be too ,ing before an R1Tx and Sx come out with bells and whistles.

I expect all of that in a September announcement. Earlier would surprise.

Bottom line, Rivian has shown a capacity and willingness to delight its customers. The flashlight, vamp kitchen, speaker, even gear tunnel were designed to make people giggle with glee. So also the R3x. It’ll happen again soon. It’s the kind of company they want to be (and are).

Why is a visual refresh expected when they have clearly stated on earnings calls that there won’t be any visual differences from the factory revamp and that all changes will be internal?

 

[WhisperPickle]

got a call from Minneapolis, the guy said he was a RIvian guide and wanted to know when I would be ready to take delivery. I said I was waiting for refresh announcement and he said okay sounds good, and that he will call after it.

I'm a voucher holder so would imagine he's calling before 9/30

Rivian guide’s are certainly not in the loop about upcoming major product changes. He has upcoming available inventory he’s responsible for allocating and he took you as a “no”.

 

[usofrob]

This seems like a pretty reasonable summary of the available information and rumors:
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-the-refreshed-rivian-r1s-and-r1t-233438.html

 

[Kidentist]

Sounds very exciting. I wonder what "new" features might be present in my soon to be "new" truck, as I was told it left the factory this last Friday.......

 

[Sagesq]

Shutdown was supposed to end last Friday. We should get news on refresh soon

although not necessarily part of the refresh itself, I would love to see the Rivian‘s get video support for the monitors when the car is in park. That would be terrific.

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