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Rivian is closing out the year with a significant software update for its electric vehicles, version 2025.46, designed to improve the driving experience, broaden hands-free assistance options, and address popular customer feedback. The update brings a host of improvements to Rivian’s assisted driving systems and vehicle controls, making adventures on and off the road even smoother.
For second-generation Rivian owners, the update introduces Universal Hands-Free, an expansion of the company’s hands-free driving feature. Previously limited to about 135,000 miles of highways, it now covers over 3.5 million miles of roads across the United States and Canada. This capability works on both highways and local streets, as long as the lane markings are visible, allowing drivers to engage it in a wider array of scenarios.
Rivian has also added customizable driving styles within its Autonomy Platform features, including Universal Hands-Free, Highway Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Lane Change on Command. Owners can now select from three presets: Mild for a more relaxed approach with greater following distances and gentler maneuvers; Medium for balanced responses to traffic, like handling cut-ins and matching flow; or Spicy for assertive driving with closer gaps and faster steering adjustments. These options let users tailor the vehicle’s behavior to their preferences while assisted driving is active.
The update refines the Autonomy View on the driver’s display for Gen 2 vehicles, expanding the rearward perspective to provide better situational awareness during turns or lane shifts. Additionally, adjusting speed has become more intuitive; drivers can now use the steering wheel’s right thumbwheel to increment or decrement their set speed when hands-free or cruise control modes are in use.
A major addition is the Rivian Digital Key, which lets Gen 2 owners store their vehicle key in compatible digital wallets. This works with iPhone and Apple Watch, Google Pixel, and Samsung devices, enabling effortless locking, unlocking, and starting without physical keys. Users can even share access with others and use a smartwatch alone, complete with haptic feedback for lock status. Built on the Car Connectivity Consortium standard, it’s compatible with evolving tech and will integrate into upcoming models like the R2 and R3. The feature requires Rivian app version 3.8.0 or later.
Drivers of both first- and second-generation Rivians gain more control over their instrument cluster displays. Gen 2 users can toggle between the Autonomy view, which highlights nearby lanes and vehicles, and the Maps and Navigation screen. Gen 1 owners can switch to the Driver Assistance view for forward object detection or navigation. A quick press of the right steering wheel thumbwheel handles the swap, helping multitask like adjusting audio while keeping key info front and center.
Exclusively for Gen 2 Quad-Motor vehicles, the update unlocks off-road enhancements. Kick Turn simplifies tight maneuvers on loose surfaces at speeds below 15 mph by modulating wheel power, including reversing inner wheels for precise pivots activated by a button. The RAD Tuner, developed by Rivian’s Adventure Department, allows fine-tuning of drive modes via sliders for acceleration, torque distribution, stability, and other parameters, building on tech proven in rallies like the Rebelle and Pikes Peak climbs.
These updates underscore Rivian’s commitment to evolving software that amplifies the thrill of electric adventure vehicles. For full details, owners can check the release notes tailored to their model on Rivian’s site. The company continues to push boundaries in autonomy and AI, as highlighted in their recent Autonomy and AI Day presentation.
