Rivian is preparing to begin the public release of its latest vehicle software, version 2025.26, about a month after its previous update, which added Google Maps integration to its navigation system.
According to release notes posted by X user RivianRoamer, the update delivers “enhanced perception upgrades” to autonomous and active safety functions on second-generation R1S and R1T models.
Last month, the Irvine-based manufacturer announced it would open an artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving research hub in London — its first facility in the UK — to advance features such as its planned hands-free highway driving system.
The changes include improved system performance when sensors are obstructed by snow, mud or direct sunlight, along with faster detection and reaction to dynamic traffic situations such as cut-ins, lane merges and stopped vehicles.
The EV maker has also expanded vehicle detection to cover multiple lanes and cross-traffic, with improved visualisations on the driver display, and reduced the number of disengagements on poorly marked roads.
Navigation gains improved stability and responsiveness to touch gestures, alongside a fix for a display issue triggered after streaming DRM-protected video content.
Amazon’s cloud-based voice service Alexa now integrates with YouTube, while an Apple Music bug that prevented some users from signing in has been resolved.
The update also enhances steering calibrations for Sport and Off-Road modes, maximising cornering precision, reducing steering wheel kickback over rocky terrain, and improving torque feedback on loose surfaces.
In addition, cabin climate control performance in humid conditions has been improved, Gear Guard video display errors have been addressed, and on-demand battery conditioning is now more readily available when the vehicle’s charge is low.
Rivian‘s update also corrects repeated low-range alerts during battery conditioning for DC fast charging, fixes inaccurate trip energy consumption displays, adds a restart option to the service menu on Gen-2 vehicles, and reduces grille shutter noise on first-generation models.
In late July, Rivian‘s chief software officer Wassym Bensaid, said the company was working on audio tuning changes after owner complaints about sound quality in first- and second-generation R1 vehicles.
Rivian cut last week leasing prices for standard 2026 R1 models, reversing increases that had been reported less than a month earlier.
