Rivian Is Adding A Key Charging Feature To The R1S And R1T EVs

• Rivian's latest software update brings several charging-related improvements.
• R1T and R1S owners will be able to manually precondition the battery for DC fast charging.
• Some versions of the flagship EVs also get faster charging speeds.

Rivian is adding the ability to manually precondition the high-voltage battery pack for DC fast charging via a new over-the-air software update that’s rolling out now to R1S and R1T owners.

The feature will be available for both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 versions of the flagship adventure-oriented EVs, and it means owners will no longer be forced to use the car’s built-in navigation system to precondition the battery for fast charging. When manual preconditoning is enabled, a banner will show if the battery is warming or cooling and when the process is complete.

The Charging Tab in the new Energy App.

Photo by: Rivian

The change is part of software version 2025.18 that brings several other improvements, including a revamped Energy App that’s split into two sections. The Energy Monitor Tab will show a detailed energy graph with a rundown of how much electricity each system used during a specific period.

Then, there’s the Charging Tab, which now includes a smart charging level reminder. This should come in handy during long road trips. According to Rivian, if there’s a destination set in the navigation system, the car will inform the driver when they should unplug and still have enough juice to finish the trip. This way, there will be no need to constantly charge to 80% or higher, so charging stops will take less time.

Speaking of charging, this OTA update also boosts the charging speeds for some versions of the R1S and R1T. For first-gen models with the Max Pack battery, the time to DC fast charge from 10% to 80% has been reduced. The same improvements have been made to second-gen models with the Max Pack and Standard Pack batteries. Furthermore, Gen 2 cars with the Large Pack battery will see an improved peak charge rate of 215 kilowatts, along with shorter charging times for 10% to 80% top-ups.

According to Rivian, these improvements were made possible after the company optimized battery temperatures in simulation through individual cell improvements. The startup tested the changes in a simulated environment with real-world conditions, and then engineers validated the changes with real vehicles.

None of this is particularly game-changing, as Tesla EVs have had these features for years, but it’s good to see that Rivian is doing everything it can to improve the user experience for owners of its expensive electric vehicles. More changes are on the way, too, with a future update–along with a newly designed wall charger–bringing vehicle-to-home functionality. In other words, R1S and R1T owners will be able to power their homes from their cars’ battery packs.