My 5-Day Summer Adventure: Tips for new campers

[Rivian Mom]

As an EV enthusiast with an active, outdoorsy lifestyle, I've always been intrigued by Rivian from the first day I took a test drive in it, and it was like seeking a fresh EV experience, different from Tesla and other EVs. So in the summer, I went on a 5-day adventure trip, and I felt like this would be a great platform to share my thoughts about that trip for anyone who's thinking of going on such a trip. I'm sure anyone might find useful information from this. So I'll be talking about the software, driving aids, charging, navigation, and general impressions too.

SOFTWARE:

User Experience: The R1S UX is sleek, pleasant, and intuitive. The vehicle information screen shows the trip odometer, temperatures, etc.

Connect+: Connect+ is the latest software update from Rivian that offers Audible, Apple Music, unlimited data to stream your favorite videos, etc. So if you're an Apple Music user, you get to enjoy a good range of music options with Connect+.

NAVIGATION

Performance
The Rivian navigation system is pretty great. Arguably one of the best I've used so far.

Eta Accuracy
For simple routes, the ETA is accurate. However, for longer, traffic-heavy routes, it could be a bit off for a couple of minutes.

Range Estimation
The range estimations are accurate, providing confidence for road trips.

DRIVING AIDS

Dynamic Crash Control
This is a feature that keeps you at a safe distance from a vehicle in front of you. It's smooth and easy to adjust following distances.

Highway Assist
This helps control your speed and acceleration while driving on highways. A great safety feature, in my opinion.

CHARGING

Supercharging
Charging at a SuperCharger is easy, with the port in a better position than my Lightning.

Charging Time
The 10-80% charging time is highly comparable to other EVs. The R1’s highway efficiency gives it an edge, as miles added per minute are more important than charging time alone.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

Efficiency
The highway efficiency is excellent at 2.3 mi/kWh at 75 mph. Which is pretty good for an SUV.

Design
The vehicle looks great inside and out, with a premium interior feel.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

The R1S is fun to drive with great power at all speeds.

Noise Levels
A little glitch I had during my trip was the wind noise level. There was noticeable wind noise at highway speeds, but road noise was minimal. The A/C fan was excessively loud at higher speeds, making it unpleasant until the vehicle cooled down.

Frunk Space
The frunk space is highly usable for trips; it was able to properly fit two small carry-on bags, a computer bag, and a folding trike. It’s suitable for day-to-day use.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Rivian has been the best EV I've ever driven by a mile, and I'm not even kidding. It's great for outdoor activities like camping and going on adventure trips like I did. There are other amazing features it has, but I'd leave that mystery for you to discover whenever you feel you're ready to go on that adventure.