Automaker Rivian has rolled out a new software update for its electric trucks that makes them even more at home in the wilderness, launching an auto-leveling feature for campers looking for a good night’s sleep. The capability comes as part of newly introduced “Camp Mode,” which includes a few other neat tricks to spread comfort and goodwill around the camp site.
Rivian’s R1T truck is billed as the world’s first electric adventure vehicle, and together with the R1S SUV, is designed to take eco-conscious adventurers far off the beaten track. This inevitably involves navigating uneven terrain and, more often than not, that struggle doesn’t stop when it’s time to pull up and rest for the evening.
Vehicle-based campers might be familiar with the difficulty in finding even remotely level ground to park on, and the difficulty in relaxing and falling asleep when you feel like you’re about to be tipped down a hill. Rivian’s Camp Mode is a clever solution to this problem, and uses the truck’s air-suspension and sensors to precisely adjust each corner of the vehicle to form an even surface.
This could be handy for sleeping, sure, but even if you’re looking to just relax and read a book for the afternoon it would be a nice luxury. Where we can imagine the feature being really useful is anytime food and drink is involved. Flaming gas stoves, heavy pots, precarious bottles of oil and glasses of wine don’t tend to mix so well with sloping surfaces.
The auto-level feature is accessible through the center display in both the R1T and R1S as part of Camp Mode, as are a few other campsite-friendly features. These include an energy-saving “Stay off” mode, which shuts down most of the vehicles features to preserve battery, and a “Camp courtesy” mode, which turns off all lights, sounds and proximity locking to avoid disturbing those camped nearby.
Rivian notes that these features are only available with the vehicle parked, and recommends resetting the ride height before hitting the road again, otherwise speed will be limited. The software update is available for Rivian owners now.
Source: Rivian
