Rivian’s upcoming vehicles, including the R2 and R3X prototypes, will include a next-generation steering wheel that offers an innovative approach to driver control and feedback. We recently had a chance to chat with Marty L., UI/UX Director at Rivian, who shared exciting details about the new features and functionality of this wheel.
Three Axes of Freedom
The new steering wheel design looks great, with large, mostly exposed scroll wheels at either side of the steering wheel. However, the most interesting part of the wheel is the functionality it introduces. As expected, the steering wheel will have three axes of freedom, similar to the steering wheels in the current R1S/R1T models, but instead of requiring a separate button to navigate left and right, you’ll be able to tilt the scroll wheel left/right.
Tilt Left/Right: The ability to navigate left and right by tilting the scroll wheel
Push In: A push or press feature that can be used to confirm selections or switch modes.
Scroll Up/Down: Scroll up and down with dynamic haptic feedback
These scroll wheels are the cornerstone of changing the most used settings in the vehicle. However, Rivian plans to use them for more than just basic features. You’ll be able to adjust a variety of settings directly from the scroll wheels.
Dynamic Haptic Feedback
The biggest innovation with Rivian’s new steering wheel will be the ability for the wheel to provide dynamic haptic feedback as you’re scrolling. While most scroll wheels have a basic click sensation, Rivian’s will have adaptable feedback that changes depending on the function you’re adjusting:
Volume Control: When adjusting the vehicle’s volume, the haptic feedback (the “clicks”) will be more spaced out, with distinct, widely separated clicks corresponding to each volume level (e.g., 1 through 10).
ADAS Speed Adjustment: For adjusting speed settings, you’ll feel more closely spaced clicks that offer more precise control, giving a tactile sense of small incremental changes.
This feedback ensures drivers get a clear, physical confirmation of each adjustment, making it easier to make changes without taking their eyes off the road.
Rivian
Resistance for Added Control
The new steering wheel is beyond just clicks, Rivian’s scroll wheels will have varying levels of resistance. Marty explained that users will feel a slight resistance when they scroll up or down to change settings. For example, as you’re scrolling up to the next volume level or speed increment, the wheel will offer a subtle resistance before snapping into the next position. This makes the interaction feel natural and intuitive—almost like turning a dial that clicks into place.
Which Models Will Feature This Steering Wheel?
The steering wheel is currently featured in Rivian’s R2 and R3X prototypes, which have been showcased at various events. This innovative wheel will be rolled out to all R2 and R3 models. However, when asked whether the new wheel would make its way to the current R1S and R1T models, he simply responded with a “stay tuned,” hinting that Rivian may have plans to introduce it to its current lineup in the future.
This new steering wheel design is a testament to Rivian’s focus on technology, software, and innovation to produce some of the best EVs. As Rivian continues to redefine what’s possible in vehicle interiors, as they did with Dolby Atmos support, this new steering wheel will likely set the standard for user experience in future designs.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Rivian news, upcoming features and software updates.
Rivian transitioned to their second-generation vehicles in 2025. One of the goals with their second-gen vehicles was to reduce vehicle costs, so one of the changes was to reduce battery options for these new models.
Rivian slimmed down its battery pack choices by reducing them from four options to three. Instead of offering Standard, Standard+, Large, and Max battery sizes, they now only offer Standard, Large, and Max batteries packs.
However, to reduce complexity further, initial production runs only had two battery sizes — Standard and Max. For customers who ordered a Rivian with a large battery pack, Rivian actually included a Max battery pack software limited to the range of a Large battery. These vehicles were coined as Large+ (Plus) batteries by the community, and Rivian soon adopted the name.
Advantages of a Large+ Battery
For customers who have a software-locked Max battery, there are several perks. Normally, with a lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, you’d want to avoid charging the vehicle to 100% on a daily basis to prevent premature aging. However, with a software-locked Max battery, customers can actually charge to 100% since the vehicle will stop charging once it hits 100% of the “large” battery.
A Max battery pack can store 140 kWh while a Large is 108.5 kWh, so charging to 100% on a Large+ battery is equivalent to charging to just 78% on a Max battery pack. This lets customers continuously take advantage of their vehicle’s full range without any ill effects on battery degradation — a really nice perk.
However, there’s more. According to Wassym Bensaid, Rivian’s Chief Software Officer, Rivian will soon offer customers the ability to unlock the full benefit of the Max battery pack, essentially purchasing the Max battery after the fact.
This is a really nice option, as some customers may discover they could use the extra range, especially as their battery degrades slowly over the years. It’s not a must-have, but having the option is a great addition.
How to Tell If You Have a Large+ Battery
If you’re not sure if your vehicle has a Large+ battery, you can tell by going to your vehicle settings. Your vehicle should have about 300 miles of range. If it has about 250 miles or 400 miles fully charged, then you have a Standard or Max battery pack.
To check if you have a Large or Large+ battery pack, you’ll need to be in your vehicle and navigate to Settings (gear icon), then tap on the About menu item on the left. You’ll see a rendered model of your vehicle and directly underneath, you’ll see your model, which includes the battery pack size. You should see either Large or Large Plus in the model description.
What You Get By Unlocking
We previously dived deep into Rivian’s battery options for both its Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 series vehicles, but in short, you can expect your Rivian’s range to increase to the same level as a vehicle with a Max battery pack when unlocking the full capacity of the Max battery.
This will take your Rivian R1S or R1T from about 330 miles of range (531 km) to about 420 miles (676 km), depending on the model.
Range Increase
Model
Large/Large+
Max (Dual Motor)
R1T
330 mi / 531 km
420 mi / 676 km
R1S
330 mi / 531 km
410 mi / 660 km
R1S
Large/Large+
Max (Dual Motor)
330 mi / 531 km
410 mi / 660 km
Price to Unlock Max Battery
While Rivian hasn’t announced the price to unlock the Large+ battery’s full potential, expect it to cost about $6,000. This is the same price as purchasing the Max battery pack at the time of configuring your vehicle, so don’t expect a discount, at least initially.
It’s possible as these vehicles get older, Rivian realizes that people may not want to buy a $6,000 add-on for a 5 or 10-year-old vehicle, and at that point, they may consider lowering the price.
Performance Upgrade: Rivian recently announced the ability to purchase the Performance option for dual motor vehicles as well, so owners of Large+ battery packs can double dip and get the Max battery pack and unlock the Performance version of their vehicle as well. Rivian priced the Performance software upgrade at $5,000, which is also the same price as getting it from the factory.
How to Unlock Large+
While the ability to unlock your Large+ battery pack isn’t available yet, expect the upgrade option to be available in the Rivian app and in the vehicle — similar to the Performance upgrade.
Release Date
Wassym didn’t say when the software battery unlock would arrive, but it seems that it will be coming as part of a future OTA update, which will bring the purchase option to your Rivian. Just like with the Dual Performance upgrade, you’ll be able to use Rivian Reward credits towards the unlock as well.
When purchasing a new Dual Motor Rivian, you might have considered the Performance option, which was offered as a $5,000 upgrade at the time of ordering. However, Rivian is now offering the Performance upgrade as an in-app or in-car purchase for Dual Motor R1S and R1T owners.
The Performance upgrade boosts the vehicle’s horsepower and torque, while also introducing new driving modes.
Features
The Dual Motor Performance upgrade adds additional features to the R1S and R1T vehicles, with the most notable being a major performance boost.
This upgrade increases both horsepower and torque, reducing the 0 to 60 mph time from 4.5 seconds to an impressive 3.4 seconds.
In addition to the power boost, the upgrade introduces new driving modes: Sport, Soft Sand, and Rally. Each mode adds specialized capabilities—Sport for track performance, Rally for off-road adventures, and Soft Sand for tackling sandy terrains.
The Performance upgrade is available for Gen 1 and Gen 2 vehicles.
Config
Dual Motor
Dual Motor Performance
Horsepower
533 hp
655 hp
0-60 mph / 0-100 km/h
4.6 seconds
3.5 seconds
Torque
610 lb-ft
829 lb-ft
Launch Mode Reserved for Tri and Quad
Even if you’re familiar with the roller-coaster-like feeling of launching an EV, the performance upgrade is going to be a big step up, and it’ll be a useful upgrade for off-roading too. The noticeable increase in horsepower not only helps you launch with more power but also makes crawling over rocks or pushing through water more effortless.
However, for owners hoping to take their R1 series vehicles to the track, there’s something to keep in mind—this upgrade, just like buying a Dual Motor Performance model, doesn’t include Launch Mode. That feature is only reserved for the Tri and Quad configurations.
Price
If you’re craving a bit more power or want to relive the thrill of launching your Rivian for the first time, the Performance upgrade is likely a great choice. It adds over 120 horsepower, giving you about a 25% boost in performance.
The upgrade costs $5,000 USD / $7,000 CAD, whether purchased over-the-air or at the factory. If you own a Dual Motor Rivian, you can easily buy it through the app or the vehicle itself, available with software update 2024.06 or later.
