Rivian‘s first-ever electric adventure trucks aim to take owners way beyond the beaten path in sustainable style. Under the skin, the startup EV maker jams next-gen trucks with cutting-edge tech to push limits over any terrain. An adjustable air suspension system comes standard that owners can manually tweak for clearing rocky trails or stable towing.
But Rivian‘s engineers discovered the high-tech suspension has even more potential benefits just waiting to be unlocked in software. Recent over-the-air updates activated two new modes leveraging ride height flexibility to make owners‘ lives easier:
- Camp Mode – Self-levels on angled sites for sleeping comfort
- Kneel Mode – Lowers running boards for easier cabin access
Beyond basic descriptions, what do these clever features actually do under the sheet metal? And what does their addition mean for the future possibilities of digitally reconfigurable electric trucks?
Let‘s dig deeper on the mechanical magic making modes like kneel and camp possible, how they improve real-world usability, and where Rivian might innovate next with flexible ride height at their fingertips!
Engineering the Future: How Rivian‘s Air Suspension System Works
Instead of steel coils or leaf springs, Rivian vehicles float on a quartet of air springs – essentially inflated, heavy-duty rubber bladders. The onboard compressor can add or release air pressure to raise or lower the suspension‘s height.
Adjusting ride height has some key handling and performance advantages:
| Ride Height | Ground Clearance | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 5.1 inches | Improved aerodynamics Lowers center of gravity for on-road stability when loaded |
| Standard | 8.3 – 9.4 inches | Balances clearance and stability for typical driving |
| High | Up to 14.4 inches | Maximum clearance for off-road obstacles |
| Kneel Mode | ~7 inches | Easier entry/exit from vehicle |
Rivian trucks adjust ground clearance across a wide spectrum for different needs
The four air springs allow "articulation" as well – meaning each corner can be tuned individually. This enables the self-leveling smarts Rivian added with Camp Mode.
Advanced sensors detect subtle vehicle angles and pitch on uneven ground. Automated software commands the compressor to inflate or deflate each air spring precisely to eliminate tilting and even out the chassis.
All adjustments happen fluidly while driving too for ramping over rocks or squatting under heavy payload. An actively managed suspension optimizes traction and control as conditions change.
Getting In and Out: Kneel Mode‘s Entry/Exit Advantage
First out the software gate, Camp Mode showed off the hidden potential of Rivian‘s chassis mechanics. But the all-new Kneel Mode may prove most popular by solving a ubiquitous issue for truck owners: ease of entry and exit.
The R1T and R1S ride taller than average vehicles, with roughly 9 inches of ground clearance. While great for not bottoming out on trails, the height can make climbing into and down from the cab more challenging, especially for shorter-statured drivers or older owners with limited mobility.
Active Kneel Mode eliminates that friction by temporarily dropping ride height 4-5 inches when parked:
- Outer door handles hover closer to waist level
- Running boards sit lower to boost stair-step leverage
- Reduced vertical climb to reach cabin floor level
Lowering the suspension closer to pavement similarly streamlines loading gear through the bed or side compartments.
Based on accessibility standards, reducing climb height from 9 inches down to under 8 makes a substantial impact for improving truck usability.
Opening the Door Wider to Universal Access
Beyond sheer convenience, Kneel Mode also helps Rivian trucks better serve drivers with disabilities and mobility limitations.
The extra handful of inches dropped by kneeling cuts both physical strain and fall risk for pulling oneself into a tall cabin. Similarly, exiting becomes less taxing on back, hips, knees and ankles.
By easing cabin access, Kneel Mode enables more people to actually use and enjoy Rivian‘s cutting-edge electric truck platform.
And since Kneel Mode works consistently anytime the vehicle is parked, owners with assistive devices can rely on lowered running boards being there every time they approach or leave their truck.
Kneel Mode makes cabin access easier for those with mobility limitations
The principles of universal design dictate that accessibility features help more than just the direct beneficiaries. A kneel mode offers advantages for parents buckling in small children, ranchers lugging material in and out of the bed, or tired campers struggling to climb back aboard after a full day on the trails.
Rivian seems keenly focused on broadening their electric truck appeal from weekend warrior niche to welcoming mainstreameroos. Modes like kneel that enhance real-life livability for diverse owners help drive that messaging home.
And RJ Scaringe‘s team is just getting started…
Lowering Barriers: Both Physical and Ownership
Beyond literally lowering ride height in situ, Kneel Mode also lowers barriers to electric truck adoption at large.
It provides a small yet meaningful new reason to consider vehicles like the R1T or R1S against lumbering, less-efficient gasoline legacy models.
Showcasing unique digital malleability hints that electrified platforms brim with potential still being unearthed. Traditional trucks only ever act as designed – no more, no less. Rivians get better over time with new software-defined behaviors.
Rivian‘s OTA upgrade structure means they can efficiently keep rolling out improvements at scale too. Hypothetically, an owner might soon activate a future Cargo Load mode automatically tailoring ride height, damping, and alerts to smooth unstable trailers based on weight.
Or perhaps a future Automated Hitch Assist mode will flawlessly back up and self-couple to a 5th wheel at the press of a button.
The trucks already contain both the hardware capabilities AND software updatability to make innovative modes like those eventual realities with enough engineering refinement.
Rivian‘s rollout of Camp and Kneel Modes sets an appetizing precedent going forward. It spotlights their unique focus not just on raw mechanical abilities or efficiency benchmarks, but the entire user experience around electric vehicle ownership.
Blazing an Accessible Trail to the Future
While leading hardware clearly provides the fertile foundation, Rivian‘s secret sauce shines through advanced software augmenting those bones in perpetually more capable ways. Modes like kneel and camp spotlight the company‘s user-centric ethos around delighting owners rather than just metering maximum mileage between charges.
Sure, the R1T can already trek 314 miles on its biggest battery. But views from the driver‘s seat just keep getting better and better thanks to Rivian‘s experience designers.
Today bringing kneeling ease of entry and self-leveling camp comfort overnight. Tomorrow? The sky‘s no limit for digital innovation…with Rivian‘s cloud-connected brain trust beaming boundless potential right into your electric adventure truck on each new dawn!
How would you like to see Rivian flex their vehicles‘ capabilities in the future? Brainstorm creative concepts or real issues these features could address!
