That headline is accurate.
At Rivian’s Autonomy and AI Day in Palo Alto, California on Thursday, the automaker introduced its new Universal Hands-Free (UHF) driver-assist system, which will be accessible on more than 3.5 million miles of roads across the USA and Canada.
Launching later this month for second-generation R1 vehicles, the UHF system will be included in a free software update, expected to be version 2025.46 for those tracking it, according to a Rivian spokesperson who spoke to The Drive.
Rivian’s existing hands-free driver-assist technology, referred to as Enhanced Highway Assist, operates on 135,000 miles of mapped routes, mainly highways, in the U.S. and Canada. This system depends on map data along with the vehicle’s cameras and radar, meaning it functions only on mapped routes. The new UHF system transitions towards a real-time approach.
Rivian indicated that this system will function both on and off highways on roads that have well-defined lane markings, representing a significant enhancement in capabilities compared to the current system.
A Rivian representative stated to The Drive, “the 3.5 million-mile projection is derived from our evaluation of marked roads using a third-party data source.” This suggests that the UHF system does not depend on map data like the current Enhanced Highway Assist but operates in real-time to interpret road conditions, which also unlocks a substantial increase in the areas where drivers can utilize Rivians in hands-free mode.
The UHF system will function similarly to the existing Enhanced Highway Assist concerning operation, as noted by a Rivian spokesperson speaking to The Drive. It will be activated by double tapping the gear selector down.
The UHF system utilizes Rivian’s second-generation electrical architecture and sensor suite, meaning all second-generation R1T and R1S models will be eligible for the free over-the-air software update that enables these functionalities. First-generation R1 models, lacking the current Enhanced Highway Assist, will not support UHF or receive this feature.
This hardware compilation is extensive, including an internally developed RTK GNSS (real-time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System) utilizing GPS coupled with ground station signals to refine the vehicle’s position to within 20 cm of its latitude and longitude, alongside 10 external cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and 5 radar units, as well as a high-precision GPS receiver.
Thus far, Rivian has provided second-generation R1 owners with its Autonomy+ package, inclusive of the Enhanced Highway Assist function, at no cost for a trial period until the end of 2025. As the UHF launches and takes over the current system, Rivian will maintain this free trial for users initially. The automaker intends to begin charging $49.99 monthly or a single payment of $2,500 in 2026, with new owners offered a 60-day free trial. If the $2,500 one-time fee is chosen instead of the monthly subscription, lifetime Autonomy+ access will be tied to the vehicle throughout its life, regardless of ownership changes.
This represents the beginning of what’s ahead, according to a Rivian spokesperson who informed The Drive. The UHF system will evolve further with additional functionalities quickly. Over the upcoming year, UHF is set to include capabilities such as detecting traffic lights and stop signs, among other improvements.
Rivian envisions its evolution toward a fully autonomous Level 4 point-to-point driving experience that necessitates no input from the driver. This progress will be facilitated by a newly developed in-house silicon chipset and the addition of Lidar, which is expected to first appear on the R2 models in late 2026.
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