As essential as issues like touchscreens and software program are to the trendy automotive expertise, we seldom cease to ask why every little thing seems to be so ugly.
Your common automobile’s touchscreen and menus probably have all of the performance of a Palm Pre, with the aesthetic attraction and inventive worth of a Fort Price outlet mall. Their menus and controls typically really feel haphazardly designed and look totally forgettable. That is true even after greater than a decade of in-car display dominance and a future we’re always informed is centered round over-the-air updates and smartphone-like tech options.
So when Rivian got down to fully overhaul its in-car software program expertise, its designers declared that issues don’t need to be this manner.
The electrical startup’s newest infotainment setup options cel-shaded depictions of its vehicles and SUVs, offset by animated depictions of various landscapes, vibrant colours, velocity traces such as you’d discover in a Japanese manga comedian and tons of “Easter eggs” within the backgrounds. New updates even give the software program “costumes” impressed by basic TV reveals and flicks like Again to the Future and Knight Rider.
After I requested Rivian’s Chief Design Officer Jeff Hammoud why his staff went this route, one phrase got here up time and again: “Optimism.”
“We felt it was a chance to have a bit of little bit of enjoyable and create a persona across the automobile,” Hammoud mentioned in a latest interview. Greater than that, he mentioned, the brand new software program interfaces replicate a philosophy inside Rivian. “We would like all of it to look inviting,” Hammoud mentioned. “Our automobiles have a pleasant look and that’s a part of our model… that optimism round what we’re making an attempt to do by electrification and defending the world for our youngsters.”
Picture by: InsideEVs
2025 Rivian R1S and R1T Graphics
Rivian’s new interface language went dwell this summer season on the closely up to date 2025 R1S and R1T fashions and through software program updates to earlier vehicles. They offer homeowners an animated illustration of their car that spins and transforms as they regulate issues like trip peak settings and the assorted driving modes.
On one other automobile, switching to sport mode would possibly imply a brand new set of gauges on the central show or shifting the menus to a crimson shade scheme. However on an R1S or R1T, a cartoon depiction of the automobile zooms onto what seems to be like a race monitor as its glowing taillights fade right into a red-and-white background. As an alternative of pop-ups to verify you’re in “Snow Mode” or some off-road setting, Rivian provides a shift to an enthralling winter panorama or the car perched atop a rocky mountain. Clouds, windmills and birds transfer about within the backgrounds and all of those visuals tackle a unique character at evening as properly.
Picture by: InsideEVs
2025 Rivian R1S and R1T Graphics
None of that is important for a automobile to operate correctly, after all, and it’s extremely unlikely that these animated graphics shall be a make-or-break promoting level. However they add a ton of one thing intangible—character—to Rivian’s vehicles, they usually flip one thing that was an afterthought at finest into one thing you truly sit up for utilizing. And Hammoud mentioned {that a} ton of effort went into devising how this ecosystem ought to feel and look.
“We used this concept of manga-style [or] Studio Ghibli movies, these actually optimistic films the place you’re feeling such as you’re in one other world, and actually taking that into a method the place we might create the completely different worlds of the drive modes,” Hammoud mentioned. He’s after all referring to the famed Japanese animated classics from Hayao Miyazaki and different creators like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Supply Service and, most not too long ago, The Boy and the Heron. All of these are landmark animated movies launched to worldwide acclaim. However Hammoud mentioned additionally they share the overall vibe Rivian goes for as of late.
Picture by: InsideEVs
2025 Rivian R1S and R1T Graphics
“You take a look at one thing like Akira, versus Studio Ghibli,” he mentioned, referring to the Eighties comedian and landmark animated movie a couple of dystopian future. The latter is “a bit of bit extra optimistic and on the pleasant aspect of that. We need to talk energy and dynamism with the car, however we nonetheless needed to have this kind of, ‘sitting down Sunday morning watching cartoons along with your children’ vibe with it as properly.”
That stands in stark distinction with one other eye-catching electrical car designed that has a distinctly apocalyptic power: onerous angles, allegedly bulletproof stainless-steel, a “Bioweapon Protection Mode.” Whereas Hammoud didn’t point out it by identify, he made clear that he, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe and their design groups didn’t share the identical philosophy.
Picture by: InsideEVs
2025 Rivian R1S and R1T Graphics
“Once you take a look at vehicles, their faces are very aggressive, very offended, just like the entrance ends might eat young children,” Hammoud mentioned. “Purposely, we’re like, ‘All proper, properly, we do not want a giant grill.’ We would like it to look inviting. Have a look at our headlight shapes. Our automobiles have a pleasant look.”
A lot of this was afforded by the ability of the Unreal Engine, a 3D graphics software program system made well-known in video video games that’s now making its technique to the automotive world. This allowed Rivian’s artists and designers to “scale” all these new photos simply with out having to attract each individually.
“It was actually necessary to us that no matter automobile you’ve gotten, it’s the proper set of wheels and it is the proper shade [on the screen], in order that manner we’re taking a look at is definitely consultant of your car,” Hammoud mentioned. “If we needed to create, which is what we did prior to now, a picture for each single [Rivian color or option], that’s hundreds and hundreds of photos.”
With the Unreal Engine, Hammoud mentioned, “You set within the specs of the car, like if it is a Forest Inexperienced automobile with 22s, you simply put that into the code, and growth, it is rendered and it updates.”
Picture by: InsideEVs
2025 Rivian R1S and R1T Graphics
Rivian isn’t alone in making an attempt so as to add a extra distinctive look and character to its software program expertise in addition to its exterior designs. Mini not too long ago added a cartoon canine to its infotainment methods as an AI-powered digital assistant, and a number of other Chinese language automakers are taking related approaches. And as with these vehicles, Rivian’s strategy goes past mere visuals; these features symbolize new methods for drivers to work together with their vehicles and management their options within the software-driven car period.
So does it work? Based mostly on a latest check of a 2025 Rivian R1S, I feel the reply is generally sure. It’s pretty simple to search out the features you need and the large, vibrant shows symbolize novel methods of presenting data to the motive force. That’s essential since Rivian famously—or maybe infamously—eschews most bodily buttons and Apple CarPlay in its EVs. It additionally goals to do extra with voice controls, though it has a methods to go there to match many rivals.
However this strategy to software program does present what Rivian’s product of, and why a standard conglomerate just like the Volkswagen Group sees such worth in what the corporate does. That 2025 R1S acquired higher whereas I had it, receiving an over-the-air software program replace that improved the power and effectivity gauges (and put them consistent with the remainder of the automobile’s new inventive language) whereas correcting some points with the stereo and including the Halloween-themed visuals.
And till Rivian can get the upcoming R2, R3 and R3X fashions on the street, it’s acquired extra in retailer for its present vehicles each by software program updates and extra tweaks—although Hammoud was cagey about what precisely is coming subsequent.
“We’ve got some new updates which are coming subsequent 12 months on R1 that I am excited to share, some particular editions,” Hammoud mentioned. “I will depart it at that.”
Contact the writer: [email protected]
24
