Exclusive Interview: Rivian’s VP Of Software Discusses The Brands’ Software Advantage

/ October 16, 2023

From Tom Moloughney.

Rivian has been pushing out major OTA software updates often lately, so I reached out to the startup electric automaker and asked for an interview to discuss the brand’s software strategy. I was delighted to hear that Wassym Bensaid, Rivian’s Vice President of software operations has agreed to come on for this interview.

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Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:13 Last month’s 2023.34.0 OTA update details
03:13 The latest update (2023.38.4) details
05:30 My interview with Wassym Bensaid begins
06:30 We discuss how 2023.34.0 improved the vehicle’s ride quality
09:50 I ask Wassym what the limits of software enhancement are
12:12 The importance of developing an in-house software stack
19:30 Wassym discusses the latest update, 2023.38.0
23:22 I ask Wassym for more in-vehicle charging data and he promised to deliver it!
25:23 The new software reduces some cases of vampire drain by up to 35%
29:05 Do Rivian vehicles have headroom for future software enhancements?
30:05 Does Rivian have a goal for the number of annual OTA updates?

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