Published on: December 19, 2025 3:58 PM Rivian has taken a strong step in electric vehicle innovation by rolling out a new hands-free driving feature, intensifying competition with major players like Tesla and Ford in the global EV market. The upgrade arrives through a fresh software update for second-generation R1 vehicles, showing Rivian’s clear push toward smarter and more autonomous driving systems. Known as Universal Hands-Free, the feature allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel on more than 3.5 million miles of roads across the United States and Canada. Unlike earlier versions that worked only on highways, the system now functions on highways and surface streets where lane markings remain clearly visible. Read more : Punjab plans steep hike in traffic fines up to Rs20,000 Previously, Rivian’s hands-free driving coverage was limited to nearly 135,000 miles of highways, making this update a major expansion in everyday driving usability. The company introduced the feature during its first Autonomy and AI Day, underlining its increasing focus on software-driven vehicle intelligence. Despite the hands-free capability, drivers are required to stay fully alert because the system cannot stop at traffic lights, respond to stop signs, take turns, or follow navigation directions. If a driver manually uses the turn signal, the system automatically resumes after the lane change is completed.