Official Rivian Email: A Look Ahead to 2023. Rivian Membership cancelled and unbundled into subscription services

[crashmtb]

It’s funny, when my wife and I each got a new car, they came with a year of satellite radio. We tried it, we didnt use it, we didn’t renew it, but at least they gave us a taste.

Rivian had said Membership for your first year. I figured that would give me the chance to try it and see if we will use it.

Making me pay from tel he get go, after shelling out $80k, would make me inclined to not even try it.

If I never have it, I won’t know what I am missing.

It’s much better marketing to give the owner a taste, and make them want/need to come back for more. Just ask the drug dealer.

SiriusXM free trials also come with 5 free years of Sirius trying to get you to subscribe!

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[yizzung]

Kind of ambivalent about this. Half the people are mad that they will have to pay for RAN and other half are mad because there are no RAN anywhere to actually use. Ha. Not sure it's a huge benefit to have free charging included when I have to drive 90 miles to use said free charger.

Having this be optional probably makes the most sense although I think they are overestimating how many people are going to subscribe to a national charging network with a couple dozen chargers in remote places. What's the point exactly?

You really want everyone to participate so that the cost of building out the network is spread widely. The actual number of subscribers could ultimately be so small that they kill off RAN altogether because they can't justify the cost. Strange move at this stage IMO.

 

[dleepnw]

I assume they'll take the Tesla approach, and only cover basic navigation, no traffic, and that's it. No streaming, no video, no hotspot, and probably a limited navigation experience in general.

sad thing is based on what ive seen, Rivian's navigation is already "basic" so not sure how it could be less functional without Membership.

 

[DJG]

I don't get what the confusion and/or consternation is about this.

Before, they envisioned the Membership to be a bundled service, which would have been unique in the industry. As of now, that only included LTE connectivity and free RAN charging. The email says that they have decided to scrap the Membership idea and just have a la carte things that you can pay for. This is the same as every other brand, so they are just falling in line. You will have the option to pay for LTE connectivity, like you have the option to do in every other vehicle. You will also have to pay for charging, because duh.

You will need the LTE service to get live traffic, satellite view on maps, wifi hotspot and music streaming (video if/when that is added). That's the same as it is in any other car. I paid several hundred dollars per year for these things with Audi. Vehicle connectivity will not require LTE connectivity, as least for the base features that exist today. Same as any other vehicle. If the industry moves that direction though, you can expect Rivian to follow.

They say that they will explore other new services to offer for a price in the future, but no details yet. These would be new things that don't exist today, and no one is forced or obligated to buy them. These could be the things they've alluded to in the past, such as new drive modes, enhanced autonomous capabilities (far down the line if/when they are developed), and potentially things like the Enhanced Dual Motor software unlock after the fact, etc.

In essence, this communication is that they have decided to fall in line with the rest of the industry and give choice rather than an all or nothing Membership.

 

[COdogman]

SiriusXM free trials also come with 5 free years of Sirius trying to get you to subscribe!

Yes, with hourly calls! They really go crazy if you try to cancel.

 

[IPTV65]

I fully expected them to start charging me a subscription fee. Who doesn't these days? The question is how big is the gap between the value they perceive in their "offering" and what I feel it is worth. I agree with others the lack of a description of said "offering" given the announcement was not helpful to them or us.

I just hope they play the long game and keep it reasonable. As long as there is real value I might not love it but I will pay it. ...or do something I hate but my kids love...I seem to always get stuck paying for that sort of thing no matter the cost(Disney+)!

 

[DJG]

Having this be optional probably makes the most sense although I think they are overestimating how many people are going to subscribe to a national charging network with a couple dozen chargers in remote places. What's the point exactly?

You really want everyone to participate so that the cost of building out the network is spread widely. The actual number of subscribers could ultimately be so small that they kill off RAN altogether because they can't justify the cost. Strange move at this stage IMO.

No one is going to subscribe to RAN. They are saying you will pay at the pump like everywhere else.

 

[COdogman]

The fact that so many people can take their email communication in so many ways is the most classically Rivian thing of all.

 

[Guy]

I don't get what the confusion and/or consternation is about this.

Before, they envisioned the Membership to be a bundled service, which would have been unique in the industry. As of now, that only included LTE connectivity and free RAN charging. The email says that they have decided to scrap the Membership idea and just have a la carte things that you can pay for. This is the same as every other brand, so they are just falling in line. You will have the option to pay for LTE connectivity, like you have the option to do in every other vehicle. You will also have to pay for charging, because duh.

You will need the LTE service to get live traffic, satellite view on maps, wifi hotspot and music streaming (video if/when that is added). That's the same as it is in any other car. I paid several hundred dollars per year for these things with Audi. Vehicle connectivity will not require LTE connectivity, as least for the base features that exist today. Same as any other vehicle. If the industry moves that direction though, you can expect Rivian to follow.

They say that they will explore other new services to offer for a price in the future, but no details yet. These would be new things that don't exist today, and no one is forced or obligated to buy them. These could be the things they've alluded to in the past, such as new drive modes, enhanced autonomous capabilities (far down the line if/when they are developed), and potentially things like the Enhanced Dual Motor software unlock after the fact, etc.

In essence, this communication is that they have decided to fall in line with the rest of the industry and give choice rather than an all or nothing Membership.

I agree with going ala carte. I think some of the confusion is that we were told you would have one year of free services from delivery. That no longer seems to be the case.

 

[rivianUGA]

To be clear, because seems to be some confusion here. Driver+ is a standard feature on Rivian. It will never have an extra cost or be part of a membership fee. Level 3 driving, which the rivian is capable of is not yet offered as far as I know. Perhaps it's being tested by some employees. But that will almost certainly be a subscription when it becomes available.

 

[derekmw]

I was hoping RAN would be always free on their first group of customers (like the first group of Model S got) - being that the RAN is barely built out, and we are early adopters who are supporting their future. But I guess that won't happen. Not a huge deal since I rarely will use them, but just a bit disappointing.

 

[yizzung]

No one is going to subscribe to RAN. They are saying you will pay at the pump like everywhere else.

The email absolutely does not say that. It just says services will be unbundled.

 

[DJG]

I agree with going ala carte. I think some of the confusion is that we were told you would have one year of free services from delivery. That no longer seems to be the case.

Yeah, shit happens and life isn't fair. ~$150 isn't worth the energy needed to complain about it. $150 is an afterthought for an individual customer, but is meaningful when multiplied by tens of thousands of vehicles for Rivian. It's a waste of money to give it away for free.

 

[Cosmacelf]

I'm just a bit disappointed in the RAN expected coverage for 2023. The following is not a lot and doesn't cover anything in CA, which must be a lot of customers.

"We plan to add multiple routes in the next few months, including Southeast Michigan to the Upper Peninsula, Portland to Central and Southern Oregon and I-95 connecting NYC to DC."

 

[VSG]

I'm saying it needs to become a revenue stream...

They could start by asking non-Rivians to pay for their charging ... It annoys me a bit that Rivian is giving away hundreds of dollars of free charging to non-Rivian owners, and giving away hundreds of dollars of free charging to Rivian owners who happen to live near a RAN station. But LE owners like me get nothing.

So I would suggest first start charging non-Rivians for use of the RAN, second, limit all Rivian owners to a certain number of free charges or a certain dollar value of free charges, that way we all end up with the same benefit regardless of when we get our vehicle or where we live.

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