No/Low Regrets Cost-Cutting Opportunities

[Donald Stanfield]

Take out the camp speaker and all the charging for it and put a lockable pull out drawer in its place. It would be cheaper, and people would PAY for that as an upgrade. Just a keyed lock no need to get fancy with it.

Sponsored

 

[duessell]

Why not get a car or CUV EV then?

Even at low, it's still better clearance for my situation than any other EV. And I really want to be able to haul 4 bikes without much trouble. Tailgate pad and hitch rack with sufficient tongue weight rating are the two best options. That means truck or big SUV.

 

[Biturbowned]

First aid kit is still an add-on option, right?

No, it came w/ mine and I didn’t option it.

 

[staytuned]

Yeah, I had wanted Explore to begin with for sure. I get that they need a way to raise prices without raising prices though... and needed to reduce manufacturing complexity.

I always had Adventure chosen, because ventilated seats are a non-negotiable for us.

Anecdotally: I'd pay even more for a "real leather" seat option, but wouldn't choose wood trim or a glass roof. Too bad 'a la carte' builds are a thing of the past.

At the very least, I think it would make a ton of sense for Rivian to eventually produce a barebones fleet spec. And maybe offset that with an ultra-lux spec.

 

[Dark-Fx]

There's no way I'm hanging 4 bikes off the back of a Bolt and F-150 Lightning is too big to fit in my garage. R1S is the most legit 3-row electric SUV right now. Just wondering what features care about least.

You've got options. I've had as many as six on the car, including a tandem, but I didn't take a photo of that time.

 

[mini2nut]

The two standard features that I will probably never use;

-camp speaker
-cable guard for the bed

 

[R1Tom]

You've got options. I've had as many as six on the car, including a tandem, but I didn't take a photo of that time.

I think there is no better value in the vehicle world than the Bolt EUV.

 

[sub]

Why not get a car or CUV EV then?

Because putting 4 children in the 2nd row of a car is illegal - as is leaving one of them behind.

But the way things are going my infant might be driving himself before Rivian delivers my R1S.

 

[kylealden]

You've got options. I've had as many as six on the car, including a tandem, but I didn't take a photo of that time.

I do love the convenience of hauling bikes in a truck bed (although it's a bit impaired by the Rivian's short bed and the preciousness of the tailgate), but it's got to be one of the least "need a truck" truck tasks of all time. You can safely carry four bikes on a Miata if you want to.

 

[R1Sky Business]

I'd be OK with those deletions ... but bring back the wood surround on the back of the front seats. It's a small detail that adds to that premium look.

Other potential low hanging fruit is the First Aid kit (you can get a cheap one on Amazon) and tire compressor (ditto).

Only accepting deletions at this time

 

[duessell]

I always had Adventure chosen, because ventilated seats are a non-negotiable for us.

Anecdotally: I'd pay even more for a "real leather" seat option, but wouldn't choose wood trim or a glass roof. Too bad 'a la carte' builds are a thing of the past.

At the very least, I think it would make a ton of sense for Rivian to eventually produce a barebones fleet spec. And maybe offset that with an ultra-lux spec.

Agree on the barebones spec.

I'd forgotten about the ventilated seats. I live in a heating-dominated climate and worry about a liquid spilling and being impossible to clean out of the perforated seats.

 

[R1Sky Business]

F that. I put my order in for a specific vehicle with specific features over two years ago. That’s the truck I want.

Tank turn & electrochromatic glass roof

 

[RWerksman]

Hmm. Here is my list:

• 180-degree tailgate
• Electrochromic Roof
• Lidar
• L3 autonomous driving

Seriously though:

• Stupid Bluetooth speaker
• Stupid POS wireless charging mat
• Flashlight that I've never used
• Power tonneau cover (a manual rollback one would be fine)
• Power charging port cover (a manual rollback one would be fine)

Between those five features, we would be well into the four digits per vehicle. Literally $25M-$500M per year for stuff that are most likely not dealbreakers. That doesn't even factor in the warranty savings.

 

[kylealden]

This is a fun discussion and the survey results are interesting. Two general observations:

1. Don't underestimate the value of a halo feature. The camp speaker and flashlight are probably a little silly from a margin perspective, but consistently get more "oh wow that's so cool" reactions from hands on demos than dozens of more deserving features. Thoughtful flourishes stick in the mind more than "mere" function and are a powerful marketing tool.
2. Supply chain and manufacturing complexity are a hell of a thing. Explore is canned for the same reason you can't buy a metal roof Tesla: It's cheaper to do the same thing everywhere than to have two lines/procedures, at least until you're well down the path of a mature production ramp.

 

[duessell]

You've got options. I've had as many as six on the car, including a tandem, but I didn't take a photo of that time.

Yep, I've thought about that configuration. I just hate putting bikes on the roof.

Sponsored