Arkansas

[Tdfster]

I agree spending quite a bit of time reading this forum and doing our own looking around is beneficial. And your detailed response is much appreciated!
I'm glad you "clearly are in a delivery area", but it seems Central Arkansas is not so lucky. I still have yet to see an R1S down here in Little Rock, and have only seen 1 R1T here, despite there being several reported on various order tracking lists.

I don't quite get your "didn't want to pay for the expensive 21" tires and that getting the 20" and eventually switching to AS tires would be the right move" part of your post though.
The "20" All-Terrain" wheel/tire option is $1800 more expensive than the "21" Road" with All-Season tires option, which is listed as "Included" on my Configurator.
I've had the more expensive "20" All-Terrain" wheel/tire option selected on my config since July 2021, and I never ordered PPF even after it was added as a new option in the Configurator tool some time ago.
Are you suggesting I could switch my Configurator to the "21" Road" All-Season option to bring my delivery date in s00ner?

I sent an email to Rivian last week asking for R1 Shop access, and I appreciate your James 4:2 quote. Unfortunately I have not yet received a reply from Rivian. I'll try sending the request to Rivian again more specifically this time. Thank you for that advice!

My email to Rivian last week also asked them if I could switch from Red Canyon to Glacier White, or from 20"AT's to 21"AS's, or from Quad Motor to Dual Motor, without delaying my delivery date.
Will reply back here if/when Rivian responds to that email.

I tried calling Rivian first, and also tried their website Chat option, but was placed on a 5-hour waiting list so had to resort to email.
Rivian is probably slammed from the erroneous "Updated R1S August delivery window estimate" emails they sent out to me and other early pre-order holders who are still waiting for a Rivian Guide to contact us.

Hi kdcold,

Since yesterday was a holiday, I would give them time to get back in the office.

You're right, my note wasn't perfectly clear. I was referring to the continuing replacement cost of the tires, not the initial purchase price. The 20s have a lot more options and can be significantly cheaper to replace than 21s. Also can be found at Walmart! See this thread:

https://www.rivianforums.com/scorpion-as-tire-swap-wow-big-difference/

I'm not yet sure if I'll go for the Pirelli Scorpion AS3 275/60 R20s or not, they are the same diameter as the 21s (so I might want to get the settings changed so the odometer, range estimate, etc are more accurate).

To be clear: me changing from 21s to 20s brought my delivery window estimate 3-6 months closer. Then getting access to the shop was how I found one. My best guess is the red color is the bigger factor and possibly location. I know we are in the delivery window bc we have seen several around and we've met a few R1S owners in Fayetteville. It sounds like there might be fewer in Central Arkansas from what you're saying, but if they delivered R1Ts, then you should be fine.

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[krsoundtek]

I have seen several R1Ts in central AR and know for sure two are in Conway. I got mine in June 2022. So service area shouldn't be an issue. I have had mobile service van at Office in LR a few times for minor items or recalls and he indicated there were several in the area. I had a R1T manufacture loaner a few weeks back out of Memphis and the GPS had addresses for Oklahoma, Russellville, Fayetteville, Little Rock, and others.

 

[Tdfster]

I have seen several R1Ts in central AR and know for sure two are in Conway. I got mine in June 2022. So service area shouldn't be an issue. I have had mobile service van at Office in LR a few times for minor items or recalls and he indicated there were several in the area. I had a R1T manufacture loaner a few weeks back out of Memphis and the GPS had addresses for Oklahoma, Russellville, Fayetteville, Little Rock, and others.

Based on the SC map here: https://rivian.com/experience/service I bet Central Arkansas is serviced out of Memphis. NWA is out of KC.

 

[Underwhirled]

I wish that Conway had a DC fast Charger in town. I live in NWA and have meetings in Conway. It would be nice to be able to drive the truck, but in my particular use case, It's difficult to roundtrip it without a DC fast charger in Conway.

 

[Tdfster]

I wish that Conway had a DC fast Charger in town. I live in NWA and have meetings in Conway. It would be nice to be able to drive the truck, but in my particular use case, It's difficult to roundtrip it without a DC fast charger in Conway.

Have you checked Plugshare? It claims Chris Crain has a 62kW one in Conway. Also that Clarksville has a DCFC that could make it work.

Full disclosure: I'm picking my R1S up Friday, so very noob, but been following for awhile.

 

[kdcold]

Since yesterday was a holiday, I would give them time to get back in the office.
…
To be clear: me changing from 21s to 20s brought my delivery window estimate 3-6 months closer. Then getting access to the shop was how I found one. My best guess is the red color is the bigger factor and possibly location.

I had sent my email almost a week earlier, and have still not gotten a reply as of today. They were apparently overwhelmed the last few weeks, prob bc of the quarterly delivery window estimate emails going out. But I did manage to get Tyler on Chat today, and he suggested not changing anything, that I am still on track for Sept-Oct.
No response as to Red color delaying my order.
He did say too that the recent announcement of focus on Dual-Motors surprised his team of CS Reps, but he did not think me switching from QM to DM at this stage would help get my R1S any sooner.

Based on the SC map here: https://rivian.com/experience/service I bet Central Arkansas is serviced out of Memphis. NWA is out of KC.

Tyler did say Memphis is Little Rock’s SC, and that they had some delays getting that SC up & running. He didn’t say that was a reason for my delays from 1H 2023 to (now)October though.
btw- I re-sent my email request for R1 Shop access again Wed, and received a reply that the request was submitted. I still don’t have that access but keeping my eye out for it.

Really all Tyler said on chat today about why my July ‘21 order is coming after much later pre-orders like yours is that some people get really lucky, that mine is pretty much on track with what he would expect.
So consider yourself lucky!

 

[Tdfster]

I had sent my email almost a week earlier, and have still not gotten a reply as of today. They were apparently overwhelmed the last few weeks, prob bc of the quarterly delivery window estimate emails going out. But I did manage to get Tyler on Chat today, and he suggested not changing anything, that I am still on track for Sept-Oct.
No response as to Red color delaying my order.
He did say too that the recent announcement of focus on Dual-Motors surprised his team of CS Reps, but he did not think me switching from QM to DM at this stage would help get my R1S any sooner.


Tyler did say Memphis is Little Rock’s SC, and that they had some delays getting that SC up & running. He didn’t say that was a reason for my delays from 1H 2023 to (now)October though.
btw- I re-sent my email request for R1 Shop access again Wed, and received a reply that the request was submitted. I still don’t have that access but keeping my eye out for it.

Really all Tyler said on chat today about why my July ‘21 order is coming after much later pre-orders like yours is that some people get really lucky, that mine is pretty much on track with what he would expect.
So consider yourself lucky!

@kdcold we are definitely lucky. Glad you got ahold of someone and got some (partial) answers. Hopefully you get yours within your window! Maybe you'll get shop access and get lucky too!

 

[krsoundtek]

I wish that Conway had a DC fast Charger in town. I live in NWA and have meetings in Conway. It would be nice to be able to drive the truck, but in my particular use case, It's difficult to roundtrip it without a DC fast charger in Conway.

I agree! AR needs more in general. Fayetteville could use one for the same reason. Hard to make that a round trip unless you are going up to Rogers for the fast charger or make a stop along the way. Similar issues trying to do one day trips to Memphis. Several chargers on that route have been down for a while or unreliable. I usually have very low range when returning from that trip.

 

[Tdfster]

Just picked up ours in KC today! Long day, but very exciting!!!

Only two issues so far:
Can't get the camp speaker to unlock. (Mobile service appointment already scheduled).
And for some reason I can't get the WiFi to connect to the Internet. I'm tired today and will try again tomorrow. (Already tried rebooting router, vehicle, and got the range extender, etc.)

It drove great!

 

[TexasBob]

Thinking about driving the R1S from Houston up to Springdale for work this week. Am concerned about the limited DCFC and L2 options up there. Looks like Rogers is about it and I would be out of luck otherwise. Thinking about driving the Tesla instead. How reliable is Rogers?

 

[EVTrukHog]

Thinking about driving the R1S from Houston up to Springdale for work this week. Am concerned about the limited DCFC and L2 options up there. Looks like Rogers is about it and I would be out of luck otherwise. Thinking about driving the Tesla instead. How reliable is Rogers?

The EA chargers at Rogers Walmart have always worked for me, but I’m not a frequent user. Check plugshare to confirm.

 

[kdcold]

Well after a month or two of being a progressively squeaky wheel, I finally got some explanation for the delays this year on my July '21 R1S pre-order, and why I have not been given R1 Shop access:
Little Rock is outside Service Center range. While the Memphis SC is only 160mi from WLR, that location is not yet hosting deliveries.

After emphasizing my frustration and my willingness to change configuration and/or pickup location, I subsequently got contact from a "Sales Specialist" who explained a few more things:
1) Memphis SC is not yet "customer-facing"
2) Delivery Window Estimates algorithm is not accurate for pre-orders outside about a 240-mile range of an SC that is hosting deliveries. So it assigns a date range based on other factors, not accounting for the location being undeliverable.
3) Servicing in LR, should it become necessary, will require much more effort since it is outside any SC range.
4) The batching approach Rivian is taking on production is not conducive to the lowest-common-denominator. My Red Canyon choice was apparently in a 3-percentile group, making it even less likely to be produced than more common colors.
5) While changing your config may postpone your Estimated Delivery Window on your account, it is not as directly linked to delays in actual delivery as I had thought. In fact, he made it sound like re-configuring to known common configuration options might actually bring your delivery closer than sticking with less-common choices like Red or Yellow paint.

I let this Sales Specialist know I am willing to travel to most any SC or the Normal factory to pickup an R1S, and willing to switch from Red Canyon to Glacier White, perhaps negotiate interior colors and/or wheel options.
Then he ran a few searches of existing Rivian inventory by SC locations closest to me. Zero Red R1S Quads. There were a few in other colors, just not matching much of my other config choices.

He then searched upcoming production line vehicles, and found a Glacier White R1S scheduled which matches my Quad 20" AT and Ocean Coast/wood interior config.

I was then allowed to lock in my config for a Glacier White R1S with OC/wood and 20" ATs today, and should finally get Guide contact within a few days, potential pickup in Normal in a few weeks.

Very exciting for me! I hope this info is helpful to some of you in AR and the South who are still waiting for an old pre-order like I have been.
The full opening of that Memphis SC should really help get more R1s delivered into AR and other Southern states.
And potential new SCs in LA, MS, and AL will help those a little further South than me!

 

[Riviam]

Just jumping in here. Picked up my R1S in Springdale yesterday (11/10/23), delivered from Kansas City. I live in Little Rock. Will be fun to see more Rivians on the road soon!

 

[kdcold]

Just jumping in here. Picked up my R1S in Springdale yesterday (11/10/23), delivered from Kansas City. I live in Little Rock. Will be fun to see more Rivians on the road soon!

Congrats @Riviam!!

I also picked up my R1S on Friday!

Picked mine up in Normal and got to do the factory tour, too. Drove down to Greers Ferry first, drove around to Heber & back Saturday, heading in to Little Rock today. Absolutely loving it!

I did end up with a white one. Only disappointment about the whole process was seeing several Red R1S’s at the factory and thinking that confirms all my delays were about nothing more than distance from a “delivering” SC.

Let’s have a meetup with @ChrisAaron & others in Central AR! Maybe one night this week or I could do anytime after 11/21.

 

[Riviam]

Congrats @Riviam!!

I also picked up my R1S on Friday!

Picked mine up in Normal and got to do the factory tour, too. Drove down to Greers Ferry first, drove around to Heber & back Saturday, heading in to Little Rock today. Absolutely loving it!

I did end up with a white one. Only disappointment about the whole process was seeing several Red R1S’s at the factory and thinking that confirms all my delays were about nothing more than distance from a “delivering” SC.

Let’s have a meetup with @ChrisAaron & others in Central AR! Maybe one night this week or I could do anytime after 11/21.

Yes, that was confirmed to me by the "sales team". Memphis and Tulsa not being online yet (for deliveries) is the source of both process delays and restricted access to the R1 shop. Would be fun to get the Rivians together. Have another friend in midtown LR who will be getting his very soon.

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