Launch edition R1S

[Mygrain]

Hello, my guide has configured me with launch edition R1S? Is this a 2022 build? Currently delivery is in pending estimate limbo? Should I take a adventure model from shop?? I will have to pay 2500 more for the 20 “ wheels if I do that, I’m in vancouver, Canada, no guarantee that adventure model is any “newer”
Please advise!!

Circumstantial evidence (from watching the shop for 4 months) indicates that Rivian is still building Launch Editions, and Rivian is building some Launch Editions strictly for shop inventory (not tied to any outstanding order). This is relevant to your situation because guides also pull vehicles from shop inventory. On the R1S side, Launch Editions were extremely rare a month ago. But this week, LE's made up typically 20% of the R1S inventory. I don't believe that all those are last-minute cancellations. Many of the R1S LE's in the shop have a $3500 dark 20" wheel option. People who configured a Launch Edition back in 2020 could choose 21" wheels (base equipment) or a "bright" wheel upgrade for FREE or dark wheel upgrade for $3500. Guess which one was most popular.

Launch Editions sell quickly in the shop. 24 hours ago, my shop had 35 R1S's and 9 were Launch editions. As I type this, my shop has 30 R1S's and 4 are Launch Editions. Bottom line: I bet that most of the Launch Editions currently in the shop are recent builds. If your guide is offering to match you to a specific vehicle, he/she undoubtedly knows the VIN and should be able to tell you.

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[Gamma rays]

How can one find out whether a LE in the shop is a new/recent built or old stock (possibly rejected by other reservation holders)?

GR

 

[Sevn86]

How can one find out whether a LE in the shop is a new/recent built or old stock (possibly rejected by other reservation holders)?

GR

Anything coming in now has to be newer stock. I would jump on an LE and save some money if I were you. That’s what I did back in June.

 

[R1TS]

Circumstantial evidence (from watching the shop for 4 months) indicates that Rivian is still building Launch Editions, and Rivian is building some Launch Editions strictly for shop inventory (not tied to any outstanding order). This is relevant to your situation because guides also pull vehicles from shop inventory. On the R1S side, Launch Editions were extremely rare a month ago. But this week, LE's made up typically 20% of the R1S inventory. I don't believe that all those are last-minute cancellations. Many of the R1S LE's in the shop have a $3500 dark 20" wheel option. People who configured a Launch Edition back in 2020 could choose 21" wheels (base equipment) or a "bright" wheel upgrade for FREE or dark wheel upgrade for $3500. Guess which one was most popular.

Launch Editions sell quickly in the shop. 24 hours ago, my shop had 35 R1S's and 9 were Launch editions. As I type this, my shop has 30 R1S's and 4 are Launch Editions. Bottom line: I bet that most of the Launch Editions currently in the shop are recent builds. If your guide is offering to match you to a specific vehicle, he/she undoubtedly knows the VIN and should be able to tell you.

If the people at my service center are to be believed, all those launch editions in the shop are reservation cancellations. And, Rivian will continue to build Launch Editions through this year at least because there are that many early reservations that still have not been taken delivery of yet. Some due to proximity to a service center, some due to personally delaying delivery, etc.

 

[Redline]

I’d bet a few a people were stretched to get a LE when they first ordered it, and now with today’s rates, they simply can’t pull the trigger.

 

[Mygrain]

If the people at my service center are to be believed, all those launch editions in the shop are reservation cancellations. And, Rivian will continue to build Launch Editions through this year at least because there are that many early reservations that still have not been taken delivery of yet. Some due to proximity to a service center, some due to personally delaying delivery, etc.

I have no doubt that some are cancellations. And maybe they all are. And it's nearly impossible for us on the outside to know for sure. I'll just point out that several weeks ago there were some Launch Editions in the shop with the All-Terrain Upgrade option. There was a 4-day window (November 16-20, 2020) when reservation holders could configure a Launch Edition. Options that Rivian introduced later, such as the All-Terrain Upgrade and the much-maligned vegan leather dash, were never available for Launch Edition preorders. Therefore, a Launch Edition with the All-Terrain Upgrade could not be a reservation cancellation -- it must have been built for the R1 Shop. There were definitely a few in the shop (but not recently), and that's what started my suspicion that Rivian was building at least a few Launch Editions for shop inventory.

I definitely believe there are people still waiting (for one reason or another) with reservations dating back to 2018 and 2019. I'm one of them.

 

[R1TS]

I have no doubt that some are cancellations. And maybe they all are. And it's nearly impossible for us on the outside to know for sure. I'll just point out that several weeks ago there were some Launch Editions in the shop with the All-Terrain Upgrade option. There was a 4-day window (November 16-20, 2020) when reservation holders could configure a Launch Edition. Options that Rivian introduced later, such as the All-Terrain Upgrade and the much-maligned vegan leather dash, were never available for Launch Edition preorders. Therefore, a Launch Edition with the All-Terrain Upgrade could not be a reservation cancellation -- it must have been built for the R1 Shop. There were definitely a few in the shop (but not recently), and that's what started my suspicion that Rivian was building at least a few Launch Editions for shop inventory.

I definitely believe there are people still waiting (for one reason or another) with reservations dating back to 2018 and 2019. I'm one of them.

I can understand the suspicion, but it seems really odd that they would be building Launch Editions specifically for the shop.

It doesn’t generate any revenue versus a similar Adventure build. So, why make a LE with the extra expense of the wristband just to sell it in the shop. That makes no sense.

 

[JoulesVerne]

If you have 5,000 sets of 20" dark AT wheels sitting in a warehouse somewhere from cancellations, bad demand forecasting, or some other reason, you put them on vehicles and you put them up for sale.

Yes you take a hit on the $20 wristband but your job as a manufacturer is to reduce inventory by turning it into cash.

My guess is that they want to get rid of some surplus inventory (rims, underbody shield, whatever) by giving people a slight discount on them as an incentive to buy now.

 

[Gamma rays]

If you have 5,000 sets of 20" dark AT wheels sitting in a warehouse somewhere from cancellations, bad demand forecasting, or some other reason, you put them on vehicles and you put them up for sale.

Yes you take a hit on the $20 wristband but your job as a manufacturer is to reduce inventory by turning it into cash.

My guess is that they want to get rid of some surplus inventory (rims, underbody shield, whatever) by giving people a slight discount on them as an incentive to buy now.

I don't remember what "free" upgrades were available to LE reservations, but if Rivian needs to move those wheels (or whatever parts are piling up at the factory), why not just offer discounts on them to existing reservation holders instead of using them to bulid LE for shop inventory? Just curious.

GR

 

[Mygrain]

I don't remember what "free" upgrades were available to LE reservations, but if Rivian needs to move those wheels (or whatever parts are piling up at the factory), why not just offer discounts on them to existing reservation holders instead of using them to bulid LE for shop inventory? Just curious.

GR

Discounts? Sure, perfectly logical, rational idea. But, from Rivian? Correct me if I'm wrong, Rivian Forums community, but I don't recall Rivian ever offering discounts on anything. Aside from the Launch Edition itself, the closest Rivian has come to discounts is the All-Terrain Upgrade option (package price is discounted compared to the sum of the parts for the R1T, but merely equal for the R1S).

As long as purchases from the R1 Shop offer the "value" of earlier delivery, Rivian will probably shy away from discounts to move excess inventory. (Meanwhile, the brain trust at Tesla is anything but shy about adjusting prices.) Rivian can use the R1 Shop to move excess inventory, at least on the R1S side. But that argument only holds if Rivian builds some vehicles (outfitted with whatever parts are piling up) specifically for shop inventory. In my shop this morning, 14 out of 21 R1S's have 20" dark wheels. On R1T's, there a much better variety of wheels (and there are many more vehicles to choose from). I wouldn't be surprised if nearly 100% of R1T shop inventory comes from cancelled orders.

Quick review of free wheel upgrades on Launch Editions: As with all R1's, the 21" wheels were base equipment. On a Launch Edition, there was no charge to upgrade to 20" "staple" or 20" bright or 22" bright wheels. On a Launch Edition, if you wanted to switch from bright wheels to dark, that was a $3500 hit.

 

[Redline]

Discounts? Sure, perfectly logical, rational idea. But, from Rivian? Correct me if I'm wrong, Rivian Forums community, but I don't recall Rivian ever offering discounts on anything. Aside from the Launch Edition itself, the closest Rivian has come to discounts is the All-Terrain Upgrade option (package price is discounted compared to the sum of the parts for the R1T, but merely equal for the R1S).

As long as purchases from the R1 Shop offer the "value" of earlier delivery, Rivian will probably shy away from discounts to move excess inventory. (Meanwhile, the brain trust at Tesla is anything but shy about adjusting prices.) Rivian can use the R1 Shop to move excess inventory, at least on the R1S side. But that argument only holds if Rivian builds some vehicles (outfitted with whatever parts are piling up) specifically for shop inventory. In my shop this morning, 14 out of 21 R1S's have 20" dark wheels. On R1T's, there a much better variety of wheels (and there are many more vehicles to choose from). I wouldn't be surprised if nearly 100% of R1T shop inventory comes from cancelled orders.

Quick review of free wheel upgrades on Launch Editions: As with all R1's, the 21" wheels were base equipment. On a Launch Edition, there was no charge to upgrade to 20" "staple" or 20" bright or 22" bright wheels. On a Launch Edition, if you wanted to switch from bright wheels to dark, that was a $3500 hit.

22 of 22 R1S' in my shop have 20s and the R1Ts have a nice variety of all wheels.

 

[XLR8R]

I pick up an LE tomorrow that is a new build I snagged from the Shop. Comes on 21s, so no free wheel upgrade for me. Overwhelmingly, the majority of R1S in the Shop were on 20 darks. I hunted for weeks before seeing this LE. My original config was AP on 21s. I plan to have the wheels powder coated black immediately, so the 22 brights would have been a nice add for free.

 

[Mygrain]

19 of 50 R1S's in my shop are Launch Editions. 13 of 19 have free wheel upgrades. 5 of 19 are Launch Green. Welcome to another end-of-quarter push.

 

[MidnightRivian]

19 of 50 R1S's in my shop are Launch Editions. 13 of 19 have free wheel upgrades. 5 of 19 are Launch Green. Welcome to another end-of-quarter push.

How many ocean coast launch editions? Those are typically later VIN compared to black mountain.

Do you see any ocean coast with free wheels and underbody shield?

nice to see a decent amount of launch editions with free wheels still up for grabs.

 

[Redline]

I just got my exact build but an LE...8800 vin. I'm let down. Not sure what I should do.

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