R1S updated estimated delivery window email (received June 11)

[paariv]

I agree that they don't need as much testing, but it's already mid-June which leaves just 1.5 months to the start of the earliest updated R1S delivery window (afaik) of August 2022. Is that enough time to conduct even a condensed user testing run, which involves delivering to employees, letting them use it, documenting feedback, incorporating improvements, and adjusting processes as necessary? Not to mention concurrently having to scale up the R1S presence at the Venice hub, for test drives, etc. I dunno, seems a bit ambitious to me.

Agreed that the R1S feels unready. They still don't even have a single R1S at the Venice location. That doesn't have to do anything but be a nice-looking lump that just sits there!

Can't recall if this is analogous to ~August of last year with the R1T - they started "delivering" R1Ts in September, right (if only to employees)? But I feel like we were seeing more R1Ts on the road 2 months before that.

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[Atlrivian]

For what it's worth, the employees I spoke with at the Atlanta Service center today had never seen an R1S, and had no idea when they would be shipping to regular customers.

 

[timf]

I’m still skeptical R1S is actually ready. I live very close to Rivian HQ in Irvine, California. We started seeing frequent R1Ts ~1 year before any customer deliveries were made. And the number we saw grew rapidly month over month before Customer deliveries. We have yet to see 1 single R1S without camouflage wrap. The fact they aren’t being driven around by at least employees around HQ leads me to believe they aren’t ready yet. As soon as I start seeing them on the road I’ll believe sOOn is around the corner.

They have been sighted on the lot in Normal. They have been sighted on the lot in Plymouth. I'd be shocked if they weren't in Irvine too. There are bound to be far fewer employee R1S deliveries than R1T deliveries since so many employees already took the R1T offer, and I'm sure there are rules against selling those on the open market.

 

[Gator42]

I chatted with my guide a few times this week- every time mentions what color Esses were seen on the line today. (LG)...

 

[888tom888]

Funny, most days I don't give a rats ass about any type of communication from Rivian. I'll get the SUV when I get it or I won't. I have a few back up plans and I'm content. Ever since reading that Rivian is sending out updated delayed delivery dates and I still have not received mine, now I feel pissed and frustrated. To make matters worse, Rivian in now selling completed vehicles on a first come (pay the most) first serve basis. And that's BS. In my opinion for whatever that is worth, you take care of your launch order customers first then everyone else. In the beginning they needed a certain number of preorders to gain traction and momentum for the company going forward. Now that they have billions in the bank, they can tell launch order customer to F-off. that's just poor customer service stacked upon totally poor communications. And let us all not forget, RJ's and execs multi million dollar payouts.
that felt good to get off of my chest.

 

[rapPayne]

Every time I hear release date updates, it feels like a gut punch. Shock and disappointment. TIL that Houston, TX will get all the trucks before Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, or San Antonio. (Sigh).

 

[longballburrell]

I'm in Denver too, looks like the Aug-Sept is by location:

R1S Pre-Order Oct 2019
Limestone, Black Mountain
Original Window of June-July >>> New Window August-Sept

I'm in Denver, ordered before you, and have a later delivery window. It seems to be based on wheel choice from what I can gather. I've got 20" Dark AT selected. How bout you?

 

[bmourer]

I'm in Denver, ordered before you, and have a later delivery window. It seems to be based on wheel choice from what I can gather. I've got 20" Dark AT selected. How bout you?

I actually have the same, 20" Dark AT...That's odd, I wonder about body color choice--we all have heard about Rivian prioritizing Black Mountain interiors but not sure about exterior choices making an impact on delivery. So difficult to predict what they are doing!

 

[smiesguy]

I’m still skeptical R1S is actually ready. I live very close to Rivian HQ in Irvine, California. We started seeing frequent R1Ts ~1 year before any customer deliveries were made. And the number we saw grew rapidly month over month before Customer deliveries. We have yet to see 1 single R1S without camouflage wrap. The fact they aren’t being driven around by at least employees around HQ leads me to believe they aren’t ready yet. As soon as I start seeing them on the road I’ll believe sOOn is around the corner.

As an alleged now Aug-Sep window, II wish you were wrong, but I think you're spot on.

 

[Matt D.]

Has anyone received an updated delivery timeline email yesterday or today? I’m wonder if the first round is all that went out. Still waiting for mine…

 

[IlliniRivian]

I’m an LE R1S reservation holder from Nov. 2020. Still no update.

I’m frustrated. I’ll take delivery whenever the time comes - if only to force Rivian to sell at a loss after they way they’ve treated customers - but eventually there will be competitive options in the full size SUV space and that will eat up market share Rivian could capture now.

 

[rraj2k81]

Polestar is NOT a pandemic startup. Polestar was established in 1996 went through a lot of iterations and worked alongside Volvo to engineer vehicles in partnership with Volvo starting in 2009. They had production Volvos in 2013 and production Polestars in 2017. Volvo acquired them wholly in 2015, prior to them going into independent vehicle production. Additionally, they have had 2 production models since 2019 and just added Polestar 3 late last year and will be available supposedly in October. So if Rivian was building batteries, software and other components for Ford, Volkswagen or someone else, they would be further ahead then they are. If Ford bought them out and handed them the keys to all things vehicle production, Rivian could be like Polestar, but they are surpassing the speed and numbers that Polestar had at the same time, plus they did it in a pandemic. Polestar also had previously announced the goal for 2022 was to sell 65k vehicle this year but cut it to 50k because of the same issues Rivian and everyone else is dealing with. You are also suggesting that Rivian delays about 45% of their consumer pre order product? What would preclude them from building both side by side as they have planned? Suspension, batteries and most of the components are the same only body and interior configurations are truly different.

Not sure what do you mean by production Polestars. Polestar never built any vehicles. As a race performance company, they took run of the mill Volvo's, sport tuned them and gave Polestar trimlines. Similar to Brabus/Mercedez, Alpina/BMW and JCW/Mini. Curious to know what vehicles you are referring to as Production Polestars?

It was only after Geely bought Volvo and subsequently Polestar, Geely decided to make Polestar a standalone brand to manufacture EVs. As for the 2 production models, Polestar 1 was not meant to be a mass market vehicle, but a limited production run meant to introduce to the world that Polestar is now a standalone car manufacturer and probably to secure some seed money. At quarter million dollars the Polestar 1 was never meant to be a mass market vehicle.

Polestar 2 was their true entry into mass market EV production. Given, the Polestar 2 design was borrowed from Volvo, which was meant to be Volvo's refreshed S40, which Volvo dropped to make the S60 the entry level model.

Again, not sure what you are referring to when you say Rivian is surpassing the speed of Polestar. Polestar manufactured about 10K vehicles in 2020 and about 29K in 2021, but Rivian managed 5K since 2021. Not sure how the math is working out here.

Yeah, I agree Polestar cut their production target from 65K to 50K, but this was more to do with the ongoing lock downs in China than supply chain issues, so there is a chance these numbers could go up as China starts easing those lock downs. Still, that's 50K vehicles in 2022, compared to 25K by Rivian.
Also, one thing I am not sure of is if Polestar is counting the deliveries of their 65K Hertz commitment, which they have started delivering this year as part of their 50K production number.

As for building the R1S and R1T in the same line, I am very skeptical if Rivian has the capacity as well as the supply resources to meet this. Mainly except for the batteries, motors, screens and ECU/MCU, the R1S is a completely different vehicle to the R1T.
First the R1S is a shorter wheelbase vehicle than the R1T, which means all new body manels, trims and materials. The R1S also has a whole extra row of seats, which means a new requirement of seats, materials, trims, leather and all the electronics and Moulds. Not to mention the rear split opening tail gate and everything involved with it. If Rivian was having issues with the supply chain for the R1T, then guaranteed it gets exacerbated once they factor in the R1S in the same production line.

 

[epona]

yeah there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason. also in denver, R1T adventure package with 20" AT wheels, pre-order date was nov 2021, new estimate is December 2022 - January 2023. it was initially oct - dec 2022, so it wasn't pushed out too far.

it's funny i also have a pre-order on the VW ID.4 but was getting ready to just throw in the towel and get kia's EV6 because i am tired of being car-less. now this email arrives and somehow 6 months feels waitable. yes i made up a new word.

 

[tscanjr]

I’m an LE R1S reservation holder from Nov. 2020. Still no update.

I’m frustrated. I’ll take delivery whenever the time comes - if only to force Rivian to sell at a loss after they way they’ve treated customers - but eventually there will be competitive options in the full size SUV space and that will eat up market share Rivian could capture now.

Same here. July-Sept delivery window, told I'll get shop access or something in the next two weeks, but no word yet. I'm 35 mins from Boston's Service center. R1S holder since March 2020.

 

[mini2nut]

Rivian screwed all Launch Edition reservation holders. These trucks should have been manufactured and delivered first.

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