Rivian confirms POWERED tailgate has now been KILLED

[Gshenderson]

I’d also suggest that early adopters of any tech make a conscious decision to accept certain levels of risk in being early adopters but are often granted the benefit of having an increased level of input as a reward for taking that risk. When you add in the fact that we’ve all given Rivian unsecured interest free loans, some for more than 2 years, expecting a better level of communication than we are receiving is not unreasonable.

i agree that all of us complaining about it on forums won’t necessarily change anything. So what I’ve done is simply reach out to CS to let them know what’s happening on the forums and that the lack of communication is causing their reservations holder a lot of anxiety. It’s up to them as to whether they do anything with that information. But it will make a statement to me as to how much they really care about us customers.

Sponsored

 

[MReda]

While I am not faulting your approach, it is important to recognize that purchasing a new vehicle - let alone one of the most anticipated BEVs - is an emotional experience for most folks. We get excited about the features, run the value proposition calculations, see ourselves in the vehicles, pore over the scant scraps on details thrown our way, make plans for what we're going to do in our Rivians, figure out how to pay for it, how to dispose of our current vehicle, etc. It's just human tendency to build up some expectation around the experience; on the other hand, it's normal to expect features to change as well.

I agree. The "current rides" thread is a good indicator that a lot of us are enthusiasts, and exactly the type of people who make automotive buying decisions that are more emotional than anything else.

Fortunately for me, I'm much more concerned about performance than any interior or exterior feature, and I personally feel like I'm getting more than I originally expected I would when I placed my preorder. Still, I can think of a few features that I really see as improving my quality of life, and I'd be disappointed if they went away. And I can think of a few features that I'm waiting to hear more on that will definitely carry some excitement or disappointment, depending on how they go.

 

[jeeden]

R1S confirmed power top half with manual bottom half, it is on their support website.

First thing I thought of was my R1S when I saw this, glad to hear the top is power and that is enough for me. I understand the argument the R1T people are making (only half way through the thread right now) though. At this price point I feel like I should be able to see any truck/SUV on any commercial and the Rivian will have that and probably more.

Since we are discussing options, I'll throw in something that has been on my mind about it for awhile now. I have a loaded up 2017 Explorer so I generally compare all the Rivian options to that. Power liftgate, heated wheel, heated and cooled front/back seats, memory seats, rain sensing wipers, etc. One thing our explorer has is massaging seats. I hardly think about them, but we do use them on the longer road trips and they are nice. The new Land Rover commercial with the guys using them after skiing got me thinking about them. I haven't heard any mention on Rivian about them so I'm sure they aren't there and it is probably ok, but does create a bit of an itch I can't scratch.

Other things on my mind that have and have not been "scratched" would be
- Power fold side mirrors (for parking in the garage, we use them all the time and they fold when we lock the car in parking spots which is nice)
- Heated side mirrors
- Electrochomatic rear view mirror
- Power folder third row seats


As someone else mentioned, more stuff is more stuff to break. It used to be that extended warranties weren't worth the money, but these days we buy it on every car and appliance we can since one bad computer board or drive motor (like a lift gate or power running board) pays for it many times over.

 

[DucRider]

- Power fold side mirrors (for parking in the garage, we use them all the time and they fold when we lock the car in parking spots which is nice)

Yes

- Heated side mirrors

Yes

- Electrochomatic rear view mirror

Not 100% sure on this, but rearview and sideviews will be auto dimming

- Power folder third row seats

No

 

[SANZC02]

I have to say, reading through these posts is entertaining. I’m sure some people are upset because something they originally heard has changed and now that potential feature is no longer part of the package. At the same time asking for more information be shared early before it is fully baked into the final configuration, but what if it then changes again? Are you more upset?

In many threads I see people talk about an interest free loan we have provided to Rivian. With the interest rates today, most people are probably only seeing .01% interest rate on their savings, especially when you get past the deposit balance of the incentive rates that may be slightly higher. That interest you forgo is about $20 over 2 years on 1K so not really much consideration for this. The real reason for the 1K deposits is so they can use these potential purchasers to indicate generated interest and possible sales units when engaging in fund raising with investors like T-Price Rowe, Amazon, Ford, Cox Automotive, etc… This is what helps get a startup on firm ground so if you do follow through with your purchase the company is around to support the vehicle.

I see a lot of people talk about the value perspective of the purchase. When I bought my Tesla, I bought it because I wanted it, there was no formula I could ever use to justify this type of purchase. No matter how you work the numbers, these vehicles are a want and not need item. There are so many vehicles out there that would be much less money per driven mile than these, even if you are looking at other EVs. With that in mind, looking at derived value provided in this purchase. In 2016 I paid 75K for a Models S that went t 0 to 60 in 4.9 seconds and had a range of 239 miles. After inflation that 75K from 2016 is equivalent to 82,504 in 2021. So for less purchasing power today (79K for the R1S I have configured), I have an Electric SUV with 4WD, 0 to 60 in 3 seconds, and 300+ mile range. Without even looking at what is or isn’t in the final version of the vehicle, if they hit those numbers from my perspective, there is no question about the value that is in the vehicle.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I see a lot of people talk about the value perspective of the purchase. When I bought my Tesla, I bought it because I wanted it, there was no formula I could ever use to justify this type of purchase. No matter how you work the numbers, these vehicles are a want and not need item.

Value isn't about being the cheapest. Value is about getting the most for your money. And we all value different characteristics, differently. You can't say there was no formula to justify your Tesla purchase because there was. It may not have been purely financial, but there was a formula that included how much you wanted it -- for whatever reason(s) -- and you decided the Tesla was high-value to YOU.

 

[acacia328]

Value isn't about being the cheapest. Value is about getting the most for your money. And we all value different characteristics, differently. You can't say there was no formula to justify your Tesla purchase because there was. It may not have been purely financial, but there was a formula that included how much you wanted it -- for whatever reason(s) -- and you decided the Tesla was high-value to YOU.

Not sure why this was attributed to me. I don’t own a Tesla But I do agree that value isn’t about being the cheapest. Value is relative by any individual. I am certainly willing to pay a premium for something that resonates with me at a personal level that may not mean much to someone else trying to make a similar decision.

 

[Gshenderson]

One thing our explorer has is massaging seats.

I tend to fall asleep any time I get a massage, so I’m not sure that would be a good option for me! ??

 

[sevengroove]

In many threads I see people talk about an interest free loan we have provided to Rivian. With the interest rates today, most people are probably only seeing .01% interest rate on their savings, especially when you get past the deposit balance of the incentive rates that may be slightly higher. That interest you forgo is about $20 over 2 years on 1K so not really much consideration for this.

Just because you picked an interest rate on the bottom of the spectrum ? , I'm going to offer an example on the other end: if you invested that $1k in Tesla 2 years ago, your money would have grown to $12k.

Or ~$1,400 had it been invested in the S&P500.

 

[Lobstahz]

This thread has been a wild ride and gotten a bit spicy at times, and I'm not innocent myself in that, I definitely poked the proverbial bear a bit. Yet I'll say I'm really glad (impressed?) at how civil it's stayed and there are definitely folks with different perspectives and concerns being expressed and discussed. Again coming from Tesla forums (or Reddit's r/TeslaMotors), there is a LOT of group-think over there and criticizing Tesla usually just destroys the whole conversation as it just devolves from there.

Anyways, the point I'm trying to get at is that the group of folks on this forum really seem more patient, understanding and accepting, which is quite refreshing. So good on all of you

To the original post ... I don't have any thoughts on the tailgate, I'm a R1S person so ill see myself out now

 

[cohall]

Based on Discsinthesky's prudent advice that airing our complaints here may not be as effective as we want them to be, I reached out directly to Rivian CS via chat to let them know:
A) Very disappointed in the removal of the power tailgate
B) Disappointed in them continuing to remove features without being up front with pre-orderers
C) That while I'm still excited about the truck, I find their lack of direct communication both disappointing and concerning

Whether or not they actually care or make note is debatable, but I felt better.

I strongly recommend that anyone who has feelings one way or the other on things like this also share that feedback directly with the Rivian.

 

[kanundrum]

Based on Discsinthesky's prudent advice that airing our complaints here may not be as effective as we want them to be, I reached out directly to Rivian CS via chat to let them know:
A) Very disappointed in the removal of the power tailgate
B) Disappointed in them continuing to remove features without being up front with pre-orderers
C) That while I'm still excited about the truck, I find their lack of direct communication both disappointing and concerning

Whether or not they actually care or make note is debatable, but I felt better.

I strongly recommend that anyone who has feelings one way or the other on things like this also share that feedback directly with the Rivian.

I did this the other day, their response was fair but also boiler plate. As I recall things are still being finalized and they don't want to release bad information that could change later. So TLDR, sit tight, they are still down to the last minute working on everything it seems. I think one of their big issues is man power based on the 1277 job openings they have.

 

[cohall]

I did this the other day, their response was fair but also boiler plate. As I recall things are still being finalized and they don't want to release bad information that could change later. So TLDR, sit tight, they are still down to the last minute working on everything it seems. I think one of their big issues is man power based on the 1277 job openings they have.

I received a similar response, but my feedback will be sent up the line, so they said.

BUT, I mean, they're 3 months away from production. Is there really nothing finalized that they can share with us? Do they really not know what the warranty is going to look like? Or locked in the details and manufacturer of the stereo? etc.

How great would it be to get an email that tells us all about how phenomenal the stereo is, and the details of it, and why Meridian is such perfect partner etc. Why do we have to dig around and sleuth out these details when they could have sent an email that gets all pre-order folks excited again, and not just those of us actively looking for new info? If you're not on forums or social media, you would have no idea about all of the things that have changed or been added or whatever.

Anywho...

 

[MReda]

I received a similar response, but my feedback will be sent up the line, so they said.

BUT, I mean, they're 3 months away from production. Is there really nothing finalized that they can share with us? Do they really not know what the warranty is going to look like? Or locked in the details and manufacturer of the stereo? etc.

How great would it be to get an email that tells us all about how phenomenal the stereo is, and the details of it, and why Meridian is such perfect partner etc. Why do we have to dig around and sleuth out these details when they could have sent an email that gets all pre-order folks excited again, and not just those of us actively looking for new info? If you're not on forums or social media, you would have no idea about all of the things that have changed or been added or whatever.

Anywho...

Yeah, I think this is the main thing about this thread that has bothered me the most. I don't really care about the powered tailgate, and I get the comments 'better to wait until things are finalized than share info that is subject to change', but in this specific case, it was just a matter of asking the right question at the right time, and the answer was there. Your point about the audio system is the same. Are they suddenly going to switch to a different vendor? Pretty unlikely.

 

[n8dgr8]

Will there be a remote release? That covers me 90%

Sponsored