My Rivian completely dead from ~40% vampire drain after a month long vacation

[scottie]

I would never leave my truck on only 40% charge and leave it for any long period of time. The option if you could not leave it plugged in would be to charge it to 100% and then leave it in shipping mode.
Before I left on my 2 week trip I called my Rivian guide and he said that would work but it was much healthier for battery life to keep it plugged in the whole time. I took it to my brothers house and left it plugged into a 120v outlet at 70% charge rate. It’s been fine so far and he is having a blast driving it. I highly recommend consulting your Rivian guide prior to leaving your truck for extended periods. They are very knowledgeable and accessible. Sorry you had such a bad experience.

For anyone still on the fence about completing their order, take note. This product is a mess!

Here are the type of 'Adventures' you will be signing up for: vampire drain, cabin noise, substandard seat quality, hit/miss/miss/miss charging network, 2x energy costs c/w Model Y, and IMO dangerous ice handling. Also, if you want to drive in cold weather make sure to avoid the standard 21" tires b/c Rivian forgot to line up a snow tire manufacturer.

But don't worry, you can call your guide b/c they are very knowledgeable about the limitations of your new electric truck!

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[pricedm]

@Birdowin your brother be like...

 

[Birdowin]

Sorry Scottie but you are full of S..t. This is one of the finest pickups that I have ever driven. I’ve driven in deep snow and ice and it handles great in snow mode all with my 21” tires. The “vampire drain” is Minimal. The seats are very comfortable and the charging adequate. I suggest you sell your Rivian asap and get in line for a Ford. Then you will really have something to whine about.

 

[gingerjet]

There is a learning curve. This is not a simple car. You ever tried towing a trailer or mapping out a long distance journey, you have to understand that it's not an ice vehicle and will not act like one. It's the behavior change that takes a little bit of adapting. But it's worth it to not be buying gas. Or go 0-60 in 3 seconds.

If you're going away for a month, can't expect to simply park it and get back in it without considering energy loss and trying to control it while you're gone or leaving it at home plugged in.

I think that's the dark side of electric vehicles. You must change your behavior towards the car and driving. It's also the reason some folks are reluctant to go electric.

This is my 3rd EV and the drain is not a "learning curve" problem. Stop making excuses for the manufacturer. Its a legitimate issue that Rivian needs to address.

 

[scottie]

Sorry Scottie but you are full of S..t. This is one of the finest pickups that I have ever driven. I’ve driven in deep snow and ice and it handles great in snow mode all with my 21” tires. The “vampire drain” is Minimal. The seats are very comfortable and the charging adequate. I suggest you sell your Rivian asap and get in line for a Ford. Then you will really have something to whine about.

The vampire drain is so 'Minimal' that you would ***never*** leave your truck for an extended period of time at 40% charge, ?.

Do you own a Tesla? Much much better seats, charging network, vampire drain, and efficiency. 9/10 times I choose to hop in our Model Y over the Rivian, and you're right I probably should sell it.

As shown in my signature, I have an R1S so my options are more varied then an F150. An electric Cayenne is probably the best future option, admittedly in a different price bracket. 99.999% probability Porsche is still in business in 2025, 50% chance Rivian is still around.

This product is a mess!

 

[Dark-Fx]

For anyone still on the fence about completing their order, take note. This product is a mess!

Here are the type of 'Adventures' you will be signing up for: vampire drain, cabin noise, substandard seat quality, hit/miss/miss/miss charging network, 2x energy costs c/w Model Y, and IMO dangerous ice handling. Also, if you want to drive in cold weather make sure to avoid the standard 21" tires b/c Rivian forgot to line up a snow tire manufacturer.

But don't worry, you can call your guide b/c they are very knowledgeable about the limitations of your new electric truck!

Flip yours yet? No no, not resale, did you drive slowly in a field and just have it completely turn over on it's side?

 

[SlaterGS]

It is an issue. So now you know.

Correct, it is an issue that I am willing to give Rivian a bit of time to work out, but they MUST work it out and there should not be a pass given here.

If you're going away for a month, can't expect to simply park it and get back in it without considering energy loss and trying to control it while you're gone or leaving it at home plugged in.

Why not?
I park my Leaf at the airport for a month in the freezing temperatures with no loss. Sure it is a simpler vehicle and I don't expect the Rivian to get to that point, but the current usage when no gear guard or extras are on is unacceptable and lazy.

I think that's the dark side of electric vehicles. You must change your behavior towards the car and driving. It's also the reason some folks are reluctant to go electric.

Guaranteed 99% of the population reluctant to go EV hasn't even considered vampire drain. They have no idea what to expect when it comes to charging in the first place.

I do not think people are asking for 0% loss, but they are asking for better than what is the current status quo.

 

[zefram47]

All the apologists around vampire drain disgust me and I have to imagine the majority of them are former or current Tesla owners. The vast majority of EVs and probably all of the ones from legacy manufacturers do not have this problem. My Chevy Spark EV and MINI Cooper SE lose nothing when left to sit, unplugged. The MINI even has telematics and remote control, but it does the right thing and doesn't constantly update the cloud. Suggesting someone take a car service/Uber/etc to the airport because Rivian can't get their shit together is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. This is a problem and it needs to be dealt with. For a company that claims to be all about the green revolution to release a vehicle that consumes order 550 kWh of electricity per year just sitting doing nothing is absurd.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Sure the vampire drain is a problem. I think it's worth it to be driving the truck. You have to adapt understanding that there is vampire drain and not be stupid and brick your car.
Everybody votes with their feet. If it's a b****, you don't buy it.

If it really ends up being an architectural problem and they can't eliminate it, it's still going to be cheaper to suck it up and pay for the energy loss than it would be to get the thing retrofitted with new hardware.

I still hope Rivian can figure it out anyway.

 

[JHep]

Wow. Had no idea. That’s pretty bad.

Seriously? I went on vacation and left my 2023 model Y for 12 days, Sentry OFF, and went from 98% to 89%. I charged to 100% before I left it at the nearest charger to the airport (took 2% to get to airport from supercharger).

 

[JHep]

All of the other EVs I've owned will only lose maybe 1-2% over that period.

Seriously? I went on vacation and parked my 2023 model Y at the airport after charging it fully at the closest supercharger. Over 12 days, no sentry mode engaged, car went from 98% charge to 89% charge.

 

[EVTrukHog]

Seems to be a lot of emotion in this thread towards people who have a different opinion or experience - not sure why? It does appear that some Rivian owners are experiencing different levels of "vampire drain". Personally, I see about 1% drain per 24 hour period... is this acceptable or not?

For my situation, it doesn't bother me. I plug into a home charger every night. The 1% vampire drain costs me about $0.13 per day. This is not isolated to EV...my C6 corvette has to stay on a battery tender or it drains itself every 3 weeks. I can live with this. My situation doesn't make me an apologist or a fanboy... and I've never owned a Tesla.

If you don't have ability to plug in every night...or if you have to leave your R1 unattended for prolonged periods of time... or if your vampire drain is much higher... then I can see how this would be more aggravating. I encourage you to continue to demand improvements from Rivian. However, you don't need to slam others who have a different experience or perspective than yours. YMMV.

 

[Zoidz]

For anyone still on the fence about completing their order, take note. This product is a mess!

Here are the type of 'Adventures' you will be signing up for: vampire drain, cabin noise, substandard seat quality, hit/miss/miss/miss charging network, 2x energy costs c/w Model Y, and IMO dangerous ice handling. Also, if you want to drive in cold weather make sure to avoid the standard 21" tires b/c Rivian forgot to line up a snow tire manufacturer.

But don't worry, you can call your guide b/c they are very knowledgeable about the limitations of your new electric truck!

I'll give you 1 out of 5:

?Vampire Drain - Yes, they have an issue. They need to fix it. It seems they are getting there. I hope it's 100% software fixable, but I doubt it. 1% a day is acceptable to me.

Comparisons to Tesla feature/functionality is SILLY.
?Cabin Noise - It's a 7,000 lb TRUCK on a TRUCK suspension and tires.

? Substandard Seat Quality - It's an Adventure vehicle, the seats are perfect for the TARGET customer market. Granted I only had 45 minutes in the seat, but I thought they were great. I'm coming from a TRUCK as my daily driver. Rivian is a TRUCK not an SUV or sedan. They are ADVENTURE TRUCK seats. It's not Rivian's goal to be a luxury interior.

? Charging Network - Yeah, it's Tesla against the world. Rivian has the same charging network challenges as all the other non-Tesla EVs. But it's not a Rivian specific issue, it's an industry issue, so thumbs down for blaming Rivian.

?2x Energy Costs - Rivian has much more horsepower, towing capacity and therefore weight than a Tesla crossover SUV on a CAR chassis. It goes with the TRUCK territory, just like TRUCKS use more gas than crossover SUVs.

?Dangerous Ice Handling - It's a 7,000 lb TRUCK, not a crossover SUV on a CAR chassis like a Tesla. It may need to be driven differently in snow and ice, like ...... uhhh...... the TRUCK that it is. I drive my truck very differently in ice and snow thatn I do my X3. Handling in Ice and Snow is mostly the DRIVER understanding the vehicle.

So my message should be clear - if you expect a Rivian to be a Tesla, don't. It's a misguided effort. Just buy a Tesla.

 

[zefram47]

This is not isolated to EV...my C6 corvette has to stay on a battery tender or it drains itself every 3 weeks. I can live with this.

C6 is literally the only vehicle I've owned (and there have been many) that needs to sit on a tender when not being driven.

 

[scottie]

Flip yours yet? No no, not resale, did you drive slowly in a field and just have it completely turn over on it's side?

I'll give you 1 out of 5:

?Vampire Drain - Yes, they have an issue. They need to fix it. It seems they are getting there. I hope it's 100% software fixable, but I doubt it. 1% a day is acceptable to me.

Comparisons to Tesla feature/functionality is SILLY.
?Cabin Noise - It's a 7,000 lb TRUCK on a TRUCK suspension and tires.

? Substandard Seat Quality - It's an Adventure vehicle, the seats are perfect for the TARGET customer market. Granted I only had 45 minutes in the seat, but I thought they were great. I'm coming from a TRUCK as my daily driver. Rivian is a TRUCK not an SUV or sedan. They are ADVENTURE TRUCK seats. It's not Rivian's goal to be a luxury interior.

? Charging Network - Yeah, it's Tesla against the world. Rivian has the same charging network challenges as all the other non-Tesla EVs. But it's not a Rivian specific issue, it's an industry issue, so thumbs down for blaming Rivian.

?2x Energy Costs - Rivian has much more horsepower, towing capacity and therefore weight than a Tesla crossover SUV on a CAR chassis. It goes with the TRUCK territory, just like TRUCKS use more gas than crossover SUVs.

?Dangerous Ice Handling - It's a 7,000 lb TRUCK, not a crossover SUV on a CAR chassis like a Tesla. It may need to be driven differently in snow and ice, like ...... uhhh...... the TRUCK that it is. I drive my truck very differently in ice and snow thatn I do my X3. Handling in Ice and Snow is mostly the DRIVER understanding the vehicle.

So my message should be clear - if you expect a Rivian to be a Tesla, don't. It's a misguided effort. Just buy a Tesla.

Thanks for the thoughts from some dude who drove a Rivian for 45 minutes.

Landcruisers, LXs, and Range Rovers are TRUCKS that don't have the tradeoffs that the R1S has wrt build quality and comfort.

I'd like to see your comments after you've owned a Rivian for a few months.

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