MKBHD Interview: Rivian CEO Scaringe Talks R1S and Future of Rivian (R2, Wireless Charging Pad, Camp Kitchen Update, Etc.)

[SeaGeo]

RJ specifically specially mentioned the design of the coils as well as the rubber mat. My tonneau works just about as well as the induction charger and it’s still gonna be replaced under warranty, Same logic applies, IMO. Just a guess tho!

That's not the same thing. The tonneau has a design flaw resulting in actual hardware failures. They didn't want to fix the tonneau on every truck once a year for 5 years so they redesigned it.

The mat works. It sucks, but it works. The mat itself is slippery, so phones move, throwing it off and generally just being frustrating. The coil design is a bad design, but it still works. I have yet to hear of a significant number of people with chargers that are actually *broken*. The design just sucks. If you stick a phone on it without a case and don't accelerate it will charge your phone unless your phone has a big ass camera bump. Which is arguably a design flaw of the phone.

RJ's point is the current design produces a frustrating experience, and they are redesigning it that doesn't mean they will or should replace them all under warranty. Apple has improved on the phone every year for over a decade. We're you asking them to replace your phone every time they released a new version because it functioned better?

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[Goose]

I guess I’m in the minority regarding CP/AA. After cancelling my Rivian reservation over towing range anxiety (DCFC in eastern NC is horrible) I decided buy a CP head unit (Sony XAV-9500ES) for my 4Runner to hold me over. CP is cool but I just don’t get the demand/hype for it. I typically know where I’m going so nav isn’t as important, I’m not an audiophile and Bluetooth audio from phone is good enough for a road trip, texts I’ll just wait until I’m at a stop light or my destination.

 

[RWerksman]

The mat works. It sucks, but it works. The mat itself is slippery, so phones move, throwing it off and generally just being frustrating. The coil design is a bad design, but it still works. I have yet to hear of a significant number of people with chargers that are actually *broken*. The design just sucks. If you stick a phone on it without a case and don't accelerate it will charge your phone unless your phone has a big ass camera bump. Which is arguably a design flaw of the phone.

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this. While it may work somewhat for you, and for others, it does not and has never worked for me.

If it only works 70% of the time or for 70% of the people, it doesn't work.

There is a reason why there are multiple vendors selling a replacement for this. There is a reason why I personally have 250+ units in the field of my solution.

Camera bumps are not design flaws of phones. They are there for a reason and other vehicle manufacturers with qi charging pads deal with them perfectly fine.

 

[SeaGeo]

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this. While it may work somewhat for you, and for others, it does not and has never worked for me.

If it only works 70% of the time or for 70% of the people, it doesn't work.

There is a reason why there are multiple vendors selling a replacement for this. There is a reason why I personally have 250+ units in the field of my solution.

That's fine to disagree here.

I literally don't use the version it shipped with because the experience wasn't great because the phone slid around, BUT it did charge. You never were able to get a charge with your phone without a case?

 

[RWerksman]

I literally don't use the version it shipped with because the experience wasn't great because the phone slid around, BUT it did charge. You never were able to get a charge with your phone without a case?

Maybe twice. Only for a limited time. Only if I wasn't driving.

 

[SeaGeo]

Maybe twice. Only for a limited time. Only if I wasn't driving.

So... it seems like it worked, but slid around, making it not continue to charge?

I'm honestly not sure how they would make one that works for all phone models from a geometry standpoint and preventing the phone from sliding. Having magsafe solves the problem, but most phones don't have magsafe. We'll see what they come up with.

 

[RWerksman]

So... it seems like it worked, but slid around, making it not continue to charge?

It started charging. It lasted for 5-10 seconds then stopped. If it even looked it weird, it stopped. That is not successfully charging.

FWIW - I've been told by multiple people (not counting RJ in this interview, or CS) that the wireless charging pad is known to be largely non-functional and is in the process of being redesigned. They have called it, "terrible", "frustrating", and "embarrassing".

Personally, I have no idea how it was shipped.

 

[SANZC02]

It started charging. It lasted for 5-10 seconds then stopped. If it even looked it weird, it stopped. That is not successfully charging.

FWIW - I've been told by multiple people (not counting RJ in this interview, or CS) that the wireless charging pad is known to be largely non-functional and is in the process of being redesigned. They have called it, "terrible", "frustrating", and "embarrassing".

Personally, I have no idea how it was shipped.

It is interesting, I’ve used it on trips with iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

On the highway stretches I just lay the phone down and charges no problem.

 

[RWerksman]

It is interesting, I’ve used it on trips with iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

On the highway stretches I just lay the phone down and charges no problem.

Mine doesn't work at all with the iPhone 13 Pro that either my wife or I have. It doesn't;'t work with my Fold either. Service is not replacing them as it's, "a known issue and being redesigned"

 

[SANZC02]

Mine doesn't work at all with the iPhone 13 Pro that either my wife or I have. It doesn't;'t work with my Fold either. Service is not replacing them as it's, "a known issue and being redesigned"

I’ve only used it on the highway, takes a couple of seconds for the charge to start but works fine.

iPhone 12 Pro Max

iPhone 14 Pro Max

 

[drb19927]

I guess I’m in the minority regarding CP/AA. After cancelling my Rivian reservation over towing range anxiety (DCFC in eastern NC is horrible) I decided buy a CP head unit (Sony XAV-9500ES) for my 4Runner to hold me over. CP is cool but I just don’t get the demand/hype for it. I typically know where I’m going so nav isn’t as important, I’m not an audiophile and Bluetooth audio from phone is good enough for a road trip, texts I’ll just wait until I’m at a stop light or my destination.

Think there's actually a lot of people who would agree with you, me being one of them. Navigation on rivian's interface is beautiful. Traffic and routing leave something to be desired but I choose to give them the benefit of the doubt that it will get better. Main thing people complain about is lack of text messaging. My wifes car has carplay and though liking the experience in general (maps / music), the text messaging experience is horrible. Would like to have some more choices for music (apple music mainly, or amazon), which rivian has said is on the roadmap. Like the direction the stack is headed and bending over for apple to me would be a move in the wrong direction. This all coming from an apple fanboy who has owned/still owns pretty much every class of apple product (mac/ipad/macbook/watch/phone)

 

[GHuff]

So RAN priority is opening up North to South network on east and west coast then going east to west across the US...

Which seems like an oversight because Texas has the second most R1 deliveries behind California and they are completing ignoring RAN in the Lonestar State.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I’ve only used it on the highway, takes a couple of seconds for the charge to start but works fine.

iPhone 12 Pro Max

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Only thing that would explain it for me is if there is variability in the mats themselves. Mine works fine in both of our vehicles with my Pixel 7 Pro and my wife's pixel phone as well. Both at the same time and there isn't enough room for them to slide around at all. When I am solo, it does slide, but a handful of seconds later it's charging again. It's not as fast as using the USB-C ports but I also don't expect it to be since it produces more heat when charged wirelessly.

 

[Autolycus]

Which seems like an oversight because Texas has the second most R1 deliveries behind California and they are completing ignoring RAN in the Lonestar State.

What's your source for the stat that deliveries are CA #1, and Texas #2?

 

[KeithPleas]

It does show this but it's the pressure at the output in the bed. There's no way to measure what you are inflating appropriately since you always have to have more pressure in the lines going to whatever you are inflating vs what's already in it. Having played around with designing my own automatic inflation system, even having sensors at the end of the hose can be off by upwards of 10 psi.

Then how do you explain the inexpensive imported air compressors that let you set a digital cutoff and are dead nuts accurate?

I use two of these for airing up my GX470 (have not tried it with R1S - yet):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W1W2V9M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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