How many R1T/S can Rivian deliver per day?

[Hilbe]

Those worried about the $1000 be reminded you can dispute that on your credit card. Federal law only mandates a 60 day dispute window, but many CC companies allow disputes to happen longer after the charge. I have successfully disputed charges that were 6 to 12 months late. Most of them were for this exact concern - companies went belly up with my money and didn't give me my services.

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[SANZC02]

This has been an interesting thread to follow. I always love the passion our group brings to this Forum and the spirited nature of these conversations.

When I saw the title of this thread, it took me back to the tour of the factory. As RJ showed us the R1 production line, he said that once they've dialed in all of the steps along the way, that line should be rolling out a new R1T or R1S every four minutes. He said with two shifts per day of 9 hours each, the line should be continuously flowing at that rate, which should mean about 270 R1 vehicles ready to ship and deliver each day.

While they're fine-tuning the process, they have 15 slots in a row on the line with vehicles that flow through the various stations. As they meticulously assemble these early vehicles, the line is crawling. After they do a batch of 15, they meet to figure out what they learned and work with the team to improve the process for the next round of 15. As they fine-tune each step in the production process, the speed will increase. RJ said once they have all the processes dialed in, every slot will be filled with a vehicle, with that goal of one vehicle produced every four minutes.

@DuckTruck

Thanks for this insight. Those are pretty good numbers, that is close to 70K a year based on 5 day work weeks.

I recall seeing where they expected to have 20K the first full year of production so that would be 1 every 15 minutes on average with the same double shifts 5 days a week.

Depending on how the supply chains recover, makes that number seem more attainable with slight improvements every month. If they got to 7 minutes per vehicle by the 4th quarter that first year they could do 10K vehicles for that last quarter.

 

[crashmtb]

Those worried about the $1000 be reminded you can dispute that on your credit card. Federal law only mandates a 60 day dispute window, but many CC companies allow disputes to happen longer after the charge. I have successfully disputed charges that were 6 to 12 months late. Most of them were for this exact concern - companies went belly up with my money and didn't give me my services.

Doing a chargeback/dispute on something you’ve signed an agreement about is rather an asshole move. The preorder agreement spells out that it is fully refundable.

 

[Hilbe]

Doing a chargeback/dispute on something you’ve signed an agreement about is rather an asshole move. The preorder agreement spells out that it is fully refundable.

I'm talking about using a dispute for the instance when the company goes belly up. You would lose a dispute right now unless you had a stolen card.

 

[crashmtb]

While they're fine-tuning the process, they have 15 slots in a row on the line with vehicles that flow through the various stations. As they meticulously assemble these early vehicles, the line is crawling. After they do a batch of 15, they meet to figure out what they learned and work with the team to improve the process for the next round of 15. As they fine-tune each step in the production process, the speed will increase. RJ said once they have all the processes dialed in, every slot will be filled with a vehicle, with that goal of one vehicle produced every four minutes.

it’s almost like the people running the show at Rivian know how manufacturing works. Unlike, well, Elon.

Another reason why I’m buying a Rivian.

 

[DuckTruck]

it’s almost like the people running the show at Rivian know how manufacturing works. Unlike, well, Elon.

Another reason why I’m buying a Rivian.

crashmtb,

I agree with you, wholeheartedly. RJ and his team seem to have this production process moving forward at the right pace. We'd all love to see it farther along, just as the team at Rivian would. But after arguably the worst natural (no politics, please) world-wide disruption since the the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, certainly the worst since we've globalized the economy, I'm almost surprised they're as far along as they are.

This isn't simple carpentry where you just gather your piece of wood, your measuring tape, and your saw, and then remind yourself of the rule "measure twice, cut once". The vast number of raw materials, components, and parts (6,000 in total, if I remember correctly) coming from around the world that need to be assembled into larger components, some built at the factory, some elsewhere, is incredible. Then, they all need to come together in a critical, yet elegant dance on a moving assembly line. This choreography makes the Synchronized Swimming event in the Olympics look easy to me, and I can't even swim.

It's also a nice testament to Rivian's methodical approach that during the visit, there was no evidence that any of their open land or their wonderful testing facility will be sacrificed for a huge Carnival Tent to accomplish repairs and adjustments to their "finished" R1's after they roll off the line.

As to the other issue that somehow worked its way into this thread, If Rivian decided not to accept a promised $1,000,000 tax break from Normal, one they were entitled to by meeting their obligations, I think the chances of anyone losing their $1,000 refundable deposit is about the same as my odds of having Salma Hayek and Emily Blunt leave their husbands and start fighting for the chance to be with me. Sleep easy folks, neither of those things is ever likely to happen.

 

[crashmtb]

crashmtb,

I agree with you, wholeheartedly. RJ and his team seem to have this production process moving forward at the right pace. We'd all love to see it farther along, just as the team at Rivian would. But after arguably the worst natural (no politics, please) world-wide disruption since the the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, certainly the worst since we've globalized the economy, I'm almost surprised they're as far along as they are.

This isn't simple carpentry where you just gather your piece of wood, your measuring tape, and your saw, and then remind yourself of the rule "measure twice, cut once". The vast number of raw materials, components, and parts (6,000 in total, if I remember correctly) coming from around the world that need to be assembled into larger components, some built at the factory, some elsewhere, is incredible. Then, they all need to come together in a critical, yet elegant dance on a moving assembly line. This choreography makes the Synchronized Swimming event in the Olympics look easy to me, and I can't even swim.

It's also a nice testament to Rivian's methodical approach that during the visit, there was no evidence that any of their open land or their wonderful testing facility will be sacrificed for a huge Carnival Tent to accomplish repairs and adjustments to their "finished" R1's after they roll off the line.

As to the other issue that somehow worked its way into this thread, If Rivian decided not to accept a promised $1,000,000 tax break from Normal, one they were entitled to by meeting their obligations, I think the chances of anyone losing their $1,000 refundable deposit is about the same as my odds of having Salma Hayek and Emily Blunt leave their husbands and start fighting for the chance to be with me. Sleep easy folks, neither of those things is ever likely to happen.

I heard a Rivian engineers in one of their videos(I think the hot weather testing one, towing loaded trailers up steep grades) say “we’re getting it done…but getting it done right”(slightly paraphrased). That resonated.

starting up something as complex as an automotive assembly line is incredibly difficult at the best of times. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to have momentum going in that process, only to get kneecapped by a(n ongoing!) global pandemic of an incurable airborne respiratory virus.

There are so many moving parts in the process and the product - even an electric vehicle, which has many fewer moving parts than an eternal combustion one, as you’ve said it’s remarkable they’re not further behind.


@DuckTruck did they indicate wether or not the cars being made in batches of 15 are customer cars, or is this still pilot production?

 

[DuckTruck]

I heard a Rivian engineers in one of their videos(I think the hot weather testing one, towing loaded trailers up steep grades) say “we’re getting it done…but getting it done right”(slightly paraphrased). That resonated.

starting up something as complex as an automotive assembly line is incredibly difficult at the best of times. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to have momentum going in that process, only to get kneecapped by a(n ongoing!) global pandemic of an incurable airborne respiratory virus.

There are so many moving parts in the process and the product - even an electric vehicle, which has many fewer moving parts than an eternal combustion one, as you’ve said it’s remarkable they’re not further behind.


@DuckTruck did they indicate wether or not the cars being made in batches of 15 are customer cars, or is this still pilot production?

I'm certain they weren't production models just yet, in part because they are still in test mode, working to improve the process with each batch. I can't imagine them working this hard to improve each production step, only to put them out before the fine-tuning of the production process is complete. Besides that, if they were production models intended for buyers, I'd think they would have trumpeted that fact.

As always, if anyone from the company, or another guest knows otherwise, please jump in and correct my take on things. It's hard to remember everything when you're drinking from a firehose. And before anyone asks, we weren't drinking kool-aid.

 

[crashmtb]

I'm certain they weren't production models just yet, in part because they are still in test mode, working to improve the process with each batch. I can't imagine them working this hard to improve the process, only to put them out before the fine-tuning of the production process was complete. Besides that, if they were production models intended for buyers, I'd think they would have trumpeted that fact.

Good point(s). I wonder if these small batches are the ones they’ll use for loaners/demo program.

 

[DuckTruck]

Good point(s). I wonder if these small batches are the ones they’ll use for loaners/demo program.

I could see them as demos, only if they're used off of public roads, but loaners and on-road demos would likely require them to be licensed, crash-tested production models. I didn't notice any of these finished to the point of having a full VIN attached to it.

I even think the Launch Green edition in my pictures wore a pre-production VIN, which is why the gap issues others have mentioned don't concern me. Even seeing it close up, I didn't notice the gaps to be unusual. The doors opened and closed just fine as did the tailgate.

 

[crashmtb]

I could see them as demos, only if they're used off of public roads, but loaners and on-road demos would likely require them to be licensed, crash-tested production models. I didn't notice any of these finished to the point of having a full VIN attached to it.

I even think the Launch Green edition in my pictures wore a pre-production VIN, which is why the gap issues others have mentioned don't concern me. Even seeing it close up, I didn't notice the gaps to be unusual. The doors opened and closed just fine as did the tailgate.

my guess then is they will be the demo vehicles for the test drive experience thing that is starting next month. Preproduction vin+mfg plates=noooo problem.,and those sorts of cars are generally recycled rather than sold on.
but who knows, really.

Really looking forward to getting hands on with one, as delivery day for me is at least a year off, presuming they’re able get production up to speed.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

my guess then is they will be the demo vehicles for the test drive experience thing that is starting next month. Preproduction vin+mfg plates=noooo problem.,and those sorts of cars are generally recycled rather than sold on.

Could be... Although I'd think they'd want the test drive / demo fleet to have perfect body lines... First impressions, and all.

 

[SoCal Rob]

Could be... Although I'd think they'd want the test drive / demo fleet to have perfect body lines... First impressions, and all.

I think they can be used for press reviews with standard disclaimer language. I’ve ready plenty of first-hands-on and first-drive reviews where the reviewer writes something along the lines of, “Since this is a pre-production vehicle, we expect to see x, y, and z addressed by the time they are delivered to customers. Look for a future review of a production model soon!”

 

[crashmtb]

Could be... Although I'd think they'd want the test drive / demo fleet to have perfect body lines... First impressions, and all.

If it’s me and I’m recycling my pilot run into demo use, I’m picking the ones that need the least amount of rework. they‘re likely building a few hundred.

 

[DuckTruck]

I think they can be used for press reviews with standard disclaimer language. I’ve ready plenty of first-hands-on and first-drive reviews where the reviewer writes something along the lines of, “Since this is a pre-production vehicle, we expect to see x, y, and z addressed by the time they are delivered to customers. Look for a future review of a production model soon!”

To support Commodore's thought, while gaps may not be a big deal, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. I know I was hoping to make a good one during the visit to Normal. (No extraneous humor needed)

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