Answers & info from lunch w/ Rivian's Sr. Director of Customer Engagement Center

[SeaGeo]

I am so looking forward to the toned down "first drive" experience we will get on the upcoming tours (no way they can do a drift track and Mt Rivian in every city)

dream killer.

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[MReda]

This is something that was discussed. I recommended showing everyone a Quarter to start, then moving that to a month as we enter that Quarter, and then moving that to a specific week/day as we enter that month.

Seemed to be receptive to the idea...keep in mind the dates could fluctuate a bit but at least gives everyone a target for when they will have their conversations/receive their vehicles

That's a good suggestion. For anyone from Rivian reading this, I would also be content with a "no sooner than" timeframe, based on whatever factors are playing into it.

 

[RivRev]

Had the pleasure to sit down with Rivian today and discuss lots of the topics that have come up on this post and on the forum overall.

First and foremost, this group is being heard and they are actively looking to address a large number of the open questions posted here. The main point that I tried to emphasize is the need/desire for more transparency and clarity. It's okay if they either do not have the final info to share on a particular topic or if they are just not ready to make their answer "official". But having some sort of view into when that will come is what is most desired, as what causes most of the debates here is due to lack of visibility which leads to assumptions being made. I believe this was heard loud and clear.

I was very impressed with the homework the team has done between monitoring the boards, monitoring Customer Service chat sessions, and documenting Guide conversations where those have started. This team gets a huge A+ when it comes to attention to details...and if they are taking this much effort on their customers I cannot wait to see the finished product when it rolls off the assembly lines.

More to come, but wanted to give you all a quick update.

Updated with answers & notes:

Couple of quick hits...

First, the following is my best recollection and interpretation of what was said...I promise I am not embellishing anything below, but that being said, take it with a grain of salt if I misheard or misremembered something.

They are planning on doing more outreach like they have recently (DuckTruck's factory tour, my lunch, etc.). They have a number of ways that they are looking to engage with pre-order holders leading up to AND THROUGH launch deliveries.

Not all of the info we are asking for is final-final...and instead of putting out near final info out there, they rather wait and get it right...we all know there are some of us who would hang them if they said mileage would be 350 miles and then it came in at 340 miles later. I do not blame them for this whatsoever.

We spoke a lot about the info that is being communicated...cadence of info, what the info is, who delivers the info. As to be expected this will be a constantly evolving process. I shared my personal opinion that right now the pre-order holders have typical early adopter mentality (give me as much info as possible to consume and then give me fancy, polished videos later). Believe the more polished materials will be useful later when you are trying to convert people who are just hearing about Rivian. Right now everyone is data hungry and in the absence of data we all have a tendency to start making assumptions that fit our own narratives (positive or negative).

As expected, there are strangers among us. Think we all realize this, but not everyone here is a pre-order holder...there are competitors, industry people, Rivian employees, general trolls, etc. They know this...believe we all know this...interesting to hear that they are aware of it nonetheless.

The conversation was great though...learned a lot about his journey...what he is hoping to personally accomplish...what the company is looking to accomplish. A lot of the convo was around my thinking on this or that...agree with them or not, here are some of my opinions that I shared...

• set a timeline for when we can expect info...if there is a reason to not publish EPA numbers just yet, say so and let us know when we can expect them...start with a month, then tell us what week, and then release...I think most of us are okay with waiting for certain pieces of data to come but we want to know when to expect them so we arent hitting refresh on message boards like this all day/night
• in regards to boards I asked if there were plans to have an "official" message board at some point...was told it is something they are having conversations about and asked my opinion...I responded that I believed at some point there should be an official message board so that users had a place to meet, interact, and learn from one another. In terms of timing I said that I didnt think it was necessary until they were at a point where most all pre-orders had been fulfilled and potential new customers were coming to the site to find out more...we WILL be and ARE the biggest advocates for the brand
• along those lines I recommended having official "ambassadors" on this (and other) boards...those of us who do have Guides and are also passionate about helping out others with the info they have. Saw a lot of that on this very post...people would list a question they wanted me to ask and someone else on the board was able to post the answer as the info is out there but maybe we all just dont know where to find it or need help to understand it
• "s00n" did come up...they hear our agitation and have taken it to heart...it was never done to ruffle our feathers, it was just the best answer to give at the time as the answers were/are coming soon...i recommended a s00n shirt be produced and sold to acknowledge that we all get it
• discussed the criteria that will determine the order in which vehicles will be produced and we will receive...nothing surprising here...configuration, location, order date (which is NOT discernable by any number that you are able to get regardless of how early you ordered).
• mentioned that I am in the boat of being okay with more than one color if it gets me the car any earlier...sounds like most of us have stated the same/similar and one of their concerns is if an official order is published at some point it throws off the numbers as too many people would swap their configurations to match and the planning is well underway already
• "launch green" is actively discussed internally as to whether or not it should have come first based on the naming or if it just should have been called something like Limited Edition Green to not set the improper expectation that it was first off the line
• discussed my experiences with taking possession of a Model 3 very early on in launch and how that process played out...what was good, what was bad, what I thought was fine but could be improved
• discussed how this process will be difficult for many as there arent traditional dealerships so there are many of us who will see a certain color or even the vehicle itself for the first time in person when we are picking ours up...something that will be a hard pill for some to swallow and something that some of us have done in the past (myself in that latter group with the Model 3)
• ::edit:: one more thing...they get that the configurator needs a little work as it doesnt represent all of the colors in the most accurate way...i think we will see this updated prior to deliveries (my opinion on that part)

I think it's easy for us to forget that no matter how successful they have been thus far, they are still a start up and things evolve quickly when you are growing as fast as they are (literally hiring hundreds and thousands of people over the past couple of years since they have come out of stealth mode).

I'm sure there are some things that I am forgetting right now and will fill in more as I remember or find out more.

Extra big thank you to both my guide and my companion for lunch today...you both are great examples of why I would someday hope to join the team there as well.

Added:

I did forget one part...at one point we were discussing how the used car market is absolutely insane right now and how not knowing exactly when I will get my R1T has left me in a bit of a pickle. The price I have been offered for my existing car has gone from ~$12-14K 6 weeks ago to $18-22K now...something I would be inclined to take if I knew just how long we would be a 1-car household for. The uncertainty of knowing a more exact delivery date has ripple effects to other decisions that I have to make. They found this to be an interesting perspective and said that they would take it back to the team to discuss. Nothing may come of it, but it could also spark a change in the internal thinking/actions as well.

Thank you for the info!


Can you PLEASE request that Rivian produce more detailed video walkthrus of the vehicle? In depth, detailed videos that go over every aspect of the vehicle. Even something as simple as turning on the AC, moving the seats backwards and forward, how to turn on the lights, etc.
I believe basic video walkthrus are necessary since many of us pre-holders haven't even seen the vehicle in person. Simple detailed walkthru videos are the next best thing. This will also show us and reveal other simple necessary things like what the floor mats look like, what the interior colors look like, general spacing and aesthetic of the vehicle.
Not to mention, more detailed video walk throughs for unique Rivian features like the Driver Assist, chromatic roof, user interface, center console usage, changing drive settings, etc. are absolutely necessary. So far, Rivian has really only done this for the camp kitchen...which isn't even a feature on 90% of vehicles being sold. Other than that, I feel like all we've gotten is quick marketing snippets of these features.

Most of us still haven't even seen a Rivian in person. Let alone, gone through one in detail. Detailed video walk thru's is the next best thing. I know enough about the general idea/look of the vehicle. What I still don't know is how it feels to drive, be inside, function, etc. Especially considering we are already either locking in our orders/configurations or will be soon.

 

[SlaterGS]

I can understand a lot of where you are coming from. Keep in mind that most companies have been on some sort of restricted travel policies up until recently...so some of this probably indeed is catch up. That being said, I think it is positive the outreach they are doing (the tours at the factory likely being the biggest positive). We all want info ASAP...but getting that info just serves the want, not the need at this point. We have some dates to look forward to with deliveries starting in less than 6 weeks.

I'm no stranger to new product launches and I understand the impact from COVID on travel, supply chain, etc.
I also know how it is to be on the marketing/sales side and can't say anything because engineering and management will not allow it, but this all feels like either a new role was just made or a new person taking over the role and now trying to catch up. Which, credit to them, it seems they are at least trying.

I really don't need every detail, or in fact, many details at all, but Rivian has been content with very vague cutesie posts with very little to no new information for the past year.
How many times have they kicked their delivery timeframe (again, not surprised here or do I take issue with it because a quality product is of the utmost importance) and proceeded to provide no new information while promising new information s00n?

It seems like all of the new information from Rivian is now being filtered through a few early reservation holders, such as yourself and DuckTruck, but it is still NOT information directly from Rivian. THAT is the issue.

Regardless, I'm sure their marketing department is about to burst having to wait to release certain information.
I'm still super excited about the R1S and my reservation!

 

[Blueassassin]

Rivian knows, but we don't. There's no way for an outsider to know, far too many variables & unknowns.

I wonder how many Launch Editions there will be? it sold out pretty quickly if I recall.

 

[Autolycus]

unique Rivian features like ... chromatic roof, ...

I've got some bad news.

In general though, I think even unpolished walk-throughs can be really helpful.

I would also like information on the R1S like what we've gotten on the R1T: dimensions, exterior and interior features, storage, etc. I do realize the R1S is a little behind the R1T though, and that finalize some of that information might be delayed in the interest of getting the R1T out the door. But... I can't imagine the exterior dimensions are changing at this point?!

 

[flabyboy]

Thank you for the info!


Can you PLEASE request that Rivian produce more detailed video walkthrus of the vehicle? In depth, detailed videos that go over every aspect of the vehicle. Even something as simple as turning on the AC, moving the seats backwards and forward, how to turn on the lights, etc.
I believe basic video walkthrus are necessary since many of us pre-holders haven't even seen the vehicle in person. Simple detailed walkthru videos are the next best thing. This will also show us and reveal other simple necessary things like what the floor mats look like, what the interior colors look like, general spacing and aesthetic of the vehicle.
Not to mention, more detailed video walk throughs for unique Rivian features like the Driver Assist, chromatic roof, user interface, center console usage, changing drive settings, etc. are absolutely necessary. So far, Rivian has really only done this for the camp kitchen...which isn't even a feature on 90% of vehicles being sold. Other than that, I feel like all we've gotten is quick marketing snippets of these features.

Most of us still haven't even seen a Rivian in person. Let alone, gone through one in detail. Detailed video walk thru's is the next best thing. I know enough about the general idea/look of the vehicle. What I still don't know is how it feels to drive, be inside, function, etc. Especially considering we are already either locking in our orders/configurations or will be soon.

I usually get these off reviewers on YouTube. Problem solved

 

[RivRev]

I usually get these off reviewers on YouTube. Problem solved

Very true. I agree completely. I have watched every single youtube video, instagram, RJ Twitter post, etc. available on Rivian. BUT we don't have any detailed videos / reviews / walk thrus yet. Except for DuckTruck's most recent experience and videos.

I am talking about something like this video made by JerryRigEverything that he did of the Hummer EV - 9 MONTHS AGO! The Hummer EV was 2+ years away from delivery when this video was made.


We are locking in configurations and orders any day/week/month, and don't have a video even remotely like this.
Obviously, these videos will get made as the vehicles are delivered and released. But, it would be nice to have these prior to any of the following: 1) making a pre-order; 2) choosing your configuration; 3) finalizing your order; 4) finalizing your configuration; 5) general knowledge about the vehicle so that you can make an informed decision about the second largest purchase of your life.

EDIT: There are some videos of the Rivian that are from 2019. But, these are not production vehicles and many things have changed in the last 2+ years from what was shown in 2019 and what is being delivered. The most detailed walk through video of the ACTUAL product we have is of the camp kitchen.

 

[BBeach]

I've got some bad news.

In general though, I think even unpolished walk-throughs can be really helpful.

I would also like information on the R1S like what we've gotten on the R1T: dimensions, exterior and interior features, storage, etc. I do realize the R1S is a little behind the R1T though, and that finalize some of that information might be delayed in the interest of getting the R1T out the door. But... I can't imagine the exterior dimensions are changing at this point?!

Agreed on the R1S....info lacking vs the R1T. I too would like some clarity on when I might expect delivery just for planning purposes. I really don't care if it is May of 22 just get me close to the green so to speak.

 

[flabyboy]

Very true. I agree completely. I have watched every single youtube video, instagram, RJ Twitter post, etc. available on Rivian. BUT we don't have any detailed videos / reviews / walk thrus yet. Except for DuckTruck's most recent experience and videos.

I am talking about something like this video made by JerryRigEverything that he did of the Hummer EV - 9 MONTHS AGO! The Hummer EV was 2+ years away from delivery when this video was made.


We are locking in configurations and orders any day/week/month, and don't have a video even remotely like this.
Obviously, these videos will get made as the vehicles are delivered and released. But, it would be nice to have these prior to any of the following: 1) making a pre-order; 2) choosing your configuration; 3) finalizing your order; 4) finalizing your configuration; 5) general knowledge about the vehicle so that you can make an informed decision about the second largest purchase of your life.

EDIT: There are some videos of the Rivian that are from 2019. But, these are not production vehicles and many things have changed in the last 2+ years from what was shown in 2019 and what is being delivered. The most detailed walk through video of the ACTUAL product we have is of the camp kitchen.

My main point was Rivian should give access to a well respected reviewer. Problem solved ?

 

[svet-am]

Regardless, I'm sure their marketing department is about to burst having to wait to release certain information.
I'm still super excited about the R1S and my reservation!

I agree 100%. I work in marketing for a major semiconductor company. I can’t imagine their marketing is sitting idly by because they WANT to.

 

[KWeimer711]

Thank you for the info!


Can you PLEASE request that Rivian produce more detailed video walkthrus of the vehicle? In depth, detailed videos that go over every aspect of the vehicle. Even something as simple as turning on the AC, moving the seats backwards and forward, how to turn on the lights, etc.
I believe basic video walkthrus are necessary since many of us pre-holders haven't even seen the vehicle in person. Simple detailed walkthru videos are the next best thing. This will also show us and reveal other simple necessary things like what the floor mats look like, what the interior colors look like, general spacing and aesthetic of the vehicle.
Not to mention, more detailed video walk throughs for unique Rivian features like the Driver Assist, chromatic roof, user interface, center console usage, changing drive settings, etc. are absolutely necessary. So far, Rivian has really only done this for the camp kitchen...which isn't even a feature on 90% of vehicles being sold. Other than that, I feel like all we've gotten is quick marketing snippets of these features.

Most of us still haven't even seen a Rivian in person. Let alone, gone through one in detail. Detailed video walk thru's is the next best thing. I know enough about the general idea/look of the vehicle. What I still don't know is how it feels to drive, be inside, function, etc. Especially considering we are already either locking in our orders/configurations or will be soon.

I believe all of this will come in plenty of time for you (and all of us) to make an informed decision on going through with the purchase of the truck/suv or not.

 

[KWeimer711]

I'm no stranger to new product launches and I understand the impact from COVID on travel, supply chain, etc.
I also know how it is to be on the marketing/sales side and can't say anything because engineering and management will not allow it, but this all feels like either a new role was just made or a new person taking over the role and now trying to catch up. Which, credit to them, it seems they are at least trying.

I really don't need every detail, or in fact, many details at all, but Rivian has been content with very vague cutesie posts with very little to no new information for the past year.
How many times have they kicked their delivery timeframe (again, not surprised here or do I take issue with it because a quality product is of the utmost importance) and proceeded to provide no new information while promising new information s00n?

It seems like all of the new information from Rivian is now being filtered through a few early reservation holders, such as yourself and DuckTruck, but it is still NOT information directly from Rivian. THAT is the issue.

Regardless, I'm sure their marketing department is about to burst having to wait to release certain information.
I'm still super excited about the R1S and my reservation!

I think that last line sums it up best...we are all super excited...and with that excitement can come frustrations with what seems like a lack of info that we are owed. We will get it when it is ready to be shared and I for one am confident that it will be great when it is shared.

 

[KWeimer711]

Very true. I agree completely. I have watched every single youtube video, instagram, RJ Twitter post, etc. available on Rivian. BUT we don't have any detailed videos / reviews / walk thrus yet. Except for DuckTruck's most recent experience and videos.

I am talking about something like this video made by JerryRigEverything that he did of the Hummer EV - 9 MONTHS AGO! The Hummer EV was 2+ years away from delivery when this video was made.


We are locking in configurations and orders any day/week/month, and don't have a video even remotely like this.
Obviously, these videos will get made as the vehicles are delivered and released. But, it would be nice to have these prior to any of the following: 1) making a pre-order; 2) choosing your configuration; 3) finalizing your order; 4) finalizing your configuration; 5) general knowledge about the vehicle so that you can make an informed decision about the second largest purchase of your life.

EDIT: There are some videos of the Rivian that are from 2019. But, these are not production vehicles and many things have changed in the last 2+ years from what was shown in 2019 and what is being delivered. The most detailed walk through video of the ACTUAL product we have is of the camp kitchen.

1) would be impossible before making a pre-order for some of us who ordered years ago...and new pre-orders are a decent ways off from delivery
2) can change your configuration once you know what you need to know in order to lock that in which will all happen prior to your truck rolling down the line anyway in most all cases
3) you will know everything you need to know before finalizing your order...you may not see it or test drive it but that is common in these cases (Tesla for example)
4) same as #3
5) same as above

I could understand more on the need to make an informed decision if there was a viable alternative ....currently there isnt one available.

 

[Sean]

Any discussion on the "Tour"? Seems like these should be locked in if they are still doing it. It was in May when they said Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Detroit and Seattle with more coming.

As much as I'd like it, I'm not expecting an invite for a personalized experience at the factory.

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