Under-seat front cubby gone from new builds

[Acoustic71]

Dang! So now where am I going to keep the ashes of my ex?

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[ndmiller]

So many threads on removed items/features versus Gen 1, but DUH, they were losing ~$35K per vehicle down from $70+K on early R1's. A lot of efficiencies in build of materials, better BOM pricing, construction design and techniques along with removing complexities add up to $35K.

My late Dec23 Gen1 has no power outlet in the Frunk, so removal of features began just after original production began. It's the path to profitability, the OG Rivian Strategy. Nothing else matters.

 

[SASSquatch]

The $40K in loss for every vehicle is now down to $39.9K in losses!

Profit, here we come!

 

[ThirteenElectrics]

I’ll be switching to the Scout; it still has soul. Rivian is turning into the GM of electric cars. I will enjoy being among the 1% who can still luxuriate with real buttons and switches on my dash.

 

[ThirteenElectrics]

So many threads on removed items/features versus Gen 1, but DUH, they were losing ~$35K per vehicle down from $70+K on early R1's. A lot of efficiencies in build of materials, better BOM pricing, construction design and techniques along with removing complexities add up to $35K.

My late Dec23 Gen1 has no power outlet in the Frunk, so removal of features began just after original production began. It's the path to profitability, the OG Rivian Strategy. Nothing else matters.

The key to profitability is to drive down parts cost with volume. That needs demand. Better to make a sexy car people want than a cheap car nobody cares about. EVs are already at a disadvantage by taking away people’s freedom with limited range and poor, lengthy and scarce refueling options. You don’t need to add boring to that list.

Rivian has already lost about $25B dollars in total, and nickel and diming customers is not going to claw that back. Only a strong and sexy brand will.

 

[booslim45]

They have also removed the scheduled vehicle interior preconditioning temperature from Gen 2. This is tough coming from 3 teslas. We have owned a quad, leasing a Gen 1 dual R1T, and own a Gen 2 R1S. It is winter here, and I primarily drive the R1S to keep the lease miles low. I was about to trade in the R1T lease for a Gen 2, but at this point, I don't know if I want to give my money to Rivian for a third time. The heat pump is trash and takes up to 30 minutes, wasting power (my wife turns it on for me every morning), my phone as a key has not been working since the last update (hard reset car 6 times already), and only one "glove" compartment. Where am I going to store all the granolas I want to share with the cops who pull me over?

 

[freshpow]

I am with you...

Especially for the "premium" Ascent interior. To me...that packaging should definitely include: Meridian audio, drawers that were present at launch or more, more outlets, seats with added functionality not just colors and stitching patterns, a physical key, etc... Something to push buyers to higher price points.

I get the lowest price point vehicles could and probably should have the reductions in standard equipment, but not the premium high cost trims.

Amen. When I think premium the first thing that comes to mind is tiny, underseat storage cubbies.

On a serious note, for easy sunglass storage and access I highly recommend this overhead clip (https://opensourceev.com/products/overhead-glasses-holder-v3) Best $9.95 I’ve spent for my R1T!

 

[greyboundary]

Re: Rivian finances / costs, a lot of people keep saying “lost” when it’s more appropriately “spent.” You’re referring to a company in a still early, heavy growth stage in an industry that requires mad capex.

 

[donguanella]

They have also removed the scheduled vehicle interior preconditioning temperature from Gen 2.

They didn't remove it, they just haven't released it yet.

 

[Cogentfire]

Well, I was thinking about trading my 2022 but they keep removing things that make the truck unique. Next will be the gear tunnel…

 

[Ecupip]

I didn’t find these cubbies useful at first. Then I found it was easy to keep the vehicle documents in the drivers side cubby and some wipes/napkins in the passenger side. Either way it doesn’t bother me that it’s removed, nor does the camp speaker, or old the style 12v outlets.

 

[Rade]

I had a 2019 Nissan Frontier that I used for a trade on my R1T. The "under seat storage" in that truck was nothing more than just shoving $hit under the seat; umbrella's, packs of handi-wipes, plastic-wrapped utensils, mini bottles of water, etc. The tiny bins under the back seats held a plethora of grocery shopping totes along with tow hooks and an assortment bungee cords, gloves and tarps. Net: dumping zones. When I cleaned out the Frontier, I had 5 huge travel totes filled with the crap from under and behind the seats, along with the center console, door pockets and dual (yes TWO!) glove boxes.

We first got in our R1T and discovered a lot of apparent, lacking storage space... until I began unpacking all those totes last week. Not only did I manage to cram all the crap from the Frontier into various places in the R1T... BUT THERE IS ROOM FOR MORE!!! Everything fit; umbrellas, handi-wipes, utensils, water, etc... just in different places. All my tow straps and tarps that were under the old back seat are now secured in the under-bed storage. The grocery totes we use for Aldi are now folded up an in the tunnel door storage bins (and a lot easier to get to!). Our collection of sun and driving glasses are in the center-console drawer, etc.

One thing I did in the Frontier that carried over to the R1T is; I hung a cloth tote from around a back-seat head rest (we don't have children, so the back seat was only used for hauiling stuff). I used that tote for things like a roll of paper towels, packs of utensils, snacks, bottles of water, etc. The center back-seat head rest of R1T works perfectly for that purpose! Lift it up, drop one tote handle around the head rest and there you go! Accessible travel-stuff storage!

I ordered a partitioned tray for the floor console of the R1T and a few other odds and ends.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I’ll be switching to the Scout; it still has soul. Rivian is turning into the GM of electric cars. I will enjoy being among the 1% who can still luxuriate with real buttons and switches on my dash.

GM still has buttons and switches. I saw all the buttons and switches in the new Ram Rev and no thanks. I like the way Rivian does it, the menus are far neater and easier to use than having a button for every purpose and trying to remember where they all are.

 

[BrianB]

Unnecessary overreaction. It’s not like they took away the only storage that ever existed. The deep center console storage remains. Plus, Gen2 has a generous sized drawer where Gen1's camp speaker would be, it's even pictured. Both storage spaces are readily accessible by driver and passenger.

Gen2 12V is under the passenger seat. This means, to service the 12V, the tech would be holding and lifting the bottom front portion of the seat. Keeping the cubby means high likelihood of breaking plastics that are not meant to bear full (or near-full) weight of the seat. This is probably the reason they did away with the feature.

1) the R1S center console is the smallest I’ve ever seen in this sized SUV
2) the drawer in place of the camp speaker is NOT easily accessible. You have to either remove cups from the cup holder and stow the cupholder, or reach around it and fumble through the drawer blindly.

I’m open to cost cutting, but storage space isn’t the thing for Rivian to cut.

 

[BrianB]

They didn't remove it, they just haven't released it yet.

What’s the issue? I have a Gen2 R1S and I often start climate control before I get to the car.

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