📥 New Rivian email: production sequence adjustments to maximize production output in spite of supply challenge

[SANZC02]

I for one appreciate the email and additional messages we are getting from Rivian.

I also see all of the information in this email as good news. Seems to me that Frank Klein has been consulting ahead of his June 1st start getting things lined up so he can hit the ground running. You have to like the message they are giving about simplifying production runs not only for Rivian but to get better throughput from their suppliers.

People just need to look past their personal disappointment for things they have configured and embrace the overall message being conveyed. It really does sound like a big step in the right direction.

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[R1Sky Business]

These are factory built vehicles, subject to the demands of factory logistics. They aren't bespoke McLarens. We're paying a lot for a vehicle (relatively), but not that much. Rivian has priorities that are greater than that of pre-order dates, and, at least to me, that's never been unclear. Priority delivery means when all other logistical priorities are met, the pre-order date is then considered. Mixing and matching build configurations beyond what they've always intended (e.g. OC + FE wood) would be anything but simple. Additionally, it sets a precedent for which I don't think Rivian is prepared. It could happen, I'm not counting it out. But it's really unlikely from my perspective.

What's not clear to me is whether this means my delivery estimate moves up. I can speculate that it does, but won't really know until end-of-May, by their timeline.

Nothing was surprising to me about yesterday's communication. It confirmed and clarified some things that were speculated on or rumored. This is a roller coaster of a car purchase, but not an entirely unexpected one. (I mean, how many of us have ever "pre-ordered" a vehicle? From a new car manufacturer? I know I haven't, either one.) I feel for the OC interior folks that are disappointed right now, as I would be--and was, when I originally learned FE was the end of the pack (and now isn't, I guess?).

But let's not let entitlement get the best of us, yeah?

On point

 

[R1Sky Business]

You should have already received an email a while back. If not, I would contact Customer Service.

It'll change soon, don't bother

 

[R1Sky Business]

I originally chose OC but recently switched to beautiful FE. The interior is where you spend your time so I splurged for the $2k option. I was a bit concerned about the OC light fabric and wood showing dirt and stains over the years.

On yellow truck....spicy

 

[astonius]

I for one appreciate the email and additional messages we are getting from Rivian.

I also see all of the information in this email as good news. Seems to me that Frank Klein has been consulting ahead of his June 1st start getting things lined up so he can hit the ground running. You have to like the message they are giving about simplifying production runs not only for Rivian but to get better throughput from their suppliers.

People just need to look past their personal disappointment for things they have configured and embrace the overall message being conveyed. It really does sound like a big step in the right direction.

With respect, this is a very convenient opinion for reservation holders who were not blindsided by a six-month+ delay in their delivery window by a generic email blast.

 

[junkanoo]

But I do kinda get why people were told one thing Monday morning and another Monday evening. Rivian needs to convey a united front, something they've been terrible at so far. Why, one might ask? Because not doing so fuels this uncertainty, confusion, speculation, and dissapointment. In my mind, the ones who screwed up here were the guides that let some of their folks know about the OC delay ahead of Monday. But I don't blame them--they're doing what they are expected to do: form a relationship with their customer and help them, and they're doing so with the information they have. What should have happened is all of this kept held close to the chest until they were ready to communicate it, which they finally did yesterday. Rivian hasn't yet learned that they have to control the narrative. To do so, it means keeping folks in the dark until you can communicate clearly and consistently with the message you really intend on conveying. That can take time, and meanwhile customers will be in the dark; but it's by necessity of avoiding confusion and frustration.

With all due respect, please, this is not ze war, this is a company selling vehicles to consumers.

The top brass could have been upfront about the continuing Ocean Toast problem ... they chose not to. Let's not pretend that it's Guides not sticking to scripts that were the problem. It's not Guides that decided to reach out to Ocean Toast R1S customers telling them s00N because they had nothing better to do.

We all knew there was an Ocean Toast problem when trucks weren't being produced. Period. The rest simply became Rivianese.

 

[Pendarin]

With all due respect, please, this is not ze war, this is a company selling vehicles to consumers.

I have no idea what you mean by this.

The top brass could have been upfront about the continuing Ocean Toast problem ... they chose not to. Let's not pretend that it's Guides not sticking to scripts that were the problem. It's not Guides that decided to reach out to Ocean Toast R1S customers telling them s00N because they had nothing better to do.

Sorry, I don't mean to say that it wasn't a mistake for Rivian to wait so long to communicate about this. I was speaking only specifically to perhaps why Monday morning the guides would have been saying one thing, and by the evening saying something else. Changing messaging all at once like that is an artifact of the solution for the earlier mayhem, which was caused by some guides saying one thing with other guides saying something different. ("OC is delayed", "OC is on track"). It's normal procedure for a company to be united in their messaging. The part of my quote you bolded was just saying that there's an expected period of time between when a decision is made and when the messaging to customers about it happens--they need to get their ducks in a row. I was not commenting on whether that delay in this case was acceptable or not.

It really depends on what you think is worse: having contradictory statements at the same time or having contradictory statements before vs after. IMO, the latter makes it sound like they made a decision and changed course (reasonable), the former makes it sound like they don't know WTF they're doing.

So let's say the guides had always "stuck to scripts," as you put it. I was making no comment about the timing of when they changed messaging. But since you bring it up: I agree, they waited far too long. Clearly, given the earlier contradictory-at-the-same-time that was occurring, someone knew the decision had been made several weeks ago. But worse, they ended up giving some customers the ability to act on the new info while others could not, with no predictable reason. That's the bigger mistake, is the point of my post.

 

[Gshenderson]

I have no idea what you mean by this.


Sorry, I don't mean to say that it wasn't a mistake for Rivian to wait so long to communicate about this. I was speaking only specifically to perhaps why Monday morning the guides would have been saying one thing, and by the evening saying something else. Changing messaging all at once like that is an artifact of the solution for the earlier mayhem, which was caused by some guides saying one thing with other guides saying something different. ("OC is delayed", "OC is on track"). It's normal procedure for a company to be united in their messaging. The part of my quote you bolded was just saying that there's an expected period of time between when a decision is made and when the messaging to customers about it happens--they need to get their ducks in a row. I was not commenting on whether that delay in this case was acceptable or not.

It really depends on what you think is worse: having contradictory statements at the same time or having contradictory statements before vs after. IMO, the latter makes it sound like they made a decision and changed course (reasonable), the former makes it sound like they don't know WTF they're doing.

So let's say the guides had always "stuck to scripts," as you put it. I was making no comment about the timing of when they changed messaging. But since you bring it up: I agree, they waited far too long. Clearly, given the earlier contradictory-at-the-same-time that was occurring, someone knew the decision had been made several weeks ago. But worse, they ended up giving some customers the ability to act on the new info while others could not, with no predictable reason. That's the bigger mistake, is the point of my post.

And despite the time lag between knowledge of problem, decision to delay and announcement email, there’s no way in hell they can justify the continued issuance of PBAs to OC buyers during that time. If there was a decent chance of things playing out this way, which I believe they knew throughout that whole time period (and even longer) that there was, they should have stopped issuing PBAs.

 

[junkanoo]

junkanoo said:
With all due respect, please, this is not ze war, this is a company selling vehicles to consumers.

I have no idea what you mean by this.

Sorry. I agree, that is way too abstract for a general forum. "Ze war" is a Baby Boomer era reference to World War II. With its "loose lips, sinks ships" messaging that was quite necessary in wartime but not in civilian commerce. Again, poorly considered on my part. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[KnightNole07]

So I know this isn't a hot take or unique opinion, but I will provide my thoughts nonetheless (you're welcome ). To me this issue again comes down to how this was handled, not necessarily their need to pivot. Things happen, and we all knew going in there could be challenges with a startup.

However, having a March-April delivery window (in Denver, where they are delivering vehicles), I just finally talked to my Guide last week, and signed the the PBA the next day. I asked multiple times, whether OC would cause a significant delay, because while it is my preference, I would only keep it if the delay wasn't more than a month or so (my specific example is I would wait a month, but definitely not 6 months). She told me she would stay with OC if that is my measuring stick. Great! So I left the call figuring there would be some delay, but was comfortable with the idea of a likely May-June delivery. And then not even a week later, we are told we are looking at 6+ months (and history tells us likely longer).

Ok, so all that stings a little, but knowing what I know now, while slightly disappointed, I will just change. But now that I signed the PBA, I can't without my Guide doing it, and I can't seem to get a reply to email, call or text. I am sure they are getting inundated with people requesting the same thing, but had they just handled it slightly differently, we could have avoided this, and I would have changed last week. Even if just letting people that were supposed to get trucks in the next week or two that wasn't going to happen if they didn't change. I was told last week that we were still "on track" for my March-April window, and their email seems to indicate they won't even reach out until "late May" to discuss options, all the while continuing to deliver to folks that pre-ordered long after I did, including in Denver.

So this is really my frustration. I am fine with the interior color challenges, and am happy to adjust as Rivian works through the challenges of a startup. But I was never contacted asking if I wanted to change interiors to get it early, and I had to beg them for a first mile test drive, despite being in Denver where these things were happening. It just feels like everything they do is clunky, and giving a bit more thought to these communications along the way could save a lot of angst (both for us, and the Guides).

 

[HokieBird7980]

I agree... I'm a Dec 3rd 2018 R1T res holder, with Ocean Coast and an alleged Mar-Apr delivery window...a guide, a signed PBA, and multiple assurances for the last two months that my delivery was "on track"... but I switched to Forest Edge last week, based on the rumors and the dreadful suspicion about OC that proved to be true.

As an aside I did have the exact Midnight Black R1T at my house, with the Forst Edge interior for my 1st-mile drive...and have to admit it was beautiful... but it was not what I had originally chose.

I just cant wait six more months for OC, which could turn into nine or 12+ based on Rivians tack record. The only Rivian has been consistent with is failing to meet their own estimates....and not by a little...by a lot.

Okay, you convinced me! As a fellow 2018 preorder holder, I've had enough waiting too. I'm still going to get OC, but in the R1S I have ordered which is not scheduled for delivery well into 2nd half of 2023. That one's for the wife, unless she can't take the all glass roof and the NC sun, then I'll switch that to another R1T in a different color combo and max pack. Run this LG, FE one into the ground and enjoy it....hopefully sooner now that i switched too from OC. Given all the Covid in China resurgence and lock downs, ports closed, i'm not taking a risk some of this is coming out of China any longer. Here's to hoping our decision to change was a wise one!

 

[paariv]

And despite the time lag between knowledge of problem, decision to delay and announcement email, there’s no way in hell they can justify the continued issuance of PBAs to OC buyers during that time. If there was a decent chance of things playing out this way, which I believe they knew throughout that whole time period (and even longer) that there was, they should have stopped issuing PBAs.

Nail. On. Head.

Delays happen. But if they don't have OC materials on hand this week, they didn't have them on hand last week either. And they shouldn't be saying "It's all fine, we're making them now, you're on track" if they know they can't deliver them soon, and that there's zero chance they can meet the OC delivery windows they set in late 2021.

Same thing is happening with the R1S. They're saying "everything is great, R1Ses are coming off the line," just like they were telling us OC was being made as late as last week, but that turned to a 6+month delay in an instant.

There may be a technically accurate meaning of the "we're making R1Ses now" claim, but we all can see with our eyes that there are no R1S test drives, no R1Ses on trucks or at delivery centers, none at the Venice location, no manual, no official *pictures of the backseat,* etc.

It's very clear right now that they're not going to meet delivery windows for many, if not all, LE R1S orders, but they're not even saying "Things are probably slipping a little bit, we'll know more and make an announcement in May." Instead they're saying "things are great, sign the PBA" when they know deliveries aren't going to happen for at least early windows. That's straight-up dishonest. You don't need a new certain delivery date to be able to tell people the schedule's getting pushed out. And we can all see it happening, so there's no reason to pretend otherwise.

 

[Jay565]

Nail. On. Head.

Delays happen. But if they don't have OC materials on hand this week, they didn't have them on hand last week either. And they shouldn't be saying "It's all fine, we're making them now, you're on track" if they know they can't deliver them soon, and that there's zero chance they can meet the OC delivery windows they set in late 2021.

Same thing is happening with the R1S. They're saying "everything is great, R1Ses are coming off the line," just like they were telling us OC was being made as late as last week, but that turned to a 6+month delay in an instant.

There may be a technically accurate meaning of the "we're making R1Ses now" claim, but we all can see with our eyes that there are no R1S test drives, no R1Ses on trucks or at delivery centers, none at the Venice location, no manual, no official *pictures of the backseat,* etc.

It's very clear right now that they're not going to meet delivery windows for many, if not all, LE R1S orders, but they're not even saying "Things are probably slipping a little bit, we'll know more and make an announcement in May." Instead they're saying "things are great, sign the PBA" when they know deliveries aren't going to happen for at least early windows. That's straight-up dishonest. You don't need a new certain delivery date to be able to tell people the schedule's getting pushed out. And we can all see it happening, so there's no reason to pretend otherwise.

So true and heartbreaking, Rivian all we ask is communicate what you, everything you know as soon as you know it. RJ is starting to come off like someone who isn’t capable of running a 50B company.
Then again RJ has been less than honest in the past just look up avera motors and Florida. Shady back end deals with conflicts of interests. I ended up selling my IPO shares of Rivian, won’t ever rebuy until RJ is out. Sounds extreme but too many dishonest things he has done to count.

 

[MaxMike77]

happy for y'all with Forest Edge and Black mountain... at the same time I'm going to cry myself to sleep with my Ocean Coast interior

 

[AdamsFan1983]

Maybe Im a bit dense but I definately didn't pick up on this in the email. I spoke to CSS today and they informed me that as a reservation holder with a 2022 delivery window, that I will be contacted by a guide by the end of May. The relevant passage in the email is:

" For preorder holders with a delivery window in 2022, we will be reaching out in late May to gauge your preferences and help further inform our build combinations. If you’re flexible on certain options, you may be able to take delivery sooner. If you love your original configuration and prefer to stick with it, then no action is required on your part — we’ll simply continue to update you on your estimated delivery timing. "

The guide is supposed to sort of have an introductory conversation with you about your configured options what will potentially help things along, and what will slow them down. Maybe I'm giving CSS too much credit here, but I'm 50% giddy and 50% skeptical upon learning this. Seems like its news, if they're really promising guide interactions to all 2022 delivery window holders by the end of May.

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