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(Bed) size matters

Pherdnut

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I'll bet you could fit drywall sheets in the tent if you stick to the right lane and drive very slowly.
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RayzorBEV

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The 4.7ft bed reminds me of the old Ford Explorer Sport Trac which has a even shorter bed of 49 in if I remember correctly...For comparison the Cybertruck has 6.5ft bed
 
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R1T4ME

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I have not suggested a bigger bed as a standard, simply as an option. It is not a zero sum game. Seems like a reasonable engineering request considering not doing so could alienate a huge segment of potential owners...most truck owners do alot more ulitity related activities than off roading. People that want to park in a garage will pick the short bed and people that prioritize moving things around will pick the longer one. Done deal. Everybody is happy. Where is the debate? Gimme the option to purchase one more foot of truck please.
 

electruck

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I completely understand that many people want a cheap electric pickup truck that handles all of their specific use cases. Problem is, Rivian isn't trying to build a low cost general purpose pickup that works for everyone. If they did, they would drive far more orders than their startup is prepared to deliver at first. Thus, initially, they have chosen to tackle a very niche subset of the market. If the product they are building doesn't work for you, unfortunately you may have to wait for Ford or Chevy to deliver an electric option. Or hopefully a future Rivian model will offer the longer bed you desire at a time when they are prepared to deliver hundreds of thousands of vehicles per year instead of mere tens of thousands.

Towing a trailer would certainly be another option for items that won't fit in the R1T bed but this obviously doesn't work for those planning to use the bed and tow a trailer at the same time.
 
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brianmartin

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I think if the demand is high enough, they'll probably offer it at some point, but not right away.
I wonder if the upcoming GM and Ford electric trucks will offer different bed sizes, or if they will only offer one option to start with.
Eventually someone will make a long bed electric pickup, its only a matter of time.
The demand for GM's standard 6.5ft bed is very high, with many people opting for it.
If Rivian ever wants to get out of the niche "adventure truck" space and actually sell a truck that homeowners will want to have in their driveway for hauling stuff, they will need to make a larger pickup.
 
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R1T4ME

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For Electruck, since when does wanting a decent size bed factor into a low cost ambition? I am planning to shell out close to $100K for this vehicle so I am not seeking a bargain, I am just seeking a truck that meets the load capacity of a standard ICE truck to help me justify it as more than a novelty. This is not a big ask.
 

brianmartin

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it actually is a big ask, because if they got into direct competition with GM/Ford with a full size pickup, they'd be undercut on price. Heck, they're already competing in the mid-size pickup space and you can bet GM 100% has an electric colorado coming soon and there is no way its going to be 80k. Maybe 50-60k tops. So
 
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electruck

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@R1T4ME, you want a long bed. Others want a truck under $50k but don't care how long the bed is or whether it is off-road capable. Others only care about whether it is off-road capable. Still others want saddle brown leather that they aren't going to get. My point was that everybody wants what they want but Rivian isn't trying to satisfy everyone - they can't afford to right out of the gate. Obviously this means a lot of people aren't going to get exactly what they want and many won't end up getting a Rivian at all. But it's still good that Rivian hears what everyone wants because that will help drive future product direction.
 
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R1T4ME

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@R1T4ME, you want a long bed. Others want a truck under $50k but don't care how long the bed is or whether it is off-road capable. Others only care about whether it is off-road capable. Still others want saddle brown leather that they aren't going to get. My point was that everybody wants what they want but Rivian isn't trying to satisfy everyone - they can't afford to right out of the gate. Obviously this means a lot of people aren't going to get exactly what they want and many won't end up getting a Rivian at all. But it's still good that Rivian hears what everyone wants because that will help drive future product direction.
@R1T4ME, you want a long bed. Others want a truck under $50k but don't care how long the bed is or whether it is off-road capable. Others only care about whether it is off-road capable. Still others want saddle brown leather that they aren't going to get. My point was that everybody wants what they want but Rivian isn't trying to satisfy everyone - they can't afford to right out of the gate. Obviously this means a lot of people aren't going to get exactly what they want and many won't end up getting a Rivian at all. But it's still good that Rivian hears what everyone wants because that will help drive future product direction.
I get it, you can't please everyone in the beginning, or maybe ever for that matter but I am not asking for something special. I am asking for the option to select the smallest bed the rest of the industry offers as a standard, not a long bed and not napa leather. What Rivian is offering as their ONLY option is a sub standard length bed. Do you detractors understand the difference? The primary functions of a truck are to pull things and carry things, all other features are add ons. I am arguing for a primary function to be prioritized as an option only, the nay sayers are arguing that add on features/capabilities should be prioritized over this primary function. In my opinion, if approach/departure angles and garage fitment are your priority then you should be buying the SUV, not arguing for a sub-par bed on the truck to be the only offering.
 

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jfrench

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It's always tough to infer how worked up someone is through internet posts so forgive me but, dude, it'll be ok. Don't buy the Rivian. Wait for an electric truck that has the bed you want. It's like you have some axe to grind against people who don't put ATVs in their trucks. All this talk of "naysayers" and "detractors" is a bit over the top, unless I'm misreading your tone. Again, my apologies if that's the case.

I agree. You aren't asking for something all that special, it's just not what Rivian is doing right now. I'm not naysaying or detracting. I agree with you. But both you and I can be right at the same time. In my estimation their bed size is not substandard compared to a short bed Tacoma (55" vs 60"), Chevy Colorado or Ford Ranger. Last I heard Toyota was not having a hard time selling dual cab, short bed Tacomas. They're everywhere.
https://autoweek.com/article/car-news/toyota-drops-150-million-tijuana-tacoma-plant

They work well for people who throw camping gear or skis/snowboards or climbing/hiking gear or mountain/road bikes or fishing gear or on and on and on and on...Truck beds fit all sorts of stuff. One can even move a kid to college or buy a new dishwasher at Home Depot or even studs and drywall from Lowes in a short bed pickup. It's sometimes not ideal but it can do in a pinch.

I'm not well versed in the ICE truck world but aren't most beds separate from the passenger carrying portion of the body? In that case, adding a longer bed option probably wouldn't be the most difficult thing in the world (see short bed vs long bed Tacoma). The way the R1T was designed would require major changes and as I said before, it ain't gonna happen.
 

electruck

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There is zero doubt that there is a huge market for longer truck beds but that's not what Rivian is offering with the R1T. I'm just saying that Rivian's first 2 products are what they are, take 'em or leave 'em.
 

Feathermerchant

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A start up cannot afford to begin with a high volume low margin product. Capital costs are too high. They start with a low volume high end product that they can make some money producing. Then use that money and experience to start production of a high volume low margin product.
 
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R1T4ME

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@jfrench Ha, I'm not all hot and bothered, but thank you for responding in a delicate/measured way. I probably need to work on my word choice if that is how I came across. I was just trying to frame both sides of the discussion in saying "any sayers". The reality is I have a little bit of buyers remorse right now over my Ram. When my F150 died I needed to buy another truck on relatively short notice, even though I had already submitted an order for the Rivian. In my haste I grabbed a Ram with a 5' bed even though I had a 6' bed on the F150 because I thought it wouldn't make much difference. Well, I'm coming up on a year of ownership now and can confirm that I was wrong, a foot makes a very big difference. During my ownership I've had to do a couple of remodeling projects on my houses, made a couple of atv excursions, done some atv and jetski combo weekends, and needed transport my motorcycle and 50cc scooter a bunch of times so I got very acquainted with the bed, and it's limitations. Not only do most toys not fit with the bed closed, simple things like a ramp or small ladder don't either. Even bicycles and my scooter have to be kept at an angle. I have a cargo trailer but it is not appropriate for routine short trips, and it eliminates the ability to pull any watercraft on that trip. Now, I just want to undo my decision at the next opportunity but am disappointed that Rivian will not solve my problem, and in fact it will make it worse. I don't work with my hands but I rely heavily on my truck to support my active weekends. I really want all of the awesomeness that the R1T brings to the table but I really need for it to be just a little bit bigger to fit my lifestyle. I don't want to be the glutton that needs to keep two trucks in order to get the Rivian experience, hence my lobbying via this post, but that is what it is shaping up to look like.
 

ElectricTrucking

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If you are young enough to dream, wait for the Atlas it looks fabulous. One problem with me I'm getting on in years and my dreams are more short in time.

Rivian R1T R1S (Bed) size matters rivian-r1t-is-a-real-electric-pickup-truck-but-atlis-xt-is-not
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