CNN Business Article - "Rivian is no Tesla" has interesting comments from some of our own Forum members

[DuckTruck]

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/09/26/cars/rivian-tesla-comparison/index.html

Rivian is no Tesla. That's exactly what these buyers want
By Matt McFarland, CNN Business
Updated 7:30 AM EDT, Mon September 27, 2021

Washington, DC(CNN)Today Tesla dominates the world of electric vehicles, selling about two of every three EVs sold in the US. It's worth more than twice as much as any other automaker. Teslas are a status symbol and its CEO, Elon Musk, is a celebrity, with 59 million more Twitter followers than the next most popular automotive CEO.

But there's a portion of the market that wants an electric car and is specifically turned off by Tesla's lineup, its CEO, and in some cases, both. That could prove to be a boon for one of its rivals.
CNN Business interviewed 12 drivers who have pre-orders with Rivian, the US automaker focused on electric trucks and SUVs that's expected to go public later this year. They say a key part of Rivian's appeal is how different it is from Tesla.

Full article:

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/09/26/cars/rivian-tesla-comparison/index.html

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[Friscorays]

Bummer about March 1, 2022.

 

[U100]

This ad popped up in the middle of the article - I initially thought they were doing body work on the crashed Rivian and was puzzled by the new shade of blue. ?

 

[jplblue]

For me, the fact that RJ seems like a good dude is a big bonus but doesn't effect my actual purchasing decision any. Similarly in the hypothetical case that I wanted a Tesla, my feelings about Musk one way or another would not make a difference as to whether or not I ended up with one.

While I won't buy something just because the CEO is a nice guy or the company is socially/environmentally conscious, I definitely avoid supporting companies (leadership included) whose behavior is harmful.

 

[Friscorays]

Bummer about March 1, 2022.

 

[BigSkies]

So the guy that pretty much single-handedly brought back electric vehicles and has worked quite vigorously on bringing solar to the masses isn't environmentally friendly enough?

I don’t think it’s about environmental friendliness.

I see no disconnect in admiring and appreciating what Tesla has accomplished, while simultaneously viewing Elon Musk as a giant douche who treats his employees (and sometimes customers) like crap.

 

[DucRider]

So the guy that pretty much single-handedly brought back electric vehicles and has worked quite vigorously on bringing solar to the masses isn't environmentally friendly enough?

Can you say "Bitcoin"?

 

[Speedrye]

People choose all too often on personality instead of the merits of the product, so I'm not surprised. The last election is proof of that, as are celebrity ad endorsements on most anything.

 

[Friscorays]

Bummer about March 1, 2022.

 

[lefkonj]

Interesting read but not shocking

 

[fromSf]

Tbc, I admire Elon Musk and have great respect for him.

My biggest gripe is he couldn't fix build quality issues so he convinced people to accept poor workmanship. Also, I hate him for bringing subscription crap to automobile business and about over promise and under deliver. Everyone is following that suit and words have no respect these days.

Other minor stuff, promoting crypto (DOGE - pump and dump) and bitcoin (crazy energy consumption), focusing on Mars instead of helping the needy in earth and adding more junk to space with starlink satellites.

Everything I have heard about RJ is awesome and need to get my R1S to see the workmanship and their service after delivery to celebrate or call it success.

 

[jplblue]

So the guy that pretty much single-handedly brought back electric vehicles and has worked quite vigorously on bringing solar to the masses isn't environmentally friendly enough?

I give him credit for helping EVs get to this point, but like I said, that alone is not sufficient for me to support Elon or Tesla. Thankfully there are alternatives that don't come with similar baggage.

 

[TessP100D]

Can you say "Bitcoin"?

Can you say. Boring.

 

[yizzung]

Musk is obviously an incredibly bright person but he's never struck me as a mission-driven environmentalist. That doesn't preclude me from buying a Tesla but any CEO's value will inevitably manifest in both how the company is run and the impact it will have on society.

His first two companies (where he made the money that enabled him to invest in Tesla and SpaceX) had nothing at all to do with the environment. Regular old tech companies.

His strategy for Tesla was not to appeal to tree huggers but rather to build super torque-y, sporty, status cars. (Kudos to him for gambling on that approach, as it really worked and obviously paved the way for companies like Rivian.)

I take some issue with his (and seemingly every tech billionaire's) obsession with space. With our own planet's environment rapidly going down the drain, they all seem to think it would be more fun to live on Mars.

It's estimated that a ticket on one of these consumer space flights has about 100X the carbon impact of a long-haul airplane flight. That's a lot of environmental damage just to have something cool to brag about at the golf club.

All that said, RJ seems like a legit dude and the product looks awesome. Looking forward to delivery.

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