Early Tesla releases VS Rivian so far

[drhnbtx]

I am interested in getting a better understanding of any early Tesla adopters regarding your experience from unveiling to the equivalent to where we are with Rivian. Specifically:
- timelines/delays
- configurator experience
- specs/info - options, prices, warranty, service, etc....
- expected features vs production
- real photos of colors
- view in person/test drives
- any other experiences of import?

This will likely be the biggest new auto manufacturer volume release since the first Model S. I recall the hype from those early Tesla times but was never deeply interested in the vehicle itself as I didnt want a sedan(even at those performance levels). Would love to hear from those of you who have experienced the early Tesla vs Rivian experience so far.

Thanks,

D

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[DucRider]

I am interested in getting a better understanding of any early Tesla adopters regarding your experience from unveiling to the equivalent to where we are with Rivian. Specifically:
- timelines/delays
- configurator experience
- specs/info - options, prices, warranty, service, etc....
- expected features vs production
- real photos of colors
- view in person/test drives
- any other experiences of import?

This will likely be the biggest new auto manufacturer volume release since the first Model S. I recall the hype from those early Tesla times but was never deeply interested in the vehicle itself as I didnt want a sedan(even at those performance levels). Would love to hear from those of you who have experienced the early Tesla vs Rivian experience so far.

Thanks,

D

Local first adopter of the Model X paid his $40K deposit for the Founders Edition expecting delivery in ~ 8 mos. Took 2.5+ years. This was sight unseen with no test drives. Tesla showed the Falcon wings doors and it took them the extra 2 years from their original timeline to get them mostly right. He was a little ticked off, but did pony up the $250K deposit for the Founders Edition Roadster 2.0 when that was announced.

I don't think you can draw many conclusions from the Tesla early days to Rivian. Different approach to manufacturing, more mature industry, better financial backing, partners with manufacturing experience, etc.

 

[Trandall]

I agree with DucRider. Extrapolating from Tesla to Rivian will give faulty results.
I would also contend that Rivian launch is far more complex than Tesla in many ways: three models launching simultaneous combined with new factory launch (the biggest factor), as well as much higher delivery rates in the first few years. Also Elon expected that Tesla would fail and or possibly be swallowed up. I don't think RJ has this expectation.

 

[mkennedy1996]

I am interested in getting a better understanding of any early Tesla adopters regarding your experience from unveiling to the equivalent to where we are with Rivian. Specifically:
- timelines/delays
- configurator experience
- specs/info - options, prices, warranty, service, etc....
- expected features vs production
- real photos of colors
- view in person/test drives
- any other experiences of import?

This will likely be the biggest new auto manufacturer volume release since the first Model S. I recall the hype from those early Tesla times but was never deeply interested in the vehicle itself as I didnt want a sedan(even at those performance levels). Would love to hear from those of you who have experienced the early Tesla vs Rivian experience so far.

Thanks,

D

I was one of the Model X early adopters. We received the 3rd Signature X in the country. A $40,000 deposit was required, vs the $1000 with Rivian. The prices of the cars are diferent as well. Our first X was $160,000 all in. The wait time between deposit and delivery (or projected delivery was over 2 1/2 years in both cases.

Tesla hosted a launch party in California for the X where we had the first chance to touch the car, sit in it and be driven around in it. We were not able to drive the car before delivery. At the same time, the configurator became available to finalize the order of the car. This was 85 days before delivery. We are already past that for Rivian (if you use June 1st as the start of deliveries).

We loved that first X in Signature Red. It was stunning. However, it was also one of the first cars off the line and it suffered from that. In the first 24 months, the car spent 17% of the days that we owned it at the Tesla Service Center. By the end, they had worked out the bugs, but replaced a lot of parts.

I am an early R1S reservation holder (Nov 2018) and expect the R1S in August. I am banking on them working out the bugs on those early R1Ts before they build my R1S.

The other downside of being an early adopter and buying one of the first cars is the rapid improvement in technology that happens. With the X, they made significant changes within the first 12 months after launch. The 90kWh battery (degradation issues) was replaced with a 100kWh battery and added more power for better acceleration (not that the first one was slow, but they went from a 0-60 of 3.2 down to 2.8 sec. Autopilot was upgraded to version 2 and addition of more cameras. We bought our second X almost exactly 1 year after the first and the difference was drastic. We still own that X more than 4 years later.

There are signs that Rivian early adopters will suffer the same fate. 800V charging is planned, just not in the first cars produced. Larger battery is planned, just not in the first cars produced. Five seater is planned, just not in the first cars produced. As we learn more, there will likely be more examples like this.

But the bottom line is this. If I had the first X purchase to do over again, I would do it without hesitation! Just expect some bumps in the road.

 

[timf]

Tesla hosted a launch party in California for the X where we had the first chance to touch the car, sit in it and be driven around in it. We were not able to drive the car before delivery. At the same time, the configurator became available to finalize the order of the car. This was 85 days before delivery. We are already past that for Rivian (if you use June 1st as the start of deliveries).

The launch party was the start of deliveries for the Model X, so by your measure the 85 days should start counting from that date. Tesla's early deliveries have always trickled out to key individuals first, with normal customers not coming until a couple months later. Given this, my expectation for the June date is only a few key deliveries to say they hit their goal and not mass customer deliveries. Hopefully Rivian doesn't use this trick, but this is about setting expectations based on past experiences with Tesla.

I had a normal production reservation and did not get invited to configure until around the same time the Signatures started being delivered, and took delivery about 5 months later. In total, it was 1 day short of 2 years from the day I reserved until I took delivery of my Model X. The only time I was able to see one in person before confirming my order was an early prototype at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2014. I did get invited to an exclusive event at the 2015 auto show, and while Elon made an appearance there, the Model X did not. With Rivian, I was invited to an event soon after reserving where I got to see the R1T and RJ, but I have still yet to see the R1S in person.

My first time seeing a production Model X in person was in January 2016 (a month after confirming my order) when a Signature owner was kind enough to let me come over and sit in their car. I did not actually drive one until I took delivery in May. I suspect the same will be true of the R1S, although with a Day 1 Launch Edition reservation I hope to be in that early group of deliveries.

 

[PAFDenver]

I had a completely different experience than everyone else here apparently. Perhaps it was because I got an S, not an X. Tesla was completely focused on one vehicle when I ordered and not juggling multiple vehicles (maybe that’s a bad sign for Rivian) so my experience was great. Maybe it’s also because I ordered later in the process.

I was an early adopter of the Model S. I was watching them for a while, but only put in a reservation after they started shipping (like the day after they started shipping). It was Nov 10,2012. I expected delivery would be at least 6 months, but it was under 4 months. I bought the P85, so it was a pretty high-spec car, which is probably why I got it so fast (they prioritized shipping the most expensive cars first). I was a normal reservation holder – not a founder’s reservation (or whatever they called it).

I had a great experience. I was able to see and drive a car before putting my money down. They had a showroom at a local mall and it was staffed with great people. They knew the product and were helpful. I configured the car online from their showroom and handed them a check and was done, 5 minutes max. The configurator was great, but I had done it online (without placing the reservation) before a dozen times on my own. It was very similar to Rivian’s configurator.

Everything I ordered, I got. The car I got has been very reliable and while it has had a few trips to the service center (and visits from Rangers) not a crazy amount – especially for the first car designed & built by a new car company. The entire experience has been fantastic, I am a constantly singing the praises of Tesla – and hope to be doing the same with Rivian.

I had chosen the color I wanted online before I saw the car and stayed with that color. The car I test drove happened to be the same color. I don’t remember feeling any disappointment – along the lines of “I thought it looked better online”.

I really have nothing negative to say about the experience of buying with Tesla. Sure, there are some things that bug me a little now, but at 8 years old this car still turns heads, and has been BY FAR the lowest maintenance car I have ever driven. It’s still a blast to drive (I LOVE acceleration!) and still feels like a luxury. I hope/plan to have the car for the next 15-20 years or more. The only thing that makes me wonder if that’s possible is the battery life. Whooops, I think I strayed off topic a bit.

So far my experience with Rivian is slightly less positive. Maybe it’s because I had such a great experience to compare it to and maybe it’s because I placed my Rivian reservation earlier in the process. Anything they defeature *after* I placed my reservation feels like something they have stolen from me. It’s like I paid for that feature and now I don’t get it. Yes, I know I can cancel and get a refund – but it still annoys me when they remove features. I really am worried what else will go before I get my truck, but hope that since production start must be days away for June deliveries it means that the defeaturing is over. I will not finalize my order without test driving it first. If that means delaying my delivery, or even canceling my reservation entirely, I will. I won’t drop $80K on a vehicle without driving it first.

The announcement of guides is very positive, actually beyond what Tesla did. I don’t know what they can really *do*, but I think it’s a good sign that they implemented this. When I have contacted regular customer service, they have been very good and as helpful as I think I can realistically hope for. Their online site & configurator are fine – I don’t know what you really can complain about there. Yes, their communication has been a little sparse, but they are still pre-production and anything they officially announce becomes something they MUST deliver on, so I get it. There is lots of negativity on this (and other) forums that I think is undeserved. I have been involved in designing & launching new products for 30 years, so I know what they are going through and I think they are actually doing a excellent job so far. I expect many of the loudest, negative voices would be silenced if they had product development experience.

The next big data point for me is how they handle test drives. I consider this a requirement for selling cars so their plan regarding this is critical to me. I actually expect they will handle it fine, but time will tell.

Sorry for the length of this – I am wordy.

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