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I just really don't like that you cant have the interior in one color. The front seats being a different color than the rest of the car bothers me.
I would only compare R1S with Model X, and R1S comes out $20k cheaper in base configuration or over $10k cheaper for Launch Edition, not to mention the $7500 tax credit. The more conventional design of the controls and doors is a plus as well.
I bet there is very little overlap between people considering Rivian and those considering Tesla Model S.
On airplanes the wheel only turns 90-100 degrees, so there is no hand over hand. I suspect that for this wheel design the gearing is very different such that the wheel only moves about 90 degrees at full travel. You can also put in something called "expo" (term from RC aircraft joysticks) that provides low gain around neutral and higher gain as you get to full travel. It would take a little getting used to, but is not likely a big deal.
You better hope the one position you can use to put you hands on the yoke is comfortable.
I see where you're coming from - I'm envious of those range numbers on both the S and X. But as others have mentioned, we're comparing different markets and use cases. The Model X comes close if you're not really keen on off-roading much, but you're still looking at $90k with the 7 seater option and nothing else added. Conservatively speaking, let's say the Max pack R1S comes in at 350 miles (10 short of the X) at an extra $10k. You're then looking at $80k for an Explore package R1S with 350 miles (or $87.5k for Adventure) for a much much more capable vehicle. Anddd you get the $7.5k tax credit. AAAND you get free OTA Driver+ updates instead of having to pay an extra $10k for the privilege of using Tesla's full driving package.
Driver+ is roughly equivalent to what comes on a Tesla without the Full self driving option (it does have a couple of Tesla FSD features like lane change, so maybe something in between the two). Rivian will almost certainly charge for FSD if/when they make it available. They have only stated that the hardware is standard on all vehicles, not that implementation would be free.
Why doesn't the yoke on an airplane turn more than 90°? Because it doesn't have to. It seems obvious, therefore, that this yoke won't have to either. The possible implications of this are fascinating. The first one is that the steering wheel input sensitivity is not constant but rather much higher at high speed, for example, than low. Or, if not tied to speed, non linear (like the exponential gain curve referenced in the quoted post). The implication of either of those is that the steering is not mechanical that is, that the wheel is not mechanically connected to the tires; that the system is "fly by wire". Does NHTSA allow that?
Fair enough, that's good clarification.
It's not quite that certain.
