Official: RIVIAN MEMBERSHIP Announced [1 year free trial beginning at day of delivery]

[Autolycus]

To those upset about the idea of features being hidden behind a subscription fee: Take a deep breath and just wait until we know what features will be added as part of it. You're wasting your own energy getting upset over hypothetical situations that could be years off.

I can think of a LOT of in-cabin features that make total sense as requiring a monthly fee because most of them rely on an active cellular connection which has monthly costs for Rivian.

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[kurtlikevonnegut]

To those upset about the idea of features being hidden behind a subscription fee: Take a deep breath and just wait until we know what features will be added as part of it. You're wasting your own energy getting upset over hypothetical situations that could be years off.

I can think of a LOT of in-cabin features that make total sense as requiring a monthly fee because most of them rely on an active cellular connection which has monthly costs for Rivian.

Agreed, the way I read this is that future driving modes etc will be part of this, as well as media options. Considering the Amazon integration, I could see them making movies/TV on demand via Amazon playable on the main screen while parked and/or include Amazon music streaming services.

 

[cohall]

I'm not intending to be rude, I'm just (sarcastically) pointing out how people are really overreacting to this.

All of those things you just mentioned are complete speculation – where did Rivian in the announcement say that L2 autonomy would be tied to membership and removed if you don't pay? Don't freak out unnecessarily about something unconfirmed.

And I'm also pointing out that before the era of EVs, you would spend $80k on a car and it would never change or improve over the life of the vehicle. Your comment was with a tone like "I already spend $80k on this vehicle, isn't that enough? Can't they just improve it and give me more features indefinitely for free?" but it's a bit hypocritical because people for years prior have been buying cars that never improve or get better after you drive them off the lot.

Just trying to shine a spotlight on how silly that reaction sounds is all...

OK. Felt rude but appreciate that wasn't your intention. And I'm not freaking out, being dramatic, or anything else. Simply stated I hate the pay to play model with cars. Never stated that they said L2 wasn't included, but was using it as an example of something that would annoy me if it became an add on, followed by the statement that until we need to wait until we know the details.

 

[PastyPilgrim]

Details will be forthcoming soon but I guarantee the answers to your two specific questions are No and No.

The details currently available imply that the answers are likely to be Yes though.

As our membership grows, we’ll continue adding benefits, including drive modes, enhanced vehicle capabilities, in-cabin content and gatherings at Rivian spaces and events.​

​

With drive modes being part of membership, it stands to reason that not being a member means you lose the drive modes. As for navigation, we know data is part of membership, which Rivian could require for maps (we don't know whether maps can be fully local), so that one is a maybe (but likely Yes IMO).

 

[Inkedsphynx]

Adding a new drive mode for members is not the same as removing drive modes for non-members.

 

[LagSwag1]

The details currently available imply that the answers are likely to be Yes though.

As our membership grows, we’ll continue adding benefits, including drive modes, enhanced vehicle capabilities, in-cabin content and gatherings at Rivian spaces and events.​

​

With drive modes being part of membership, it stands to reason that not being a member means you lose the drive modes. As for navigation, we know data is part of membership, which Rivian could require for maps (we don't know whether maps can be fully local), so that one is a maybe (but likely Yes IMO).

I think the key word is "adding benefits". You might get new ones for being a member, but you wont lose the default drive modes or capabilities. It will likely follow the Tesla model and the membership will include driver+, video on demand streaming, live traffic maps, etc. It seems extremely unlikely you will lose anything they've shown up to this point. You just wont get the new stuff.

 

[RWerksman]

I'm not intending to be rude, I'm just (sarcastically) pointing out how people are really overreacting to this.

All of those things you just mentioned are complete speculation – where did Rivian in the announcement say that L2 autonomy would be tied to membership and removed if you don't pay? Don't freak out unnecessarily about something unconfirmed.

I think people are reacting poorly to this because there is, in Rivian's style, no real information here. It's a hitherto unknown subscription that may be tied to substantial functionally of a already expensive vehicle.

If it's just for events, roadside assistance, hotspot, and charging that is one thing. If it's tied to future system updates, 'exclusive' drive modes, L2 autonomous driving, and/or is expensive or has no ala-carte options I can very easily see how reaction to it would be super negative.

 

[Autolycus]

The details currently available imply that the answers are likely to be Yes though.

As our membership grows, we’ll continue adding benefits, including drive modes, enhanced vehicle capabilities, in-cabin content and gatherings at Rivian spaces and events.​

​

With drive modes being part of membership, it stands to reason that not being a member means you lose the drive modes. As for navigation, we know data is part of membership, which Rivian could require for maps (we don't know whether maps can be fully local), so that one is a maybe (but likely Yes IMO).

Are you reading "including drive modes" to mean _all_ drive modes? If so, I think that's where you're reading it differently than others. I assume they mean that _additional_ drive modes might be available to Membership customers.

 

[RivianXpress]

Free with Amazon Prime ??

 

[Friscorays]

Bummer about March 1, 2022.

 

[eggpaul]

Maybe similar to GM Onstar? I don't have it in my volt, but the vehicle Wifi costs about $20 /month alone.

 

[PastyPilgrim]

Adding a new drive mode for members is not the same as removing drive modes for non-members.

I think the key word is "adding benefits". You might get new ones for being a member, but you wont lose the default drive modes or capabilities. It will likely follow the Tesla model and the membership will include driver+, video on demand streaming, live traffic maps, etc. It seems extremely unlikely you will lose anything they've shown up to this point. You just wont get the new stuff.

Are you reading "including drive modes" to mean _all_ drive modes? If so, I think that's where you're reading it differently than others. I assume they mean that _additional_ drive modes might be available to Membership customers.

Im not reading it that way. The original question was "will we lose drive modes after our first year". I don't think drive modes as a concept will be removed and you should always retain the basic modes. I'm just saying that if Rivian delivers new modes to you while you're a member, it stands to reason that those modes are tied to that membership and you're likely to lose access without a membership.

We know Rivian has a lot of software capabilities planned (dog mode, sentry mode, range mode, tank turn, k-turn, etc.) and in my mind the open question is just which modes they consider basic/essential modes to the vehicle and which they consider premium capabilities. This is why in my earlier post I wrote that the one thing I don't like about the membership is putting features and software in the membership because we're already buying these vehicles on the promise that they'll get better overtime.

 

[IPTV65]

If we could just get all the pessimists to weigh in on this topic that would be great! Personally I think, with the high level info we have, it looks pretty cool. Perceived value for your hard earned money is always a personal choice. Definitely not. enough info yet. to drive any sort of visceral reaction in my opinion but as I read I have a feeling I am in the minority. OnStar anyone?

 

[DucRider]

Knowing more details on the Membership subscription will be (for me) a prerequisite of the purchase.
I don't anticipate anything that would be obnoxious enough to cancel, but will still be looking very closely at it. If it is anything like the additional fee Mercedes wants (at least in some markets) for full access to the 4 wheel steering on the EQS, I may be out. We know there is an additional fee for Off Road Extraction (which is perfectly reasonable in my opinion). I'm assuming it won't be an "all or nothing" program but will be more of an a la carte model.

$10/mo for unlimited charging at RAN (and partner?) locations would likely be a no-brainer (once they got a reasonable number operational where I would find them useful). $50/mo would be a hard no (unless you could toggle it on/off according to travel plans?).

 

[SirArpsAlot]

if my wife wasn't already convinced, all that I'd need to do is tell her there will be free charging at Target and she would be on board. As if she needed any other reasons to spend an hour and a half there....

Kind of an offshoot thought... Why hasn't RAN partnered with Whole Foods to get chargers at all their locations. With the Amazon connection it would make perfect sense.

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