Ordering and Warranty?

[Hurricane]

I'm quite intrigued by Rivian and how the final product will be. However, I think they really need to have a little more info on what the basic warranty will be and what options are available. Why would anyone preorder anything without some basic information? I would like the the truck version with the longest range possible and possibly the camp kitchen as I'm on the road a lot. Well, how much would that actually cost? Then there is other stuff like, are there going to be over the air updates like tesla does? Charging options and locations? They have some info on this but very limited. Other than the front of these vehicles, I think they are very nicely thought out. They would probably have a lot more people jumping on board if they provided a little more info.

Sponsored

 

[Jehorton]

I'm quite intrigued by Rivian and how the final product will be. However, I think they really need to have a little more info on what the basic warranty will be and what options are available. Why would anyone preorder anything without some basic information? I would like the the truck version with the longest range possible and possibly the camp kitchen as I'm on the road a lot. Well, how much would that actually cost? Then there is other stuff like, are there going to be over the air updates like tesla does? Charging options and locations? They have some info on this but very limited. Other than the front of these vehicles, I think they are very nicely thought out. They would probably have a lot more people jumping on board if they provided a little more info.

The preorder is refundable so when they do come out with all the information I can make my decision. Right now the preorder just holds my spot in line.

 

[electruck]

A preorder commits you to nothing, it is basically an expression of interest. To your benefit, if you convert to an actual order then your delivery would be prioritized over someone not having a pre-order (assuming equivalent options). Rivian already has enough interest to keep their factory busy delivering on existing pre-orders for a good while. Encouraging a bigger production backlog just means more frustrated people waiting years for vehicles as they ramp up production. As they get closer to delivering and are able to reveal all the info we've been waiting years to hear, it will certainly drive more interest. As will the initial delivery of vehicles and the associated magazine, blog and owner reviews. But by then Rivian will be better positioned to accommodate that additional demand.

 

[DucRider]

Rivian is using a reservation system, not (at least yet) a preorder.

VW will open up it's US reservation system for the iD.4 in December ($100). At some point you will be invited to convert that to a preorder for an additional $400 for a specific configuration. You then get to negotiate with a dealer (90% have signed on) to get you final price and convert to an actual order.

Costs of the various configurations and options will be available within the next few months. They've said that reservation holders will have first access, but I have no doubt that people will post the info as soon as it is available, so even if you do not place a reservation you will have access to the info.

Tesla paved the way on the EV reservation process - some folks have even put in a reservation for the Founders Edition Roadster with less info than we have on the Rivan. That deposit is $250K.

If you put in a reservation, you may get your Rivian sooner depending on how you configure. Model 3 reservation holders looking to purchase the SR version saw no significant benefit and the general public was able to order at essentially the same time. My guess is that since you are looking at the biggest battery pack with some added options, a reservation will get you one sooner.

 

[electruck]

@DucRider You'll have to cut us some slack on the distinction between reservation and preorder, especially since Rivian has always referred to it as a preorder.

Edit: And for those who might suggest a change in wording over time, here's a grab from their web site on 11/28/18:

Off topic but range is one spec that they haven't been super consistent with over time - although they have always been consistent with stating 400+ or better. For the 180 kWh R1S they had been stating 410+ miles for a long time but recent web site update reverted back to 400+. It's interesting that the screen shot above for 11/28/18 references 440+. It will be interesting to see just exactly what the range turns out to be.

 

[Hurricane]

I understand the preorder to actual order. I guess Im just impatient by nature and want to hear more info on warranty and other specifics. It would be nice if somebody got an actual preproduction truck to test and do a reivew on it. Comfort, drivability and real world towing results. I test drove a Tesla model 3 the other day and was mortified by the acceleration! I driven race cars for the past 20 years, so it's pretty hard to impress me on that front lol. However, a model 3 or even a Y just isn't going to be a good choice for me as a daily use vehicle. I live in the northeast where we have a lot of snow as well. Trailering my snowmobile in the winter and boat in the summer is a must. I cant wait to hear more on this Rivian!

 

[Jehorton]

We all can’t wait!

 

[electruck]

I understand the preorder to actual order. I guess Im just impatient by nature and want to hear more info on warranty and other specifics. It would be nice if somebody got an actual preproduction truck to test and do a reivew on it. Comfort, drivability and real world towing results. I test drove a Tesla model 3 the other day and was mortified by the acceleration! I driven race cars for the past 20 years, so it's pretty hard to impress me on that front lol. However, a model 3 or even a Y just isn't going to be a good choice for me as a daily use vehicle. I live in the northeast where we have a lot of snow as well. Trailering my snowmobile in the winter and boat in the summer is a must. I cant wait to hear more on this Rivian!

Well, the good news is that customer test drives will be available at some point after the configurator goes online and that is "right around the corner." If you aren't able to drive one yourself, there should be plenty of reviews popping up after that. Release of the configurator itself should answer many of our longstanding questions.

 

[Coast2Coast]

Jon, so far, tens of thousands of us have pre-ordered (or reserved, if you prefer) because we believe Rivian will deliver the trifecta: great design (already revealed), great technology (somewhat revealed but not yet demonstrated), and great reliability, service and warranty (not yet revealed or demonstrated).

For many, two of the trifecta three will be enough and, historically, that's what been true in the auto industry. You chose which two matters most to you, and I'd say this is true, even after Tesla entered the global auto competition.

But the hope is Rivian will deliver on all three. The first two are almost givens since we know enough to say, "hell yeah!". And I think we're going to be pleasantly surprised on the third.

Rivian's not adverse to taking the best of what's already known in terms of auto testing, manufacturing and quality assurance - it's not thumbing its nose at Detroit - and trying to improve on it. When we finally see what's happening in Normal, I think we'll see a state-of-the-art, BEV auto assembly plant.

But the bigger surprise will be service and warranty. Rivian already has relationships with Amazon, Cox Automotive and Ford. These will be put to good use, I believe, and a network of service centers will be established that will usher in a new era in auto service, perhaps making use of existing dealerships but also establishing a new service model, by making use of Amazon and Cox (read Pivet, a Cox affiliated, fleet service company) resources.

I believe Rivian will deliver the trifecta and, soon enough, we'll know a lot more. Now's the time to pre-order and, if you don't like what you learn in the next few months, your pre-order (reservation) is fully refundable.

 

[ohmman]

they have always been consistent with stating 400+ or better.

Something that drives me nuts is that they state "Up to 400+ miles." Well, I realize this is pedantic, but doesn't that cover everything from 0-10,000 miles of range?

Reminds me of ads that say "3, 4, 5 OR MORE!" Yes, that's three or more.

 

[electruck]

Something that drives me nuts is that they state "Up to 400+ miles." Well, I realize this is pedantic, but doesn't that cover everything from 0-10,000 miles of range?

Reminds me of ads that say "3, 4, 5 OR MORE!" Yes, that's three or more.

The "up to" allows for the fact that you won't get 400 if you get one of the smaller battery packs. The "+" means they're not yet ready to commit to official numbers and also allows for YMMV.

 

[jarross]

They have to state what the epa cycle results were. Thus the 400 mile quote. The "plus" is if you drive more efficiently than the cycle (such as all city driving). From their "long way up" adventures, they stated that the 135 kWh pack got 314 miles on their best day. And still had 'tricity left.
https://stories.rivian.com/postcard-from-south-america

 

[photontorque]

I might have missed warranty information in the hoopla surrounding the new website and configurator announcement, but after reading through the updated webpage I didn't see anything about a warranty.

Like many others, I sure hope there are test drives available before finally committing to a purchase. The Launch Edition will be a hefty chunk of change for a sight-unseen purchase. Assuming a test drive is as great as I expect it to be, that still doesn't overcome the fact that Rivian is a new car company and the first batch of vehicles may express some, ah, unexpected features that could range from slightly annoying to downright unsafe.

Has anyone heard from Rivian about the warranty and what the warranty will cover?

 

[PoorPilot]

I’m sure we will all hear/read more info on Monday.

 

[JoeCole]

Hi

I can see this thread is a little old, but did there come any new info about warranty? Could be nice with some info about this after they have started taking pre-orders. Yes, you can tell that I can cancel my pre-order later.. But come on. Clear and open information about their warranty program would be nice and in place at this point.

Sponsored