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I am not sure they plan to ship the R1 series to EU. What I have read is that the R2 series will be a smaller platform targeting the EMEA and Asia markets.
R1 is much too big for Europe.
They also passed up the 8' bed plywood hauling pickup which is an even bigger market. They chose not to do a minivan. They didn't do the sports car they originally started on. They didn't do a 4 door sedan. They didn't do a small hatchback. They didn't do a motorcycle.
I'm not sure I completely agree here but I'm likely not in the striking majority so that would make sense
Is the R1S a city car intended for weekend getaways with a family of 3-5? This sounds like what your expectation might be?
Is it a country car intended to be used as a family hauler of 5-7 that rarely sees the city? This is more where I would land.
Or is it something else ???
My assumption is, that the "striking majority" in your mind don't need the extra length because they don't have large enough families that they need the 3rd row. That is probably true if we look at population distribution and different demographics.
In which case, what's the point of the R1S at its current size? They should make a regular sized crossover that is substantially smaller than the current R1S, maintain 2 rows, and have a lot of cargo space still. This would check all of the boxes of the majority, no?
Or is the 3rd row a "nice to have in case" feature for the striking majority?
The rationale for an XL revolves around those that want more room for both cargo and passengers as well as the idea that using the exact same body as the R1T would simplify some things.
The options are few in the EV market for 3 row vehicles, so this does give some opportunity for Rivian to stand out initially even if they are balancing between two markets (the striking majority who doesn't need it at the size it currently is at and the minority who could potentially use it a bit larger than it is).
I live in the country and the striking majority here have a full size SUV in their garage. Obviously there are still way less people where I am than in the city, but on the flip side, people in the city have less kids and less need for a full size SUV in general.
It will be interesting to see if both ends make compromises to their wants/needs in order to go for the R1S or would Rivian have been better off picking a lane and sticking with it?
Time will tell but if they can actually start shipping these things I think they will hit a pretty good balance of both crowds that are "okay" with the length.
I was making an educated guess on behalf of Rivian and not myself.If I am not mistaken XL SUVs are about 225-230 in length, and the R1T is 217. Its still larger, but probably does not cross that threshold. I never owed a pickup, but I know a lot of people who can't park the larger pickups in their garage, so I was making an educated guess; in which I could be partially incorrect
Don't forget, unlike the R1S, the Tesla X doesn't have a 3rd row. I'm pretty sure there's more interior room inside the R1S.
I think you can get a 3rd row in the X. Although it's probably tiny for passengers. I would more than likely have those seats folded for storage anyway. My biggest concern is how big the driver side of the cockpit is. I will be the primary driver and I'm hopeful that the size isn't the same as a BMW /Lexus/Volvo midsize SUV. I hope the spec numbers are misleading; but the numbers rarely lie.
