Rivian ordering & waiting process summary - An observer's consolidation of evidence

[MrMusAddict]

This is my best understanding of how order fulfillment works, after observing delivery habits, reading support articles, watching Q&As, and talking to support directly.

Nearly everything here is assumed, although with evidence to corroborate it. So anything I write that sounds definitive, consider it to have an implied “supposedly” tacked on.

Please let me know what tweaks you feel might be necessary.


The Queue
There exists a master queue of “reservations” and “orders” (or “pre-orders”). This is a single list, and everyone has a firm place in this master queue. Everyone in the queue is truly intended to be served on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, this has its limits in terms of business practicality.

The difference between the two types ("Reservation" and "Order") being that if you have configured your exact spec, you’re considered an order. But if you have not been invited to configure your exact spec, you’re considered a reservation.

To foster an efficient business process, Rivian will serve customers as smaller defined groups, and those groups are what get prioritized on a true first-come-first-serve collective basis. This means there are sub-queues, and you will be placed one of them depending on a multitude of factors.

• Vehicle Model (R1T vs R1S)
• Vehicle Config
  • Quad vs Dual
  • Battery Size
  • Paint
  • Interior
• State (legislative restrictions)
• Within range of a service center (“yes”/”no”, seems to only affect Shop access)

So you could be first in line in the master queue, but if you have a Dual/Large R1S with Canyon Red + Forest Edge, you’re in a very different sub-queue than someone with a Quad/Large R1T with Limestone + Black.



Batch Manufacturing
Rivian has confirmed that they make their vehicles in batches. This means that they look at their backlog of orders (not reservations), and will decide to build multiple vehicles of the same configuration to keep their logistics and assembly line as streamlined as possible/reasonable. The configuration they choose to build at any given time supports the most people who have collectively been waiting the longest.

Let’s assume Rivian needs to see 20 people with the same config to initiate a batch. So consider two groups

• Quad R1T Rivian Blue + Forest Edge
  • 2 people waiting 24 months
  • 5 people waiting 18 months
  • 8 people waiting 12 months
  • 5+ people waiting 6 months
• Quad R1T Limestone + Ocean Coast
  • 10 people waiting 24 months
  • 10+ people waiting 18 months

In this example, the second config has over 20 people waiting for 18+ months, whereas the first config only has 7 people waiting 18+ months. So, the second config is processed for batch manufacturing before the first.

This causes a scenario where the 2 people on the first config waiting for 24 months are going to receive their vehicle after someone further back in the master queue. However, Rivian’s decision has shrunk the total wait time of their master queue more by doing this (420 months instead of 264 months).

This batching process is also the prime victim of supply constraints, which may only impact one or a couple of configs, but not others.

Batch Manufacturing – Shop Supply
We seem to consistently see new inventory arrive in the shop available for customers to buy. Some of this inventory may contain canceled customer orders. However, a majority of it is likely unassignable excess from batch manufacturing. When there is excess from a batch, this is not evidence of diminishing demand, it's an example a phenomenon of averages sometimes known as "no one is average" (good info on that here).

Consider 20 vehicles being the minimum to greenlight a batch. But on the list of open orders, there’s only 16 people that have actually chosen that exact spec. Perhaps it’s a fringe spec, but the collective wait time for those customers is starting to get unreasonably long, so it’s time to finally make them happy.

Now Rivian will make 20 vehicles of this spec, and deliver 16 of them to those who asked for it. The other 4 get listed on the Shop. Maybe there’s someone willing to accept Mountain Black over Ocean Coast? Those people will be happy to change their order to get something earlier.



Converting Reservations to Orders (or Shop Access)
Until you’ve configured your vehicle, you’re considered a reservation. At first, everyone was considered an Order (technically pre-order), but if you’ve put down your deposit after July 2022 then you likely started off as a Reservation, especially for R1S.

In order to get invited to configure your vehicle, the queue of already-configured orders in your region must shrink below some threshold. Rivian’s goal is to make sure that every region has a consistent throughput of vehicles to deliver. They absolutely do not want a service center (or group of service centers) twiddling their thumbs while all of the production is being sent to another region by blindly adhering to first-come-first-serve on the master queue.

So if Washington's service centers were lined up to deliver 5 months of backlogged orders, while Florida only has 4, then Rivian will invite a month-of-deliveries worth of reservations in Florida to configure their vehicles. It doesn't matter if collectively, the people in Seattle have been waiting longer. If the labor isn't there to support deliveries, then those regions will get deprioritized.


Shop Access
Shop Access is limited to people who meet three criteria:

• They must be eligible (or nearly eligible) to confirm their order/configuration.
  • For R1T, this means that you’re able to gain immediate access as of publishing this post if you choose the right config.
  • For R1S, it means that you must have an existing configured order, or you’re close to being asked to configure your order (if they can prevent avoidable backlog for niche configs, they will).
• You must be within the range eligible for a home-delivery. As of publishing this post, that appears to be within 200 miles (by flight) from the nearest service center.
• The service center processing your delivery must have the spare time to schedule new deliveries.

Home Delivery
As mentioned above, home deliveries appear to be limited to 200 miles (by flight) from the nearest service center. Customer service reps have confirmed that this range is a hard limit for granting shop access, but it has not appeared be a limitation for customers who are waiting for their configured order.

That means if you live 201+ miles away and you do not have any addresses closer to a service center that you can use for your order, you will likely be denied shop access, and your delivery schedule will be at the whim of whichever sub-queue you might be placed in. BUT you should still be queued to start the delivery process as soon as your configuration was batched and on its way for inventory at your region.

I do not have evidence to suggest one way or another if this 200-mile range is a factor for converting Reservations to Orders.

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[COdogman]

I think that is a very well written summary of the process.

It would be impossible to account for, but there have been plenty of outliers along the way, such as people who live in states with direct sales bans or no service centers getting their Rivians or someone placing a factory order and taking delivery a couple weeks later. It seems like Rivian has tightened up on those as time has progressed.

 

[Count Orlok]

there is also the MNIKF.

 

[Golfer04]

I think that is a very well written summary of the process.

It would be impossible to account for, but there have been plenty of outliers along the way, such as people who live in states with direct sales bans or no service centers getting their Rivians or someone placing a factory order and taking delivery a couple weeks later. It seems like Rivian has tightened up on those as time has progressed.

I think you get immediate shop access for any R1T order. At least I did. You don't even configure a vehicle with a reservation any more (at least I didn't). I'm looking to trade my quad with 20s for the dual motor with 21s. I got immediate access to the shop excepting any of the 2022 vehicles they will sell for the early price IF you have an early reservation. I can't see those vehicles.

 

[Sevn86]

I think that’s a great summary. I was a December 21 reservation holder and was told 2nd half of 24 for delivery. I called customer service in May and was given access to the shop. Picked up an LE R1S in the configuration I was really happy with.

 

[shimps1]

I just got shop access tonight, Jan 2022 R1S reservation, expected delivery Jan-Fab 2024. Closest SC is 208 miles away.

 

[805Rivvy]

Thank you for this summary! Makes a whole lot more sense now. Maybe your should work for Rivian’s comms team- this would be a great blog post for them!

 

[AbhorViolence]

This is a great post. I just want to add that with the quarterly delivery timing updates, I got at least one (late April) that said they couldn't give me a date range at all because I was too far from a service center.

So the service center proximity is still a think for people with regular orders being processed. Not only for being given shop access. The impression I was given after waiting many months was that I could never expect to get my truck until they built a service center closer to Montana. I was also a Max Pack order but I know I wasn't the only one in that situation.

When I changed my delivery address to Portland, Oregon I got shop access within a week.

 

[Galluprivian]

I'm debating this. I live in New Mexico 237 miles from phoenix. I just went from a June-July to Oct-Nov delivery estimate. I wouldn't mind waiting but I don't understand why they would string me along like this if they have no intention of delivering. This December it will be 4 years waiting. I could switch to a Phoenix address but it will be a pain to go get it there. I also wonder if as launch green becomes rarer if that will cause more delays (I also wouldn't mind limestone or rivian blue but I think the later would push me over the federal threshold for the tax credit.).

 

[ElGuapo]

Solid summary. I do think the main way to move up in the R1S line is to call and email Rivian, particularly toward end of quarter, and tell them you can take delivery immediately. There are “unclaimed” cars at SCs for various reasons and I heard numerous stories at end of June about folks jumping ahead because they proactively called and were able to take delivery (eg cash or loan ready) immediately.

 

[JBMurgo]

This is my best understanding of how order fulfillment works, after observing delivery habits, reading support articles, watching Q&As, and talking to support directly.

Nearly everything here is assumed, although with evidence to corroborate it. So anything I write that sounds definitive, consider it to have an implied “supposedly” tacked on.

Please let me know what tweaks you feel might be necessary.


The Queue
There exists a master queue of “reservations” and “orders” (or “pre-orders”). This is a single list, and everyone has a firm place in this master queue. Everyone in the queue is truly intended to be served on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, this has its limits in terms of business practicality.

The difference between the two types ("Reservation" and "Order") being that if you have configured your exact spec, you’re considered an order. But if you have not been invited

This is my best understanding of how order fulfillment works, after observing delivery habits, reading support articles, watching Q&As, and talking to support directly.

Nearly everything here is assumed, although with evidence to corroborate it. So anything I write that sounds definitive, consider it to have an implied “supposedly” tacked on.

Please let me know what tweaks you feel might be necessary.


The Queue
There exists a master queue of “reservations” and “orders” (or “pre-orders”). This is a single list, and everyone has a firm place in this master queue. Everyone in the queue is truly intended to be served on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, this has its limits in terms of business practicality.

The difference between the two types ("Reservation" and "Order") being that if you have configured your exact spec, you’re considered an order. But if you have not been invited to configure your exact spec, you’re considered a reservation.

To foster an efficient business process, Rivian will serve customers as smaller defined groups, and those groups are what get prioritized on a true first-come-first-serve collective basis. This means there are sub-queues, and you will be placed one of them depending on a multitude of factors.

• Vehicle Model (R1T vs R1S)
• Vehicle Config
  • Quad vs Dual
  • Battery Size
  • Paint
  • Interior
• State (legislative restrictions)
• Within range of a service center (“yes”/”no”, seems to only affect Shop access)

So you could be first in line in the master queue, but if you have a Dual/Large R1S with Canyon Red + Forest Edge, you’re in a very different sub-queue than someone with a Quad/Large R1T with Limestone + Black.



Batch Manufacturing
Rivian has confirmed that they make their vehicles in batches. This means that they look at their backlog of orders (not reservations), and will decide to build multiple vehicles of the same configuration to keep their logistics and assembly line as streamlined as possible/reasonable. The configuration they choose to build at any given time supports the most people who have collectively been waiting the longest.

Let’s assume Rivian needs to see 20 people with the same config to initiate a batch. So consider two groups

• Quad R1T Rivian Blue + Forest Edge
  • 2 people waiting 24 months
  • 5 people waiting 18 months
  • 8 people waiting 12 months
  • 5+ people waiting 6 months
• Quad R1T Limestone + Ocean Coast
  • 10 people waiting 24 months
  • 10+ people waiting 18 months

In this example, the second config has over 20 people waiting for 18+ months, whereas the first config only has 7 people waiting 18+ months. So, the second config is processed for batch manufacturing before the first.

This causes a scenario where the 2 people on the first config waiting for 24 months are going to receive their vehicle after someone further back in the master queue. However, Rivian’s decision has shrunk the total wait time of their master queue more by doing this (420 months instead of 264 months).

This batching process is also the prime victim of supply constraints, which may only impact one or a couple of configs, but not others.

Batch Manufacturing – Shop Supply
We seem to consistently see new inventory arrive in the shop available for customers to buy. Some of this inventory may contain canceled customer orders. However, a majority of it is likely unassignable excess from batch manufacturing. When there is excess from a batch, this is not evidence of diminishing demand, it's an example a phenomenon of averages sometimes known as "no one is average" (good info on that here).

Consider 20 vehicles being the minimum to greenlight a batch. But on the list of open orders, there’s only 16 people that have actually chosen that exact spec. Perhaps it’s a fringe spec, but the collective wait time for those customers is starting to get unreasonably long, so it’s time to finally make them happy.

Now Rivian will make 20 vehicles of this spec, and deliver 16 of them to those who asked for it. The other 4 get listed on the Shop. Maybe there’s someone willing to accept Mountain Black over Ocean Coast? Those people will be happy to change their order to get something earlier.



Converting Reservations to Orders (or Shop Access)
Until you’ve configured your vehicle, you’re considered a reservation. At first, everyone was considered an Order (technically pre-order), but if you’ve put down your deposit after July 2022 then you likely started off as a Reservation, especially for R1S.

In order to get invited to configure your vehicle, the queue of already-configured orders in your region must shrink below some threshold. Rivian’s goal is to make sure that every region has a consistent throughput of vehicles to deliver. They absolutely do not want a service center (or group of service centers) twiddling their thumbs while all of the production is being sent to another region by blindly adhering to first-come-first-serve on the master queue.

So if Washington's service centers were lined up to deliver 5 months of backlogged orders, while Florida only has 4, then Rivian will invite a month-of-deliveries worth of reservations in Florida to configure their vehicles. It doesn't matter if collectively, the people in Seattle have been waiting longer. If the labor isn't there to support deliveries, then those regions will get deprioritized.


Shop Access
Shop Access is limited to people who meet three criteria:

• They must be eligible (or nearly eligible) to confirm their order/configuration.
  • For R1T, this means that you’re able to gain immediate access as of publishing this post if you choose the right config.
  • For R1S, it means that you must have an existing configured order, or you’re close to being asked to configure your order (if they can prevent avoidable backlog for niche configs, they will).
• You must be within the range eligible for a home-delivery. As of publishing this post, that appears to be within 200 miles (by flight) from the nearest service center.
• The service center processing your delivery must have the spare time to schedule new deliveries.

Home Delivery
As mentioned above, home deliveries appear to be limited to 200 miles (by flight) from the nearest service center. Customer service reps have confirmed that this range is a hard limit for granting shop access, but it has not appeared be a limitation for customers who are waiting for their configured order.

That means if you live 201+ miles away and you do not have any addresses closer to a service center that you can use for your order, you will likely be denied shop access, and your delivery schedule will be at the whim of whichever sub-queue you might be placed in. BUT you should still be queued to start the delivery process as soon as your configuration was batched and on its way for inventory at your region.

I do not have evidence to suggest one way or another if this 200-mile range is a factor for converting Reservations to Orders.

to configure your exact spec, you’re considered a reservation.

To foster an efficient business process, Rivian will serve customers as smaller defined groups, and those groups are what get prioritized on a true first-come-first-serve collective basis. This means there are sub-queues, and you will be placed one of them depending on a multitude of factors.

• Vehicle Model (R1T vs R1S)
• Vehicle Config
  • Quad vs Dual
  • Battery Size
  • Paint
  • Interior
• State (legislative restrictions)
• Within range of a service center (“yes”/”no”, seems to only affect Shop access)

So you could be first in line in the master queue, but if you have a Dual/Large R1S with Canyon Red + Forest Edge, you’re in a very different sub-queue than someone with a Quad/Large R1T with Limestone + Black.



Batch Manufacturing
Rivian has confirmed that they make their vehicles in batches. This means that they look at their backlog of orders (not reservations), and will decide to build multiple vehicles of the same configuration to keep their logistics and assembly line as streamlined as possible/reasonable. The configuration they choose to build at any given time supports the most people who have collectively been waiting the longest.

Let’s assume Rivian needs to see 20 people with the same config to initiate a batch. So consider two groups

• Quad R1T Rivian Blue + Forest Edge
  • 2 people waiting 24 months
  • 5 people waiting 18 months
  • 8 people waiting 12 months
  • 5+ people waiting 6 months
• Quad R1T Limestone + Ocean Coast
  • 10 people waiting 24 months
  • 10+ people waiting 18 months

In this example, the second config has over 20 people waiting for 18+ months, whereas the first config only has 7 people waiting 18+ months. So, the second config is processed for batch manufacturing before the first.

This causes a scenario where the 2 people on the first config waiting for 24 months are going to receive their vehicle after someone further back in the master queue. However, Rivian’s decision has shrunk the total wait time of their master queue more by doing this (420 months instead of 264 months).

This batching process is also the prime victim of supply constraints, which may only impact one or a couple of configs, but not others.

Batch Manufacturing – Shop Supply
We seem to consistently see new inventory arrive in the shop available for customers to buy. Some of this inventory may contain canceled customer orders. However, a majority of it is likely unassignable excess from batch manufacturing. When there is excess from a batch, this is not evidence of diminishing demand, it's an example a phenomenon of averages sometimes known as "no one is average" (good info on that here).

Consider 20 vehicles being the minimum to greenlight a batch. But on the list of open orders, there’s only 16 people that have actually chosen that exact spec. Perhaps it’s a fringe spec, but the collective wait time for those customers is starting to get unreasonably long, so it’s time to finally make them happy.

Now Rivian will make 20 vehicles of this spec, and deliver 16 of them to those who asked for it. The other 4 get listed on the Shop. Maybe there’s someone willing to accept Mountain Black over Ocean Coast? Those people will be happy to change their order to get something earlier.



Converting Reservations to Orders (or Shop Access)
Until you’ve configured your vehicle, you’re considered a reservation. At first, everyone was considered an Order (technically pre-order), but if you’ve put down your deposit after July 2022 then you likely started off as a Reservation, especially for R1S.

In order to get invited to configure your vehicle, the queue of already-configured orders in your region must shrink below some threshold. Rivian’s goal is to make sure that every region has a consistent throughput of vehicles to deliver. They absolutely do not want a service center (or group of service centers) twiddling their thumbs while all of the production is being sent to another region by blindly adhering to first-come-first-serve on the master queue.

So if Washington's service centers were lined up to deliver 5 months of backlogged orders, while Florida only has 4, then Rivian will invite a month-of-deliveries worth of reservations in Florida to configure their vehicles. It doesn't matter if collectively, the people in Seattle have been waiting longer. If the labor isn't there to support deliveries, then those regions will get deprioritized.


Shop Access
Shop Access is limited to people who meet three criteria:

• They must be eligible (or nearly eligible) to confirm their order/configuration.
  • For R1T, this means that you’re able to gain immediate access as of publishing this post if you choose the right config.
  • For R1S, it means that you must have an existing configured order, or you’re close to being asked to configure your order (if they can prevent avoidable backlog for niche configs, they will).
• You must be within the range eligible for a home-delivery. As of publishing this post, that appears to be within 200 miles (by flight) from the nearest service center.
• The service center processing your delivery must have the spare time to schedule new deliveries.

Home Delivery
As mentioned above, home deliveries appear to be limited to 200 miles (by flight) from the nearest service center. Customer service reps have confirmed that this range is a hard limit for granting shop access, but it has not appeared be a limitation for customers who are waiting for their configured order.

That means if you live 201+ miles away and you do not have any addresses closer to a service center that you can use for your order, you will likely be denied shop access, and your delivery schedule will be at the whim of whichever sub-queue you might be placed in. BUT you should still be queued to start the delivery process as soon as your configuration was batched and on its way for inventory at your region.

I do not have evidence to suggest one way or another if this 200-mile range is a factor for converting Reservations to Orders.

Very well written summary. Thank you. I am an order holder since Jan 2020. I live 160 miles (straight line) from the Memphis service center. I ordered a large pack, quad, adventure pkg, forest green with OC/dark wood interior and 21’ road tires. Do you see anything in my configuration that would cause such a delay? My delivery estimate has come and gone twice now and my latest delivery status is still listed as pending. It Feels like EVERYONE is getting access to the shop or getting their orders but me. I’m curious if there is a support group for those who continue to be spurned by Rivian. Just kidding…kind of. i’ve written to Rivian and offered to select a different configuration or choose from shop But so far no one has been willing to help me expedite the process.

 

[Hercules10]

I think that’s a great summary. I was a December 21 reservation holder and was told 2nd half of 24 for delivery. I called customer service in May and was given access to the shop. Picked up an LE R1S in the configuration I was really happy with.

Don't understand it, an Apr 21 purchase agreement on a R1S and nothing. Continued delays... I guess they are waiting for a San Antonio service center

 

[Bubrub]

I am in the same boat as most. I am a 2019 reservation holder with a confirmed configuration of a LE R1S quad in GW. Originally I had a delivery estimate of July-August. That came and went. Now it's scheduled for Oct-Nov. I'm equidistant between two service centers in CA by <30 miles. I've been told by my guide that the only reason for a delay is LE. Given the suggested batching process and the fact that many orders are not LE, I probably fall into a very unusual group. The struggle is that the communication is so on Rivians end that no one can explain why it's taking longer to start the build. Customer service and the guides have no power to escalate and lack ambition to help us early reservation holders.

 

[2TurnersNotEnough]

My experience seemed different than most. After I put my deposit down, I was contacted about 2-1/2 weeks later to input my configuration (Rivian Blue R1T/quad motor/21” road/Black Mountain+Dark Ash interior). After consulting with my better half, I changed the interior to Ocean Coast+Dark Ash. The next day I was contacted by someone from Rivian’s fulfillment team, informing me that they had a vehicle that matched my specs, and asking me to confirm that I wanted it. So it was kind of a case where the R1 Store came to me, instead of me having to check the store regularly for a match.

Who else had a purchase experience like this?

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