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Rivian R1T aftermarket parts and accessories

GreenMonster

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Think there'll be much of an aftermarket for the R1T pickup? There's never been an electric pickup truck so there's no precedent to help answer this question but I've always been impressed at the breadth of aftermarket parts and accessories available for pickup trucks.

I'll admit part of the reason I'm interested in a pickup as my next vehicle is how much they can be modified (for both looks and utility). So I'm hoping that Rivian will be supported well in the aftermarket!
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PoorPilot

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I’m guessing there will be a lot of aftermarket products available. Maybe not many initially, but once more 3rd party companies can get their hands different models, I bet you’ll see quite a few aftermarket products.
 
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GreenMonster

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I’m guessing there will be a lot of aftermarket products available. Maybe not many initially, but once more 3rd party companies can get their hands different models, I bet you’ll see quite a few aftermarket products.
Hope you're right. That could definitely help get real truck enthusiasts on board. Rivian could help that cause by offering schematics (or even access to the truck/SUV) to any aftermarket parts manufacturers before the vehicle is even released.

That's how certain vehicles like Jeeps often enjoy having aftermarket parts available soon after the vehicle's released.. because FCA works closely with aftermarket companies and provides them with schematics or access to their cars before it even hits the market.
 

franke

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For a lot of the truck specific parts it doesn't really matter whether it's a gas engine or electric so I would guess if it sells in good numbers some traditional aftermarket companies geared towards trucks will take interest.

I think it will take a while, and not just for schematics and development. i think they will wait to see if people use an EV truck the same way. As long as they do, where there is demand...
 

Katsudon

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According to the most recent SEMA 2018 report, the pickups represent the the biggest segment of the aftermarket industry, worth $12 billion! :surprised:

“At more than $12 billion, pickup modifications represent the biggest single chunk of our industry,” he observed. “Obviously, pickup sales have been going gangbusters for the last few years after being hit hard during the recession. Mainstream consumers drive some of that, while some is driven by crossover businesses—people who use their trucks both as work and personal vehicles. Plus it’s not all about new-vehicle purchases, because when a new truck is purchased, very often an old truck is turned in and sold to someone else. That creates an accessorization opportunity for the person buying the used vehicle as well.”

So you can bet the aftermarket manufacturers are licking their chops that the R1T will be a whole new pickup coming to market.
 

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THOR

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I bet there will be demand from some folks to swap out the lights.
I would love to see a drawer of bins in the gear tunnel. If they don’t sell me one, I’ll weld up my own.
 

ACDC

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Certain aftermarket parts categories will probably not be as robust as your typical ICE powered truck. Lift kits are commonly installed on trucks/pickups but with the Rivian's suspension being completely integrated and electronically controlled by the onboard computers, it's going to take some technical expertise to come out with aftermarket suspension to work with the system.

Another big one is bigger tires. Hopefully the Rivian vehicles will be able to self detect when larger tires/wheels are installed and compensate according (i.e. ride height, speedometer).
 

Electric Rivilution

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Certain aftermarket parts categories will probably not be as robust as your typical ICE powered truck. Lift kits are commonly installed on trucks/pickups but with the Rivian's suspension being completely integrated and electronically controlled by the onboard computers, it's going to take some technical expertise to come out with aftermarket suspension to work with the system.

Another big one is bigger tires. Hopefully the Rivian vehicles will be able to self detect when larger tires/wheels are installed and compensate according (i.e. ride height, speedometer).
There likely won't be any aftermarket suspension kits. The Rivian suspension isn't your typical springs/shocks setup but a single unit sealed air suspension. I'd be surprised if any suspension developer is going to come out with replacement air suspensions. And even if they did, how would it improve upon the factory one.

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DocTwinkie

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The Rivian price point will mean a small install base. If that install base you have a smaller portion that would mod it. That equates to a very tiny consumer base to market your aftermarket parts to. I can’t inagine many aftermarket part makes will want to invest the time and money into such small potential sales.

If the price pint comes down to a mass market vehicle maybe but that’s many years off.
 

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There are a few aftermarket manufacturers that cater to small-volume EV's, such as EVannex, but the low volume means their offerings are pricey and usually things that don't tamper with a vehicle's chassis engineering.

With suspension components on the Rivian so integrated with the truck's control and power systems and the unusual half shaft drives, it's difficult to imagine any after-market suspension modifications that wouldn't void the Rivian warranty.

Over the years the car press has tested aftermarket modifications of chassis, wheel and tire sizing, air intake systems, exhaust systems, CPU chips, etc. As the years passed and computer modeling took car design to new levels of sophistication, the press found that fewer and fewer after-market modifications improved the vehicles. In fact, they most often destroyed the finely-tuned balance of the vehicle to optimize one performance characteristic at the expense of another, sometimes to almost dangerous effect. The classic case was nonsense such as throwing 24-inch wheels with thin strips of tires on things such as sedans. Not only did they increase unsprung weight and degrade handling, they significantly increased stopping distances, things that most buyers probably thought they were improving.

The Rivian is going to provide the highest adjustable ride height and deepest wading depth of any comparable vehicle. It would be interesting to see what REAL improvements putting huge tires and wheels or lift kits on such a vehicle would provide. It's really more about the look than the utility in most cases.
 

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DocTwinkie

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There are a few aftermarket manufacturers that cater to small-volume EV's, such as EVannex, but the low volume means their offerings are pricey and usually things that don't tamper with a vehicle's chassis engineering.

With suspension components on the Rivian so integrated with the truck's control and power systems and the unusual half shaft drives, it's difficult to imagine any after-market suspension modifications that wouldn't void the Rivian warranty.

Over the years the car press has tested aftermarket modifications of chassis, wheel and tire sizing, air intake systems, exhaust systems, CPU chips, etc. As the years passed and computer modeling took car design to new levels of sophistication, the press found that fewer and fewer after-market modifications improved the vehicles. In fact, they most often destroyed the finely-tuned balance of the vehicle to optimize one performance characteristic at the expense of another, sometimes to almost dangerous effect. The classic case was nonsense such as throwing 24-inch wheels with thin strips of tires on things such as sedans. Not only did they increase unsprung weight and degrade handling, they significantly increased stopping distances, things that most buyers probably thought they were improving.

The Rivian is going to provide the highest adjustable ride height and deepest wading depth of any comparable vehicle. It would be interesting to see what REAL improvements putting huge tires and wheels or lift kits on such a vehicle would provide. It's really more about the look than the utility in most cases.
It’s my understanding the bigger wheels typically help raise the axle and pumpkin for clearance. Lift raises the belly. Wheels raise the axle and diff. Which aren’t an issue with the Rivian.

So I’m not sure there’s as much need for larger wheels unless I’m wrong here.
 

Hmp10

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I'm not sure whether people here are talking about body lifts or suspension lifts. If someone wants to put significantly larger wheels on the Rivian to increase its ground clearance, he's going to need at least a body lift kit. If you significantly change the diameter of the wheel/tire combo, you're going change a critical factor that engineers used to determine the gearing ratio of the single-speed transmission, thereby changing the load on the motors. I suspect doing so would also require a chip change or a recalibration of the CPU in a vehicle in which so many of the chassis and drivetrain characteristics are under computer control.

Lifting the vehicle in any way will also change its center of gravity. The general rule is that lifting a vehicle by more than four inches creates noticeable deterioration in handling and braking characteristics. An EV is heavier than an ICE of equal size. The main way an EV attains great handling and braking in the face of this added weight is its lower center of gravity with an undermount battery pack. You're giving away some of that advantage by lifting the vehicle.

I wonder how many Rivian drivers are really going to need more ground clearance than it will already provide to the point that it becomes worthwhile to degenerate its road handling and braking.
 

Don

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I'm not sure whether people here are talking about body lifts or suspension lifts. If someone wants to put significantly larger wheels on the Rivian to increase its ground clearance, he's going to need at least a body lift kit. If you significantly change the diameter of the wheel/tire combo, you're going change a critical factor that engineers used to determine the gearing ratio of the single-speed transmission, thereby changing the load on the motors. I suspect doing so would also require a chip change or a recalibration of the CPU in a vehicle in which so many of the chassis and drivetrain characteristics are under computer control.

Lifting the vehicle in any way will also change its center of gravity. The general rule is that lifting a vehicle by more than four inches creates noticeable deterioration in handling and braking characteristics. An EV is heavier than an ICE of equal size. The main way an EV attains great handling and braking in the face of this added weight is its lower center of gravity with an undermount battery pack. You're giving away some of that advantage by lifting the vehicle.

I wonder how many Rivian drivers are really going to need more ground clearance than it will already provide to the point that it becomes worthwhile to degenerate its road handling and braking.
It’s like you said, it’s mostly for show when you add bigger tires. I have to admit, I like the look of a mildly raised truck with some aggressive tires but within reason.
My best tire size would be a 35” tall tire with a wheel with a little more negative offset. Today a 37” tall tire is the new 35. I believe Rivian offers off road tires that are 34” tall. Not to shabby right?
 

kylealden

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It’s like you said, it’s mostly for show when you add bigger tires. I have to admit, I like the look of a mildly raised truck with some aggressive tires but within reason.
My best tire size would be a 35” tall tire with a wheel with a little more negative offset. Today a 37” tall tire is the new 35. I believe Rivian offers off road tires that are 34” tall. Not to shabby right?
100%. It's been a while since I've seen one in person but I think it's fair to describe an R1T with the 20" wheels s in off-road mode as "a mildly raised truck with aggressive tires."

My FJ Cruiser had a 3" lift with 35s and didn't feel that much more aggressive.
 
 




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