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The speed of "right". Does anyone really care when deliveries start?

Your Opinion on Rivian Delivery delays

  • I don't mind a bit...Rivian can move forward at the speed of "right". I'll get it when its ready

  • I'm happy to wait, even for several months, but not forever

  • I'm OK waiting, but not much longer and the delay is disappointing

  • I'm really upset they can't make the projected delivery dates. Considering other options

  • I'm angry enough at the delays that I'm canceling my order


Results are only viewable after voting.

cc84

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I'm not young, but I'm willing to wait.

I'm ok with venting. But I have to speak up when the venting becomes accusations of intentional deceit, lying, etc. by Rivian. There is simply no evidence of this. I've experienced the challenges Rivian is experiencing first hand, many times over the past 30 years, on high tech new factory/new product startups for Fortune 500 companies. Despite everyone's best intentions and efforts from the CEO down to the production workers, things go bad and unforeseen issues happen at the last minute. Combined with the reality of worldwide COVID supply chain problems which are well documented online, it's nonsense to accuse Rivian of intentional deceit. Are they struggling? Yes, absolutely. I'm not a Rivian loyal fanboy, I've just experienced these challenges from the inside and know what they are going through.

Regarding entitlement, it is define *"the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment."* Many here think that since they have a $1000 refundable pre-order in place, they deserve more information, weekly emails, free upgrades due to the delays, etc. That fits the definition perfectly, does it not?
I respectfully disagree, except for your experiences. My experiences only dealt with customers, day after day, in the Hardware/Lumber business. You meet a lot of different type folks and you learn how to deal with each type.

I stand by my statement, that I believe most, if not all, know they are only "entitled" to a deposit refund. Everything else is venting. I believe they truthfully know they don't deserve any privileges, or special treatment, or even a vehicle for that matter. It's only venting and seeing how far they can go. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. For this reason alone, it doesn't bother me what anyone writes on this forum. Rivian is not required to sell anyone a vehicle, no matter how long they've had their deposit in, but they are required to refund the depost, if they don't sell to the pre-order holder. That's all there is to it. We either wait and do what we're told, or go elsewhere. I'm on this forum for information such as below.

Off Topic: I know very little about electric vehicles, other than the Volt and F-150 Lightning. I know how you put these vehicles in gear, but I don't know how the Rivian accomplishes this. When viewing the pictures, I'm guessing it's done with a lever on the steering wheel and not touching the screen display??
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CommodoreAmiga

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Regarding entitlement, it is define *"the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment."* Many here think that since they have a $1000 refundable pre-order in place, they deserve more information, weekly emails, free upgrades due to the delays, etc. That fits the definition perfectly, does it not?
No, it doesn’t fit because you’re misrepresenting the situation by lumping everything into a binary description. Venting over multiple missed targets that Rivian set is reasonable. Expecting more information is reasonable. Thinking they deserve free upgrades is the only part you mentioned that could be entitlement — but there’s a difference between brainstorming/postulating about how Rivian could make up for their missteps and demanding free stuff. I don’t think anyone has said “if I don’t get a free upgrade then f-rivian”. If someone has, it still isn’t representative of a large group.
 

azbill

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I am not actually angry, but very disappointed, thus I cancelled my pre-order officially yesterday. Placed my order on 5-9-2019 and was holding out for a Max Pack R1T with removable roof.

I now have a one month old Mach E in my garage and a Hummer EV reserved. The Hummer has more of what I really want, so if I have to wait well into next year, it wins for sure.

Just took my Mach E on its first trip this weekend, Phoenix to Grand Canyon. It was able to match the EPA highway range of 281 miles going up a 5800 foot elevation change at 75mph most of the way. Plug and charge works very well with Electrify America, on this first trip I was able to add 161 miles in 25 minutes. It also supports wireless CarPlay and Sirius XM radio. Got my first OTA while parked at the hotel at the Grand Canyon. Best of all, no more waiting.:)

Rivian R1T R1S The speed of "right".  Does anyone really care when deliveries start? MMEatGC
 

DuckTruck

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I am not actually angry, but very disappointed, thus I cancelled my pre-order officially yesterday. Placed my order on 5-9-2019 and was holding out for a Max Pack R1T with removable roof.

I now have a one month old Mach E in my garage and a Hummer EV reserved. The Hummer has more of what I really want, so if I have to wait well into next year, it wins for sure.

Just took my Mach E on its first trip this weekend, Phoenix to Grand Canyon. It was able to match the EPA highway range of 281 miles going up a 5800 foot elevation change at 75mph most of the way. Plug and charge works very well with Electrify America, on this first trip I was able to add 161 miles in 25 minutes. It also supports wireless CarPlay and Sirius XM radio. Got my first OTA while parked at the hotel at the Grand Canyon. Best of all, no more waiting.:)

MMEatGC.jpg
azbill,

I'm sure happy to hear you're having such a great experience with your Mach E. It sounds like you had a wonderful maiden voyage in it and learned what a solid vehicle it is (pictures of the GC, please!). Nice to have the purported performance numbers verified in the real world. I hope you feel the same way about the Hummer when it comes out.

While every new and upcoming EV car and truck intrigues me, I have all my other vehicle needs taken care of and will wait as long as needed for Rivian to build it right. I'm also not looking to trade or sell any of my current garage-dwellers, so again, no rush.

Like everyone here, I'd love to have my Rivian already, but really want them to roll 'em out only when the time is right. I want mine (and all Rivians) to pass through the factory doors without a detour through a carnival tent for repairs and tweaking.

I hope you'll continue hanging around the Forums, as I've always enjoyed your input.

Go fast, but be safe! ???
 

Craigins

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For me it is either the R1T or the electric RAM. Seeing how Stellantis is so far behind the pack in EVs, Rivian has quite a while to deliver for me. My 2016 RAM 1500 Rebel will hold me over until they deliver.
 

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Zoidz

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Off Topic: I know very little about electric vehicles, other than the Volt and F-150 Lightning. I know how you put these vehicles in gear, but I don't know how the Rivian accomplishes this. When viewing the pictures, I'm guessing it's done with a lever on the steering wheel and not touching the screen display??
I've not seen any information on this. It would be interesting and fun if they had multiple options - stalk, touch screen and voice command? They have said it will include Alexa integration, so it's functionally possible.

"Alexa, drive forward".

Alexa: "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that. Your foot is not on the brake."


What can Alexa voice commands do in Rivian vehicles?
Alexa is integrated from the ground up in your vehicle so you can control nearly anything managed by the driver display and touchscreen with your voice — even some physical controls. Simply say 'Alexa, turn down the air', 'roll down the windows', 'open the front trunk' or anything else that comes to mind.
 

Whataboykie!

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Yeah as an early adopter, Nov 29th, 2018, I have been through a huge number of delays. However I am committed to Rivian.

I really do need a new truck by end of September. Please don't force me into an ICE vehicle.

Also please don't use the Covid excuse any more. Building the machine that builds the machine is very difficult! (Elon Musk)

We understand. Just build us a great vehicle. All your research and testing is comforting.
 

protamine

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1. I think the communication has been fine. Better than Tesla (which is abhorrent). RJ is being smart. Sometimes saying less is more. Could it be better? Probably. But it could be way way worse (none, or constant blathering with no consistency)

2. While its frustrating, Rivian gets a 100% pass. I was hopeful last fall they had stockpiled enough stuff that they could get started on time/slight delay (R1T summer, R1S early fall) but as the supply chain stuff went crazy this spring I was hopeful for end of the year. But really, what are they supposed to do? Chevy cancelled THOUSANDS of Tahoes and Suburban orders because of suspension control chip issues. Tahoes are 25k over list.

3. That brings me to my last point - while it would be nice to have the car, most of us (except lease turn in people who timed it for the launch) don't need it now. It would've been nice to take advantage of the hot used car market but also personally for me waiting, I'd have been tempted to buy a different ICE car this summer and probably paid over MSRP. But with rivian looming, I stayed out of that market, drove something economically sensible and learned the value of waiting (helps that I have 2 other fun cars to drive)

4. As long as it doesn't stumble out of the gate, Rivian will be fine. But really, what are they supposed to do now? I really think the lack of comm is because they just dont know.
 

skyote

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Components for the vehicles might be in good shape, but issues with some of the manufacturing equipment could be unforeseen.
 

JeremyMKE

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I would have preferred an option for “I am OK with the delays, but if comms don’t improve I will likely cancel”. Comms is 100% in Rivian’s control and something that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to fix. The past 6 months have been a huge disappointment in that regard. Hopefully their acknowledgement of such will translate to improvement. Time will tell.

I selected “Happy to wait, but not forever”. If my F-150 Lightening number comes up and Rivian has done nothing to restore my confidence, I will likely go with Ford. But I’ll reserve final judgment until that time.

This is me, the delays aren't why I am considering cancelling. It's how they are handling it, in many ways we are buying a relationship with Rivian.

It will need service, understanding the options and presenting me with honest and timely updates seems pretty reasonable.

I will give an example,

We have heard I believe through CS that they were originally after the first delay, intending to deliver most if not all LE's in 2021. Some scoffed at that.

Now we have had two delays and no clarification on the overall delivery schedule. I am a 2019 reservation holder (Currently under the impression that this means diddly squat) I have no IDEA if I am looking at mid 2022 at this point, late 2021?

If you are going to have a high touch different relationship with your customers which is what Rivian has inferred with the guide program this is not how to do it.

I am 100% in on the speed of right, although that is not a single line in space, but trust me as the consumer and enable me to trust you as manufacturer. How can I trust you are going to do it right if you don't show me the trust to keep me legitimately informed as to your progress.

And yeah, Rivian doesn't "owe me" shit, except they have projected/marketed a better relationship than they have delivered.
 

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JeremyMKE

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The entitlement comment is not about the frustration people have, it's their expectation that they deserve financial or emotional compensation for their frustration - free upgrades, weekly stroking, etc. Rivian owes none of that to any of us. Should they improve? Of course, but we are not *entitled* to it. It's not an insult - it's a fact. When you grow up you'll realize that.
Must be convenient to lump everyone together and then proclaim them wrong and entitled and you correct, the insults make you more correct of course.
 
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brainf18

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With over 170 votes tallied...The data presents a pretty clear picture of consumer sentiment. I specifically did not say "Customer" sentiment because there's no way of knowing if every voter is also a position holder. With that Caveat... 3/4 (74.7%) of respondents don't see production delays of several months as an issue, while 1/4 (24.1%) are quickly losing patience.

Conclusions RJ and the Rivian leadership team should take from this.
  • The majority of first adopters are willing wait for their vehicles, but Rivian's "first-to-market" competitive advantage will likely shrink as other electric truck and SUV options become available. As such Rivian is on firm ground for the moment but without any brand history to establish a loyal customer base, this consumer patience will likely erode over time.
  • Slightly less than 1/2 of respondents (42.5%) have essentially decided Rivian is for them so waiting for quite some time for a quality product isn't an issue.
    • An important assumption this group makes is that Rivian won't "stumble" out of the blocks when first deliveries occur. Rivian has one chance to hit a home run. If they get bad reviews from journalists or from early consumers, patience and enthusiasm will evaporate especially if other competitive options become available.
  • Since all we have from Rivian so far is communications, its fair to say that 1/4 (25.2) of respondents (to varying degrees) have soured on the brand.
  • Very few potential customers have "had it" with Rivian. And the percentage of respondents ready to completely walk away from Rivian is extremely small.
    • This strong consumer base will likely more than fill production capacity for a few years, so Rivian is on solid ground thus far from a business case / P&L standpoint.
Bottom line Recommendations:
  • Rivian needs to be more transparent with regards to progress and problems.
  • They should endeavor to increase the frequency of communications to better satisfy position holders desire to be kept informed.
  • Increased communications with regular updates will allow position holders to take the entrepreneurial and project development journey with the team at Rivian. This helps position holders feel as if they are part of the experience and through this process will gain a sense of "ownership and loyalty" in the brand.
  • If Rivian can do these things then their loyal position holders will happily wait to become actual customers.

  • Rivian R1T R1S The speed of "right".  Does anyone really care when deliveries start? Rivian Delievery Data
 
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RWerksman

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With over 170 votes tallied...The data presents a pretty clear picture of consumer sentiment. I specifically did not say "Customer" sentiment because there's no way of knowing if every voter is also a position holder. With that Caveat... 3/4 (74.7%) of respondents don't see production delays of several months as an issue, while 1/4 (24.1%) are quickly losing patience.
While I generally agree with your recommendations, your conclusions and this survey overall is pretty badly skewed in a few obvious ways:
  1. 174 votes is in no way statistically significant, for reservation holders , forum membership, or the public in general.
  2. The forum membership / constituency of voting eligible individuals is unlikely to be representative of the folks who have placed a reservation for a vehicle. It's a reasonable assumption that by obtaining membership to the site and by being active / voting on the poll you are a net promoter of Rivian and likely to have more goodwill toward them. (it's clearly selection bias)
  3. Your inclusion of the phase, "speed of right" makes that the obvious option because it implies (explicitly or not) that if you're not willing to wait, you're going to get a, "wrong" or, "bad" vehicle when there is no basis for that. The same can be applied to the phase, "happy" or, "angry" because they have a definitive connotation behind them.
  4. The range of options is also an issue as they appear to be more disbursed to one end of the spectrum than the other or in the middle. This may have inadvertently and imperceptibly influenced respondents.
  5. Your preface to the question biased the survey. The generally accepted approach on asking a question like this is to clearly define the situation in as neutral terms as you can to prepare the respondent for the question. I would have went with something like:

    On July 16th, the CEO of Rivian publicly announced that the start of customer deliveries for their upcoming R1T electric vehicle has been delayed due to pandemic-related challenges. The announcement identified a delay from July 2021 to September 2021 for the R1T and provided no additional guidance on deliveries for the R1S, the projected end of deliveries for the R1T Launch Edition vehicles, or as to when the non Launch Edition Deliveries are to begin. (optionally after this) This is the latest delay for Rivian who initially projected assembly to start in late 2019 with deliveries in early 2020.

    Based upon this updated delivery guidance, how would your current satisfaction as a Rivian reservation holder?


  6. Due to the limitation of the forum software, your question and answer was also double-barreled, which is a big no-no. You can ask about satisfaction. You can ask if their perception of the company has been altered. You can ask about why they believed the delay happened. You can ask if people are going to change or cancel their order, or if they are considering options. You essentially asked all of these at once. Ideally, there would be branching to address this.
My conclusions are as follows:
  1. A majority of respondents are continuing to wait. (89%)
  2. A majority of respondents selected an option indicating concern about the delay. (64%)
  3. A small minority of respondents have indicated they have or will be looking for an alternative vehicle based on the delays. (10%)
  4. The percentages indicated above are not statistically significant and may be biased toward a more positive response.
 

Gshenderson

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Rivian R1T R1S The speed of "right".  Does anyone really care when deliveries start? 1626752126481
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