What is your guess for the Day the 1st Rivian is delivered to a Customer?

[skyote]

I may very well be misinterpreting the below statement from the latest Rivian email, but I interpret they have started production already, just waiting for the go ahead on the first deliveries. I expect Rivian either meets, or exceeds their EPA estimates, or so close they don't feel there'll be any impact on their sales.

".....With all of this, I am excited to report we have started producing vehicles that reflect all of our quality iterations and design refinements......"

That last statement is very intentionally worded. That tells me that "customer-ready" builds are rolling off the line, but I'm guessing a number of those are going to the test drive program, and I still think others will go to employees, investors, etc...and the latter might be the September deliveries.

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[Ladiver]

The way I interpreted that statement was that they have locked down all changes and have produced preproduction vehicles that have all the final changes incorporated. We would call those "first articles" and they would be subject to extremely detailed inspections. I am not convinced that these are production or even available for public use. They are probably still considered test vehicles and do not have a production VIN.

 

[E.S.]

1st day it will get delivered?

Sept 30th 11:59 pm ?

 

[DuckTruck]

The way I interpreted that statement was that they have locked down all changes and have produced preproduction vehicles that have all the final changes incorporated. We would call those "first articles" and they would be subject to extremely detailed inspections. I am not convinced that these are production or even available for public use. They are probably still considered test vehicles and do not have a production VIN.

That VIN would be the tell. The VIN of at least one of the display models in Normal confirms it wasn't intended for sale to the public.

 

[intimidator]

I wonder how they are going to be able to open the Bellevue facility?
It appears that the only vehicles they would be allowed to service are those they own - no customer vehicles.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.96.185

Unless maybe they got a ruling (or will operate under the assumption) that they are not competing with any new car dealers service facility since none of them are capable of Rivian service?

Funny thing is I thought in the United States there were laws against anti-trust practices.

PS How did automobile dealers get laws passed to protect their dealership monopolies from competition in all the various states over the last 50 years?

 

[Notaevfan]

It's not a monopoly if you can open a dealership down the road and compete with them.

 

[ajdelange]

I wonder how they are going to be able to open the Bellevue facility?

Unless maybe they got a ruling (or will operate under the assumption) that they are not competing with any new car dealers service facility since none of them are capable of Rivian service?

There are no Rivian dealers who sell or operate service facilities. This is a sound argument which does not mean it will prevail in court where it will clearly wind up if it isn't already there. But note that it isn't just Tesla fighting this stuff any more. It is Tesla and Rivian and Lucid and in general they are prevailing though the going is slow. Tesla just won the right to repair their cars in Connecticut though they still don't have the right to sell them there.

 

[DucRider]

There are no Rivian dealers who sell or operate service facilities. This is a sound argument which does not mean it will prevail in court where it will clearly wind up if it isn't already there. But note that it isn't just Tesla fighting this stuff any more. It is Tesla and Rivian and Lucid and in general they are prevailing though the going is slow. Tesla just won the right to repair their cars in Connecticut though they still don't have the right to sell them there.

As I stated in an earlier post. the Auto Dealers Association is likely to argue that their member dealers can and will be able to service Rivians. Tires, brakes, etc are not brand specific and many dealers advertise that their oil change and other services are available to all makes.

It doesn't make it "right", but the language in the statute is not specific enough to be definitive and a judge could rule either way. The intent of including that restriction is fairly clear - but they may have left a loophole. At some point consumers are going to make enough noise or pass rules thru the initiative process to give them the choice to buy from who they want.

Both the franchised dealer and direct sales (manufacturer owned dealership) models have their pros and cons. The idyllic notion of a local mom and pop dealership with ties to the community is rapidly going the way of the small family farm as large conglomerates buy them up (Auto Nation, etc). Most consumers don't really care who owns the dealership, only how they are treated during the transaction. The ownership model does not, in and of itself, dictate the corporate culture of how customers are treated and to what degree high pressure sales tactics are employed. Locally owned franchise, small local chain, large national chain, manufacturer owned stores will each have good and bad stores depending on the specific staff and corporate culture. It has been my experience - only as a rule of thumb - that higher end vehicle brands (both two and four wheeled varieties) tend to respect their customers a bit more and employ fewer of the tactics that garner the most complaints. These also tend to be the European brands. There are numerous exceptions.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I wonder how they are going to be able to open the Bellevue facility?
It appears that the only vehicles they would be allowed to service are those they own - no customer vehicles.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.96.185

Unless maybe they got a ruling (or will operate under the assumption) that they are not competing with any new car dealers service facility since none of them are capable of Rivian service?

Section (g) specifically says "a new motor vehicle dealer of any make or line" in the context of "new motor vehicle dealer". That's SALES.

Section (h) only says they cannot compete with "a new motor vehicle dealer" for warranty service. Notice the absence of the verbiage "of any make or line".

Because the law specifically mentions "any make or line" in the context of SALES but does NOT make the same stipulation for SERVICE then I think a strong argument can be made that lawmakers were aware of and deliberate in their choice to limit SALES but not SERVICE, when no same-brand/line dealer operates to compete.

 

[WheeledLife]

That last statement is very intentionally worded. That tells me that "customer-ready" builds are rolling off the line, but I'm guessing a number of those are going to the test drive program, and I still think others will go to employees, investors, etc...and the latter might be the September deliveries.

I agree that if there are any September deliveries, they will not go to reservation holders. Cannot speak for a symbolic media shipping event, but Job-1 is not expected be scheduled in September.

 

[DucRider]

I agree that if there are any September deliveries, they will not go to reservation holders. Cannot speak for a symbolic media shipping event, but Job-1 is not expected be scheduled in September.

Everything we have seen to date indicates just the opposite.

They brought Rivian reservation holders back to Normal for the first drives - not the media, celebrities, or investors.

 

[skyote]

I agree that if there are any September deliveries, they will not go to reservation holders. Cannot speak for a symbolic media shipping event, but Job-1 is not expected be scheduled in September.

"I am happy to report we are on track to begin deliveries in September."

I can't help but notice it doesn't say "the first customer deliveries". We'll find out S00N enough!

 

[SANZC02]

"I am happy to report we are on track to begin deliveries in September."

I can't help but notice it doesn't say "the first customer deliveries". We'll find out S00N enough!

Interesting take on a simple statement. To me customers was implied as it would not be a delivery if not to a customer.

I also recall form the Oct 2018 interview, he did state major investors would be first (who could really complain if someone is investing millions of dollars) but he said employees (him included) would not be at the front of the line. It was also interesting that when he had the early preorder holders hosted in Normal a couple of weeks ago he made a point to say he thought they should be the first to drive it. In fairness I think that was instead of media but you could read more into it than that.

 

[Notaevfan]

I believe as soon as they get Government approval, a truck will be headed to Duck. He has shown to be a fantastic person to deal with what comes with being 1st. I remember reading that employees and investors won't be 1st and they have preproduction units to play with. My money is Duck having his truck within 2 weeks, so 9/7/21. Can't wait.

 

[Kialoa]

Just received an update from my Guide - or more accurately - Senior Customer Service Guide - who indicated that the Demo Drive Tour will be starting in September.

I imagine that once we see the actual colors there will be quite a few color selection changes. Maybe a few deliveries will go out in September, but I suspect volume will ramp up between Oct and Dec.

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