What will we learn 5/24 - 5/30?

[DuckTruck]

Sounds like you at least got a test drive.

A test drive, but fortunately, no lease and no purchase! You can't fix crazy.... ?

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[Rivianmd]

Man, if we don’t hear anything by Thursday these threads are going to be epic. I want more info too, but that meltdown will be a nice consolation prize. DucRider will develop carpal tunnel if he hasn’t already

 

[IlliniRivian]

Jalopnik has an article on a pre-production Lucid Air right now. They even let a reporter take interior pictures while simply noting it was not production "caliber fit and finish". To me, it is easy, good press for Lucid. https://jalopnik.com/i-went-for-a-ride-in-a-lucid-air-and-im-still-thinking-1846962649

The fact Rivian isn't doing the same is odd and like many others on this board I am getting more and more concerned it's because Rivian is scrambling with a real problem.

 

[skyote]

The fact Rivian isn't doing the same is odd and like many others on this board I am getting more and more concerned it's because Rivian is scrambling with a real problem.

I don't think it's due to a real problem. I think it's a result either of totally inept comms/marketing, or some other cultural/management issue...either way, it's a negative.

 

[IHScout]

Man, if we don’t hear anything by Thursday these threads are going to be epic. I want more info too, but that meltdown will be a nice consolation prize. DucRider will develop carpal tunnel if he hasn’t already

 

[DuckTruck]

So much of this reminds me of a young lady I dated (for a short time) many, many moons ago. If we were going out on a Saturday, she needed to hear nearly every day that we were still on for Saturday night, what time, where we were going, what we would be doing. This was in the days when a "mobile Phone" was a phone booth set up so that you could drive up and use it from your car (the did have push buttons and were not rotary phones). There wasn't texting, tweeting chatting or anything, and not everyone even had voicemail (if they did it was utilizing a cassette recorder).

I just don't get the need for the constant reassurance about a future event/timeline. Seriously, how many of you so worried about the first contacts in May are likely to be on that list? I have heard from not a single early R1T LE holder that is worried that the sky is falling.

Would sending an email every day saying "we are still on schedule" suffice? The lady I was dating would have then demanded much more detail - I suspect that is also the case here.

As to most people agreeing/not agreeing, I don't have any basis for deciding one way or the other (and don't really care for that matter). Obviously the constant whining has not changed Rivians timeline or corporate culture - all it is accomplishing is that the whiners get to reassure each other that they truly are being wronged and Rivian owes them something for the emotional distress they are being subjected to. And make this forum a whole lot less pleasant to visit

What exactly is it you need to know right now , that you don't already?

How to program in delayed charging? How many FM radio presets there will be? What font do they use on the display and is it customizable? How many different instrument panel display/layout options are there? Will every cup holder in the vehicle accommodate both a Super-Tanker sized soft drink and a short Starbucks cup?
All this stuff (and much more) is interesting to learn, but matters not one whit in the big picture. If any of those are key to your decision making - ask your Guide xx days/weeks/months from now when your turn to convert to an actual order arrives.

For those that think that whining and moaning resulted in more info from Rivian:
A dog that barks incessantly from the moment his/her owner leaves until they return likely believes that the barking worked and got the owner to return. It didn't cause the return, but annoyed the hell out of the neighbors in the mean time.

DucRider,

Once again, you have expressed the voice of reason. I was away on a golf getaway to Central Oregon last week and didn't spend much time playing in the Forum while looking out for snakes as I chased my errant shots into the sagebrush. I missed the interaction here, but my blood pressure did drop quite a bit by not worrying about things over which I have no control (including my driver). I'm hoping this process is on track, but I know it I'll be just fine no matter how long it might take.

I enjoyed your missive on the comments and reactions over these past few weeks, many of which I've been some part of. I especially enjoyed your cautionary tale of disaster averted on the dating scene. A former teacher once told me "You owe to your offspring to choose your spouse wisely". Now, granted, in the 4th grade, I had no idea what he was talking about, but as I grew older, those words stuck with me and helped me avoid a hot mess or two.

Your words about the consternation around the release of the R1T (which may still be right on track) serve to calm me as I wait for the eventual call. While I may still howl at the approaching full Moon, I'll try to curtail my incessant barking......at least until Midnight on May 31st. Then you might need earplugs. ?

Thanks, as always, for your wise words.

 

[cohall]

Might I suggest, that a single, well-crafted email from Rivian would be all it takes to assuage the concerns that so many are expressing? No, we aren't entitled to it, and it's not required, but if Rivian is monitoring forums and facebook and Reddit like we assume they are, you'd think the comms team would step in.

I'm no marketing expert, but how much better would those who are concerned feel if they received this email?

Hello Riviots!

We are thrilled with the progress we've made in getting ready for production and getting these amazing vehicles in the hands of our reservation holders.

It was expected that the Guides would be reaching out in May to early reservation holders. Unfortunately hiring and training have taken slightly longer than we thought it would, so first contact is likely to occur the first few weeks of June. We apologize for this slight delay, but rest assured that production and Deliveries are still on track to occur by the end of June!

We were amazed by the response and excitement from the exterior overview that Gideon provided a few weeks ago, and are working on sharing more with you. We've finalized the interior details for our production vehicles, and are in the process of getting pictures and a write-up to you before the Guides start reaching out. We have similar walk-though planned for the infotainment system.

Thanks for your patience as we work to meet our delivery dates, and know that were investing every second of every minute ensuring we build you the most adventurous vehicles ever made.

~Rivian

Insert photo of mostly complete production line here

That took me one minute to type, and makes the assumption that guides don't reach out this week.

 

[skyote]

That took me one minute to type

Exactly. It's not tough & they have a team of highly paid people for this, why the heck don't they do it?

 

[LoneStar]

A complete speculation reason why they haven't even sent such a simple statement is they might be dealing with a not-so-simple issue. Let's say EPA numbers came back low. Maybe for some setups, like 20" AT tires even lower than low. I can imagine they would be circling the wagons deciding how to proceed ahead. For argument's sake, what if the worse official EPA rating for AT tires came in like 240 miles. Would they want to figure out how to "manage that expectation" and proceed with it? Or might they be thinking a more drastic solution like jumping right into the Max-Pack battery for LEs. Not necessarily to get 400+ miles but maybe to scratch out 350 miles.

As with everything else we're talking about here, the above commentary is nothing but utter speculation on my part. That doesn't mean that I am panicky or impatient or anything other than a technically-minded person trying to read the tea leaves of silence from Rivian the past couple of weeks.

 

[skyote]

Let's say EPA numbers came back low. Maybe for some setups, like 20" AT tires even lower than low. I can imagine they would be circling the wagons deciding how to proceed ahead. For argument's sake, what if the worse official EPA rating for AT tires came in like 240 miles. Would they want to figure out how to "manage that expectation" and proceed with it?

I understand some of the issues might not be trivial. I believe is better to "face the music" early by owning the issue & being transparent, then let the customer base do what they will.

In your example, it's not like they would give everyone a max pack without increasing the price. Own it, provide the facts, & let customers choose how they want to handle it.

 

[wdlikatruck]

A complete speculation reason why they haven't even sent such a simple statement is they might be dealing with a not-so-simple issue.

Yep. Was going to write the same thing. Put on your Operations hat for a moment. It's no secret that there are several supply constraints right now: chips/batteries. So, if you're Rivian and you KNOW you can't ship product in any meaningful volume for perhaps another six months, and surprise! you have other issues with your newly-designed vehicle (not to mention WIP nation-spanning sales/service network) . . . maybe you take the opportunity to work on all of those issues . . . and that is why no one has seen (A) the interior, or (B) a production truck . . . or events or test drives, etc.

Still betting on conveniently-timed holiday weekend delay announcement.

 

[LoneStar]

In your example, it's not like they would give everyone a max pack without increasing the price. Own it, provide the facts, & let customers choose how they want to handle it.

Exactly! That's what I meant by managing the expectation... could they entertain in this late hour coming clean with a "large pack" battery only offering say 250 miles with least-efficient tire setup and stay mostly on pace for initial LEs in June. Since they've long said the Max-pack battery is next year it's unlikely something they can flip a switch on and have ready inside of 30-days. So even conceiving of it might be out for six more months.

It's very possible this is close to something really in play. Technically-speaking, the 20" AT package should have a measurable hit on rolling losses and achieved mileage. Maybe the EPA numbers came back in vicinity of 300 miles for standard 21" wheels with EV-optimized rubber. But Rivian has bet their whole segment strategy on the off-road adventure vehicle market. Dealing with something like falling 17-20% short on a foundational claim (300+ miles) with Launch Edition's attractive included upgrades could very well explain it.


Then again..... as I've said before in another tread, maybe RJ's a master Sadist

 

[opnwide]

I once had a hemorrhoid and it was all I could think about, it consumed my every thought. But now I don't have a hemorrhoid and I don't even think about it, however, some Preparation H ointment at the time sure helped. (I did opt for Black Mountain interior seats, however).

 

[MountainBikeDude]

Exactly! That's what I meant by managing the expectation... could they entertain in this late hour coming clean with a "large pack" battery only offering say 250 miles with least-efficient tire setup and stay mostly on pace for initial LEs in June. Since they've long said the Max-pack battery is next year it's unlikely something they can flip a switch on and have ready inside of 30-days. So even conceiving of it might be out for six more months.

It's very possible this is close to something really in play. Technically-speaking, the 20" AT package should have a measurable hit on rolling losses and achieved mileage. Maybe the EPA numbers came back in vicinity of 300 miles for standard 21" wheels with EV-optimized rubber. But Rivian has bet their whole segment strategy on the off-road adventure vehicle market. Dealing with something like falling 17-20% short on a foundational claim (300+ miles) with Launch Edition's attractive included upgrades could very well explain it.


Then again..... as I've said before in another tread, maybe RJ's a master Sadist

Just going to throw it out there, this is filling a minor lack of information with a huge amount of assumptions. Rivian has in fact had two early vehicles (Vin 1 and 2) drive South America to LA 2 years ago?. They have also since had their vehicle in the Rebelle Rally along with a myriad of other testing leading up to South America, and since. It's pretty safe to assume that they know how far these vehicles can go (or could go) prior to announcing numbers. Also, Rivian has the largest battery packs of any manufacturer to date, so I'm sure its going to go the distance.

To your point, sorta, terrain will have a huge impact on range. I hope everyone here isn't expecting 300 miles on highway and 300 miles on a dirt road or overlanding. In saying that, I can see the "thats not the 300 miles they said" comments when it comes up it get 200 off road

 

[LoneStar]

I agree 1,000% that my speculation is overblown and wholly unsubstantiated....

I'd so happily trade it for a meaningful word out of Rivian.

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