Rivian R1T Production Trucks Rolls Off Assembly Line

[G. David Felt]

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe drove off the first R1T production truck in Rivian Blue at the Normal Production plant.

The Rivian truck received an EPA rating of 314 miles on the default battery pack that is shipping now. a larger battery pack will become available in January 2022 as well as a smaller battery pack at a future time.

Rivian R1T spec:

• EPA 314 mile range on standard battery pack
• Battery type 2170 cylindrical cell supplied by Samsung SDI
• 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds
• Quad motor, AWD
• On-board charger is 11.5 kW, AC level 2, 25 miles per hour of charge.
• DC Fast charging 140 miles in 20 minutes
• Wading depth of 3 plus feet
• Towing capacity of 11,000 pounds

This is all the information via Rivians web site and RJ Scaringe twitter account.

I am very excited for the Bellevue Washington Rivian site to open and have a chance to see how my large Shrek frame fits in this truck. I would love one in Forest Green.

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[ccap41]

I want one just like this so bad. 

 

[Robert Hall]

I’d like a green one with white & green Colorado plates.  

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

I want one just like this so bad. 

 

Awesome looking, the Rivian Blue is a backup color for me to the Forest Green. Here is my truck configured the way I would want it with the Max Pack that now shows up on the web site after a refresh.

 

[ccap41]

18 minutes ago, David said:

Awesome looking, the Rivian Blue is a backup color for me to the Forest Green. Here is my truck configured the way I would want it with the Max Pack that now shows up on the web site after a refresh.

 

I love the green but that's my favorite color and share of blue so i would be hard to pass up. Ideally, I'd prefer the Max Pack as well, but if I'm being realistic, 300 miles of range is more than enough and $10,000 in my pocket is preferred. I'd also likely add some of the other things you did in the Adventure Gear area as well. I'm excited to see these in customers' hands and see one in the wild. The plant is only a couple hours north of me.

@David, do you know what their maintenance/repair situation is like, as they don't have dealerships? If something breaks, what happens and where would I get repairs done? 

[G. David Felt]

13 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I love the green but that's my favorite color and share of blue so i would be hard to pass up. Ideally, I'd prefer the Max Pack as well, but if I'm being realistic, 300 miles of range is more than enough and $10,000 in my pocket is preferred. I'd also likely add some of the other things you did in the Adventure Gear area as well. I'm excited to see these in customers' hands and see one in the wild. The plant is only a couple hours north of me.

@David, do you know what their maintenance/repair situation is like, as they don't have dealerships? If something breaks, what happens and where would I get repairs done? 

Here is how I would do the R1S SUV, no Max Pack allowed yet, but I am liking the Limestone color. For me being that the Wife and I love road trips and into the wild, the Max Pack is a requirement for me, but I can totally understand for most people the Regular 314 mile battery pack is enough.

In regards to the Maintenance / repair. Rivian is working to have established places become repair sites per emails I have received, but as of right now per their web site Service - Rivian

You have the following:

• Remote Care - Rivian via the built in sensors and diagnostics platform are able to proactively identify and resolve issues without you having to do anything for the software side and notify you when a hardware issue is needing attention.
• OTAs - This is the over the air updates part that primarily is software focused to add features and enhance existing ones.
• Mobile Service - Rivian has a fleet they are building out of staffed Rivian technicians, they perform the majority of service needs right at home or work. If more extensive care is required, they will pick up your auto and take it to a Rivian Service Center like the one built in Bellevue here where I live and give you a loaner via their flexible loaner program.
• Platform - The Rivian Service App works with you on your smartphone, the app and the Rivian Service Team connected via the Rivian Cloud working together seamlessly to deliver the best possible experience of auto care.
• Warranty
  • Comprehensive - 5yrs or 60,000 miles
  • Battery 8yrs or 175,000 miles
  • Drivetrain 8yrs or 175,000 miles
  • Corrosion 8yrs unlimited miles

End result, the auto's are built to last even in a CPO situation, I think these auto's are going to go a long distance in customer satisfaction.

[daves87rs]

Like it in blue!

[balthazar]

Hope the company does well.

Looking forward to the MCE on the front end tho.

[2QuickZ's]

This is a nice looking truck.  They did a good job with it inside and out.  If I was going to go this route, I would do either Limestone or Compass Yellow though to charge as much as they do for colors seems a bit absurd considering the starting price of the truck.  Ocean Coast interior with the Adventure Package.  Forest Edge is an intriguing interior color option but I don't think it is going to age well.  Kind of like avocado color appliances from the 1960's and 70's.

 

[ccap41]

On 9/20/2021 at 9:13 PM, 2QuickZ's said:

... though to charge as much as they do for colors seems a bit absurd considering the starting price of the truck.

I couldn't agree more! 

[G. David Felt]

Have to say that the latest release of interior pictures shows an attention to quality and luxury in the Rivian R1T truck.

[ccap41]

10 hours ago, David said:

Have to say that the latest release of interior pictures shows an attention to quality and luxury in the Rivian R1T truck.

While it looks great, that's a tough judgement call from pictures released by the company. We will really know the quality when it's in consumers' hands. 

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

While it looks great, that's a tough judgement call from pictures released by the company. We will really know the quality when it's in consumers' hands. 

I get what you say, but then while I love the open leg room, when compared to what GM had done with this same style in 93 as a 94 model year. Rivian has done a great job.

[balthazar]

'21 R1T front / rear legroom : 42.7 / 35.2 (  )
'21 Sierra crew cab : 44.5 / 43.4
'94 Suburban : 41.8 / 36.6

[ccap41]

17 minutes ago, David said:

I get what you say, but then while I love the open leg room, when compared to what GM had done with this same style in 93 as a 94 model year. Rivian has done a great job.

And judging from this picture, the clearly used GM, looks to have held up great. Who knows how a Rivian will hold up? 

[G. David Felt]

12 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

And judging from this picture, the clearly used GM, looks to have held up great. Who knows how a Rivian will hold up? 

True, while the interior is a plastic jungle, it has held up even when not taken care of like in the photo I grabbed off the net. Mine looks even better compared to that, will have to on a non work day go out and take a pic on the inside.

[2QuickZ's]

The real wood trim certainly says luxury.  You generally only find it on the luxury marques though it has started to move into the higher trims of the more mainstream brands like Ford, Chevrolet and GMC.  My Canyon Denali, for example, has both authentic aluminum and open pore wood accents throughout.

On the Rivian, though, some of the spots that they put the wood, while looking nice, are definitely going to get beat up over time because they are high touch areas.  I'm specifically referring to the wood around the wireless charger on the console and also on the seat backs where I could see them getting scratched with hangars or poorly aimed USB connectors.

[Robert Hall]

I like what I see of the Rivian interior...the dash reminds me a bit of recent Volvos which I also like the design of.   I like the green interior. 

[2QuickZ's]

Came across one of these in the wild today.  It was a black one and appeared to be full production spec.  We were on the road so I did not get a chance to check it out but it looked pretty good moving down the road.  Wish I would have paid a little more attention to the size as I pulled up next to it at a light.  It didn't seem any bigger than my Canyon from what I recall.

[G. David Felt]

Reviews are starting to come out and to say that the Rivian kicks the Raptors and TRX butts is to be expected by me, but seems to be a big surprise to the writers.

Driving Rivian R1T Off Road: Ram TRX & F-150 Raptor Are No Match (insideevs.com)

Shocker: 2022 Rivian R1T Proves Electricity Is Better Than Gasoline for Off-Roading (motortrend.com)

[G. David Felt]

Another Review and another win for Rivian.

 

[ccap41]

12 minutes ago, David said:

Another Review and another win for Rivian.

 

Ehhh it's a Rivian sponsored event. 

I'll be more impressed with positive reviews when Rivian isn't the one loaning a truck to a journalist/Youtuber. 

[G. David Felt]

Just now, ccap41 said:

Ehhh it's a Rivian sponsored event. 

I'll be more impressed with positive reviews when Rivian isn't the one loaning a truck to a journalist/Youtuber. 

Yes, but we have seen plenty of OEM sponsored events with both good and bad reviews.

I honestly expect some serious reviews by the end of the year after plenty of people have had their Rivian and had a chance to take it off road and through the snow.

[ccap41]

Just now, David said:

Yes, but we have seen plenty of OEM sponsored events with both good and bad reviews.

Got a link to a review where the sponsored company was dragged? I don't ever recall a review from an event like this being negative.

[G. David Felt]

46 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Got a link to a review where the sponsored company was dragged? I don't ever recall a review from an event like this being negative.

Got a busy work day, but will find one or two. I know I have seen them.

After all, the only way a company gets better is taking the good with the bad and I believe RJ would want to hear the opportunities for improvement. He has taken extra time to ensure Rivian Auto's will be some of the best out there.

Plus the customers will be customers and as I stated, I suspect we will see towards the end of this year plenty of YouTube posted customer reviews.

[ccap41]

On 10/1/2021 at 1:57 PM, David said:

Got a busy work day, but will find one or two. I know I have seen them.

Got any of them negative reviews from a company sponsored event?

[surreal1272]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Got any of them negative reviews from a company sponsored event?

Why the badgering?

[ccap41]

42 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Why the badgering?

I was just asking as it's been four days. 

Personally, I wouldn't refer to one reminder as "badgering", but to each their own. 

[balthazar]

What David REALLY should do is; buy a '22 Suburban, with all the tech & safety options, then have a builder rip the powertrain out and convert it to full-on battery electric. That way he'd stay with GM, get more interior room than even he knew what to do with (specifically; legroom), and have the best of both worlds! Sure; he's looking at spending $80K on the vehicle, plus probably another $65K for the conversion, but at least he could recoup a couple of dollars on the brand new powertrain. 

Better yet- order it online and forgo the 'messy, smelly' bargaining; pay full MSRP!  A $150K electric Suburban sounds just peachy!

[oldshurst442]

^^^

Option 1:

@David  

He could wait until 2024 and forego all that drama that was presented above

80 grand

 

Option 2:

Or...he could convert his current Escalade into an EV one

https://www.thedrive.com/news/37354/the-chevrolet-performance-ecrate-is-here-to-make-electric-drivetrain-swaps-easier-than-ever

 

 

His Escalade is one clean ride.  He takes really could care of it and I think it would be an amazing project if he could and would want to,  convert it. 

Less than what was mentioned by buying a new Tahoe...or a new GMC Hummer.  

 

[balthazar]

There's probably $50K into the restoration/modification of that C10 before the electrics/batteries and whatever the cost of the base truck.

But sure- if one does all the work themselves, you could save some of the cost vs. having a reputable shop build it. 

[oldshurst442]

^^^

Yup.

But he already owns the Escalade.  I tried looking for a price tag on these but couldnt find any. GM Authority website states that pricing hasnt been released. 

The GM E crate motor is said to have 200HP with a 60 KW/H lithion ion battery.  That '60s C10 has 2  e crate motors producing 450HP with 120 KW/H  batteries.    

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/10/chevrolet-performance-launches-electric-connect-and-cruise-package/

LOL

 

50 thousand for restoration is moot as ANY car that needs to be restored regardless what engine will eventually power it that will be bought...     Frame off restoration is almost a must.  Especially if upgrades to the powertrain and everything else will be made. 

If the vehicle has a good runnin' motor...well it has a good runnin' motor, but when we are talking about crate engines then the price of restoring only goes up from there.   Junk yard crashed cars could be purchased for their engines, but one really should know about engines to determine if the engine of a totaled vehicle is running good.  And if that is the case, then chances are, most of the restoration and fabrication and all that will be made by the DIYer rather than a shop.   

An LS7 crate is 12 000.

The LT1 is 8 500.

The LT4 15 000.  Dry Sump is 16 000 and change.

JUST the engines.  

The Electric Connect and Cruise E Crate motors will probably be pricier than 15 000.  More like 30 000 Im guessing.   Like how the now discontinued LT5 cost.   That C10 has 2 of them.  Plus the 120 KW/H battery packs. Pricier even.

THEN, we are talking about high voltage systems here.  I dont think there are many DIYer hot rodders out there that could do THIS kind of thing on there own.    

So...specialized EV powertrain tech folk probably need to do this.

yeah...

Im retracting my thoughts of a job like this being cheaper...

@David  is best to wait for the 2024 GMC Hummer SUV...

 

 

 

 

 

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

50 thousand for restoration is moot as ANY car that needs to be restored regardless what engine will eventually power it that will be bought...     Frame off restoration is almost a must.

That's... not remotely true.

[G. David Felt]

@oldshurst442 @balthazar

I still have my 1994 GMC SLE Suburban that I want to put an E-Crate AWD system into. The Escalade would also be another good one. Wife likes both Hummer by GMC and Rivian. I owe her a truck, so she is looking at both trucks. Who knows what she will end up with. For me, I know one of my full size SUVs will get converted and I will end up driving it. I like the idea of having a proper full size FRUNK that both the GMC and Caddy can offer me in a conversion.

[ccap41]

A Rivian will be WAY TOO SMALL for you, based on what vehicles you've said you're cramped in. 

[Robert Hall]

21 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

A Rivian will be WAY TOO SMALL for you, based on what vehicles you've said you're cramped in. 

He'll have to wait for the Rivian MAX with an extra two feet of headroom and two feet of legroom..

[ccap41]

1 minute ago, Robert Hall said:

He'll have to wait for the Rivian MAX with an extra two feet of headroom and two feet of legroom..

He needs a G Wagen roofline, Hummer hip/shoulder room, and Escalade leg room. 

[balthazar]

On 9/23/2021 at 11:46 AM, balthazar said:

'21 R1T front / rear legroom : 42.7 / 35.2 (  )
'21 Sierra crew cab : 44.5 / 43.4
'94 Suburban : 41.8 / 36.6

Rivian is pretty close to his Suburban, but I'll bet the Rivian feels way tighter.
Escalade is 44.5 / 41.7 - the winner is still the crew cab pick-up.

Edited October 6, 2021 by balthazar

[ccap41]

Per David's keyboard (paraphrasing): you can't take those numbers serious.

His biggest issue is always the person behind the driver's seat and according to online measurements, my Lincoln MKC has  36.8 inches.

I'm curious if there's a standard front seat location for these measurements. I've put a 70" TV in the hatch space of my MKC and I had to drive very unsafely because the seat would more THAT far forward. the drive was only about a mile/mile and a half so I just did it anyway but I literally could not get out without having my wife slide the TV out some so I could move the seat back. she should have driven as she's much shorter than me but I was already crammed up there and said "fck it, let's just go". Oh yeah, I'm 5'8" and she's 5'2". 

Wow, what a random tangent to go on...?

[balthazar]

That's why I always use both numbers together (and actually add them). I agree that OEMs could position the front in different spots, but unless they're moving the seats between measuring front & rear... the total number should be reliable.

[G. David Felt]

18 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Per David's keyboard (paraphrasing): you can't take those numbers serious.

His biggest issue is always the person behind the driver's seat and according to online measurements, my Lincoln MKC has  36.8 inches.

I'm curious if there's a standard front seat location for these measurements. I've put a 70" TV in the hatch space of my MKC and I had to drive very unsafely because the seat would more THAT far forward. the drive was only about a mile/mile and a half so I just did it anyway but I literally could not get out without having my wife slide the TV out some so I could move the seat back. she should have driven as she's much shorter than me but I was already crammed up there and said "fck it, let's just go". Oh yeah, I'm 5'8" and she's 5'2". 

Wow, what a random tangent to go on...?

I would totally agree that it would be interesting to know what standard seat position is used to measure the front and back leg room.

[balthazar]

Bloomberg is reporting that Rivian is going to prioritize production of vans for Amazon over pickups, so combining 1. startup, 2. chip shortages, and 3. this news, don't expect much in the way of Rivian inventory/availability for a few years. 

[G. David Felt]

7 hours ago, balthazar said:

Bloomberg is reporting that Rivian is going to prioritize production of vans for Amazon over pickups, so combining 1. startup, 2. chip shortages, and 3. this news, don't expect much in the way of Rivian inventory/availability for a few years. 

Thanks for letting us know, found the following interesting reads on Rivian IPO and Production.

Rivian Automotive Files for IPO, Electric Truck Startup Backed by Amazon (AMZN) - Bloomberg

Rivian’s Electric Truck Gets All the Attention, But Its Fate Is Tied to Amazon - BNN Bloomberg

How Amazon Pushed Rivian’s Van into the Fast Lane - Bloomberg

Amazon Shapes Rivian's Future and $80 Billion Valuation - Bloomberg

Rivian could do for electric pickups and SUVs what Tesla has done for sedans. - Bloomberg

Interesting the multiple stories as it would seem Bloomberg is very much interested in Rivian.

[G. David Felt]

On 10/6/2021 at 9:16 AM, balthazar said:

Rivian is pretty close to his Suburban, but I'll bet the Rivian feels way tighter.
Escalade is 44.5 / 41.7 - the winner is still the crew cab pick-up.

Re-read this, why would you think a Rivian would feel way tighter?

EVs from Ford and Rivian reviews are saying they are roomy inside compared to ICE equals.

Rivian Stories

The Inside Story by Rivian - Rivian Stories

Seems to be roomy to me.

[G. David Felt]

Found this that someone made, very cool comparison to all the ICE trucks.

Rivian R1T Size Comparison with F-150 & Tundra | Rivian Forum – Rivian R1T & R1S News, Pricing & Order... (rivianownersforum.com)

Cool to see these comparisons on Luxury SUVs. Here is the R1S to the Range Rover Sport, but this side comparison of size is good. Rivian wins for sure. Will take the Rivian square back of the other for sure.

[G. David Felt]

From the same forum I posted earlier, will for sure take the Rivian over the Toyota ugliness.

I like the specification details here:

Comparison between: 2021 Rivian R1T Launch Edition, 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD (evspecifications.com)

Yes not really a good comparison since Tesla has NOTHING to compete with, but understandable as to why they compared it in Specifications.

[ccap41]

I like the R1T but the Taco is a great looking truck, imo. Based solely on looks, I'd prefer the Taco. 

[balthazar]

12 hours ago, David said:

Re-read this, why would you think a Rivian would feel way tighter?

EVs from Ford and Rivian reviews are saying they are roomy inside compared to ICE equals.

Those aren’t reviews you posted; they’re Rivian press releases.

I say tighter  because that’s the trend over the comparitive 27-yr old Suburban you’re used to. More storage space (console), thicker doors (crash protection), more substantial arm rests, etc.

[balthazar]

Rivian R1T has an overall width of 81.8 with mirrors folded. Not sure if a fraction of the folded mirror is still adding to that width or not. My B-59's overall width is 80.8 (body- no mirrors included- but they don't protrude from that width anyway).

R1T front hip room is 54.9" (and that totally ignores the center console), and the B-59's front hip room is 66.1.
Your Suburban's hip room is 60.5". Going down 5.5" right there.

Of course, only a 'test fit' will determine compatability.

 

[Robert Hall]

2 hours ago, balthazar said:

Rivian R1T has an overall width of 81.8 with mirrors folded. Not sure if a fraction of the folded mirror is still adding to that width or not. My B-59's overall width is 80.8 (body- no mirrors included- but they don't protrude from that width anyway).

R1T front hip room is 54.9" (and that totally ignores the center console), and the B-59's front hip room is 66.1.
Your Suburban's hip room is 60.5". Going down 5.5" right there.
 
 

That sounds more midsize in hip room...my WK2 Grand Cherokee is 57" for front hip room (with a console).