Questions for Rivian

Domenick

Domenick

Well-Known Member
Rivian has released a good amount of information about its upcoming products and other plans, but people still have a lot of questions.

Let's use this thread to ask what we'd like to know. Perhaps, if the answer is already known, a member can answer. Or, maybe @Rivian themselves might pop in and give a response.

Please keep in mind that some questions may be unanswerable for a number of good reasons: some things the company may want to keep close to its chest, decisions about this or that may not have been definitively made yet, etc.

I guess I'll kick things off. When will the first media drives happen?
 
I completely agree and while I have many questions too, I understand they will release information when they’re ready.

I’m sure they got a lot of preorders from the LA auto show, but they also stirred up a lot of questions that unless they want to lose some of those preorders, they will have to put out a media blitz sooner rather than later. With this being said though, the email I got said I should expect an email in the later part of 2019 regarding my specific build for a 2020 production. That’s quite a bit of time for some, but not much for others. I also think they will be attending more auto shows, but we might not know about it until it starts.
 
Poorpilot said:
I completely agree and while I have many questions too, I understand they will release information when they’re ready.
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Another reason for collecting any questions you have here is, when InsideEVs gets an opportunity for an interview, we can use some of these question suggestions. So, fire away! :)
 
1) Battery life cycle
2) Replacement battery cost
3) Charging adapters for home use/minimum specs
4) Charging station locations (N.America) ~ planned
5) Warranty
6) Trade in allowance
7) Shop manual for after warranty repair

There's numerous other questions but those 7 right off the top of my head.
 
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Poorpilot said:
I completely agree and while I have many questions too, I understand they will release information when they’re ready.

I’m sure they got a lot of preorders from the LA auto show, but they also stirred up a lot of questions that unless they want to lose some of those preorders, they will have to put out a media blitz sooner rather than later. With this being said though, the email I got said I should expect an email in the later part of 2019 regarding my specific build for a 2020 production. That’s quite a bit of time for some, but not much for others. I also think they will be attending more auto shows, but we might not know about it until it starts.
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Did the e-mail have any kind of confirmation with it, is there anything else you can share thanks
 
Sorry for the large format- this was the only way to copy and paste the email.

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I'm going to add/respond to some of these based on my Tesla experience. Maybe we can keep building a comprehensive list.

RLXXI said:
1) Battery life cycle - Based on the fact that Rivian plans on using the same type batteries as Tesla, you are looking at about a 20year or 1,000,000 mile "shelf life". With the different cooling system being used on the Rivians, this might change.
2) Replacement battery cost - I have asked this question to my Tesla reps and have been told that none of their vehicles have come up for replacement yet (see previous answer/question), but they were working on a plan for future replacements.
3) Charging adapters for home use/minimum specs
a) I'd like more information about this as well. I currently have a Tesla High Power Charger installed in my garage and would like to figure out if I can simply buy an adapter to charge, or can I unplug the Tesla charger and plug the Rivian charger into my 220/240volt outlet directly, or what equipment would I or do I need to plan on purchasing for single and/or dual EV charging?
4) Charging station locations (N.America) ~ planned - I suggest downloading the Plugshare app. I use it in addition to the Tesla Supercharger network to plan overnights or random stops if on a road trip. You can filter the connection type and see (at least in a 250mile radius from my home) there are quite a few chargers available. Rivian has said they want to use the CCS/SAE charging adapter which is very popular in Europe as well as a popular connection for several EV and hybrid EV's already on the market. Electrify America is rapidly adding a charging network nationwide that will help expand the network availability when traveling. Based on my quick research, they seem to be a little on the high side, but again, check out the Plugshare app and you can usually find a free option....IF you have the correct adapter.
5) Warranty
6) Trade in allowance - I really think you'll be better off selling your vehicle on your own versus a trade-in allowance, but a valid question
7) Shop manual for after warranty repair
8) Service centers and/or remote service if needed
9) What are the production goals for 1, 3, 5 years from now? Are you (Rivian) planning on mass producing these vehicles or is this just a fad?
10) Remote access? Both Rivian and consumer - will we have access to an app to monitor vehicle functions such as charging, climate control, service intervals, etc., but also allow Rivian the access to remotely troubleshoot something?
11) Future Auto shows planned?
12) When/where will be able to take a test drive, kick the tires?

There's numerous other questions but those 7 right off the top of my head.
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Sorry RLXXI, didn't realize I was adding to your list this way. I was trying to quote and add some additional questions, but maybe being up for 24 straight hours is taking its toll.
 
Wow, I would hardly know where to begin if I could ask questions of a Rivian rep.

I guess my first questions would be: How do they plan to handle sales/deliveries, and how do they plan to handle cars (well, vehicles) getting needed service and parts?

I think Rivian has done a great job of convincing people that they have passenger vehicles worth buying. But someone seriously thinking about buying one is going to want to know what kind of support Rivian is going to offer for owners.

The question raised in a comment above about access to DCFC stations is also highly important. I would guess Rivian is planning on CCS fast-charging, but that needs to be clarified. Some EV enthusiasts have speculated that Rivian may joint Tesla's Supercharging network. While I would love to think that might happen, I seriously doubt it will.
 
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hoping real new information starts flowing here before the end of the quarter. They seem 'active' on social media but it's the same stuff that was presented at the unveiling just rehashed + these 'ambassador' posts that i really don't care about.

couple things I'd like to know, that hasn't been mentioned yet:
- Autonomy platform - they said releasing with Level 3 autonomy; but went on to talk about a level 5 use case at one point (car drops you off at trail head, then takes itself to end of trail to wait for you) - would like to know what their roadmap is, what the tech is.. in house dev or using someone elses? will their be upgrade paths

- What will be accessible/configurable online? i.e., the big brands have climate control, charge scheduling, 'where is my car?', car status, etc available from an app.. so what's that going to look like (it sounds dumb, but on my current plugin EV, other than access to HOV lanes, the ability for the car to run climate control off of wall power before I get in in the mornings is my favorite unexpected plus of owning a EV).
 
I was kind of hoping for a DTW auto showing, but it seems like that's not going to happen. I kind of figured more information would have started to come out after the 1st of the year, but the only "new" info is stuff that is readily available on the website or has already been stated via a different avenue. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm ready to kick some tires and ask some questions in person!
 
Uh, I think that's a bit harsh. I know in internet time it feels a long time ago, but it's only been 1.5 months since the announcement. Everything to me has sounded more like 2 years away.. Q4 2020-ish for shipping.

"Please note: Production will begin in 2020 with deliveries beginning in late 2020."

I thought I had an email from them saying being able to configure your specific vehicle is Q4 2019 but can't find it now
 
Wanting information about a possible $60,000+ purchase and not getting anything but cobwebs and crickets chirping is harsh in my book.

I'm sure as hell not going to base that decision with out some answers. And I'm not going to do it within a months time. To think so is foolish.
 
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RLXXI said:
Their 1 year away from release. No news in this case is certainly NOT good news.
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Hmmm... the press release that Poorpilot posted upstream clearly says "deliveries beginning in late 2020", so that is closer to nearly 2 years, or realistically, perhaps even longer. If the start of production is pushed back somewhat, that would be perfectly normal for an EV startup. We can hope Rivian will be more realistic than Tesla in its timelines, but I'll be surprised if there are no delays with its first production vehicle.

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What is wrong with you people for not wanting more information about a product as expensive as this is going to be? If it ever materializes that is. Patience has nothing to do with it. I want information I can study.

If you have no information to add keep your opinions to your selves I do not require it nor want it. I've done quite well over the past 54 years without it. How much clearer do I have to be?

Don't take it the wrong way but it's not your money that's going to buy this product (again if it actually materializes) and then park it in my driveway. Or is someone willing to do that? If so fire away with your be patient posts and other opinions I'm all ears. :rolleyes:
 
RLXXI said:
What is wrong with you people for not wanting more information about a product as expensive as this is going to be? If it ever materializes that is. Patience has nothing to do with it. I want information I can study.
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We want info pretty keenly, too. But Rivian has only recently emerged from stealth mode, and it's no surprise that there are many questions they are not yet prepared to answer.

I really enjoyed reading the tell-all blogs that Martin Eberhard posted in the early days of Tesla Motors, but they did not exactly contribute to a professional image for the company. If Rivian is practicing message discipline, then I think that's a good sign that the company is being run properly. Much as I'm a fan of Tesla, the early years were pretty chaotic, with huge cost overruns. Hopefully Rivian has learned from Tesla's mistakes.
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Pushmi-Pullyu said:
We want info pretty keenly, too. But Rivian has only recently emerged from stealth mode, and it's no surprise that there are many questions they are not yet prepared to answer.

I really enjoyed reading the tell-all blogs that Martin Eberhard posted in the early days of Tesla Motors, but they did not exactly contribute to a professional image for the company. If Rivian is practicing message discipline, then I think that's a good sign that the company is being run properly. Much as I'm a fan of Tesla, the early years were pretty chaotic, with huge cost overruns. Hopefully Rivian has learned from Tesla's mistakes.
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They've had 9 years working on this (so they claim) in R&D they MUST know more than they are telling.

I'm not asking them to post proprietary technology, I just want answers to my 7 questions above. Is that so difficult for a company boasting such a revolutionary product?
.
 
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