What do you people know about Rivian?

[Thunderlips71]

I saw my first Rivian truck yesterday in SW Michigan and was pretty impressed. Similar size and body style to a Honda Ridgeline, but much nicer looking. I must say I am intrigued.

The only thing wrong with the truck is it seemed to be lacking a tailpipe. Anyway, what say you fellow HORTers?

 

[IowaPackFan]

I know their headlights look like childish dogshit.

 

[luvmyhawks]

I’ve seen a couple around lately and thought they were ugly as hell.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Wrong?

 

[BelemNole]

Saw my first one about a month ago. Lady had a for sale sign on it. Wanted $100k. I did not call the number listed.

 

[ericram]

What exactly do you want to know OP?

I am on the list for a R1S as I wanted the SUV.

 

[Thunderlips71]

What exactly do you want to know OP?

I am on the list for a R1S as I wanted the SUV.

What is the overall opinion of the vehicle, and does the company seem to have good backing and stability?

For the record I only saw the rear and side of the truck and was not able to see the grill and headlights.

 

[OsceolaNole]

I’ve seen several the past two months in our ATL neighborhood. They look sharp. One of them a absolutely took off like a bullet (0-60) and didn’t make a sound. It was cool.

CSB

 

[ironside1]

They look god awful. For 100k it should look better than it does and have straight trim lines.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

I think one of the engineers at the U of I Hydraulics lab has one. It sits in the parking lot along Riverside drive below the Burlington St damn. I saw one being delivered on Rosedale Drive in CR by a Michigan plated tilt- bed type truck. Guy in a 2 million dollar house doing his share for the environment...

 

[DouglasHawk]

I have 250 shares of RIVN, and have an R1S pre-ordered. Have only ever heard great things. Test drove an R1T and loved it. I think they will be successful and a significant market disruption, first 3 row tradional sized electric truck and SUV.

 

[LBoogie28]

Pretty good build quality from what I have seen/researched. Interior looks better than the Tesla we used to own. Main concern would be the retractable bed cover.

 

[BustingNarratives]

I'm always leery of brand new models and especially from a brand new manufacturer. If it were me I'd wait until year 3 when they have all the bugs worked out.

 

[McLovin32]

How big are the side mirrors?

 

[BioHawk]

Critics love it and the builders are pretty reliable. They've had a few growing pains and inflation have effectively priced the vehicle out of the range of all but the top 10% of earners. They are going to have to develop a cheaper model if they want to get bigger. On the other hand, they can't get the parts to meet capacity at their current plant. They are building another plant in Georgia but Georgians don't seem to want it. After it gets built I'm betting you'll see a far larger number of them driving around.

 

[LuteHawk]

Rivian has a 2.6 million square foot manufacturing plant
in Normal, Illinois. They bought it from Mitsubishi in 2017.
They have now added another 1 million square feet to their
plant.

They are really geared towards electric trucks, suv's as well
as a contract with Amazon for delivery vans. I have a friend
who is now in his fourth year at Rivian, Normal as a supervisor
for plant maintenance. He is excited about Rivian's future.

 

[On Iowa]

I know I'd love to have one...300 mile range, 10k pound towing capacity, mind blowing 0-60, and crazy storage space. Now if someone would just spot me $100k...

 

[seminole97]

Last year, at our inaugural EV of the Year event, there wasn't a single vehicle that could tow more than 5000 pounds. There are now three such entries: the GMC Hummer EV (7500-pound towing capacity), Ford F-150 Lightning (10,000-pound max), and Rivian R1T (11,000 pounds). To evaluate this emerging electric-towing phenomenon, we hitched each to the same load, a 29-foot camper that weighs 6100 pounds, the sort of trailer a family of four might take on the quintessential summer getaway.

We ran all three trucks on the same 85-degree summer day on the same flat highway loop at 70 mph. Other than the slightly lower speed, which is prudent when piloting between 13,000 and 16,000 pounds of truck and trailer, we conducted this the same way we run our 75-mph highway-range tests, with the automatic climate control set to 72 degrees and running as many miles as we dared before the battery's state of charge became dire.

These new electric pickups are wonderful towing companions, aided by massive horsepower and torque that allow for easy merging with the flow of interstate traffic, and their heavy curb weights (between 6855 pounds for the F-150 and 9640 pounds for the Hummer) lend an impressive stability when lugging a three-ton trailer. But you won't want to be going far, as a full battery will take you a mere 100 miles in the Lightning, 110 miles in the R1T, and 140 miles in the Hummer. Although the Hummer consumes electricity at the highest rate of the three, its considerably larger battery pack more than makes up for the difference. (As with unladen range, each figure is rounded down to the nearest 10-mile increment here.)

There are a few quirks. EVs can sometimes be fickle to top off; the Lightning was set to charge all the way but instead stopped at 94 percent. However, even boosting its result by the missing 6 percent doesn't propel it past the next 10-mile increment. Adaptive cruise is available while towing in the Hummer and the Lightning, but not hands-free Super Cruise or BlueCruise, while the Rivian won't allow the use of adaptive cruise control at all. All of these trucks have integrated trailer-brake controllers, but none is available with larger towing mirrors that would improve visibility at the cost of a bit more aero drag.

The Rivian's higher level of regenerative braking is helpful in slowing a trailer, while the Lightning disables one-pedal drive mode when towing. Selecting Tow mode in the R1T instantly slices its predicted range roughly in half, then adjusts from there based on real-time consumption; the Lightning made a giant downward leap between the first five and 10 miles, from 288 miles predicted to 96; the Hummer's range-prediction algorithm did the equivalent of putting its fingers in its ears and yelling "na-na-na," refusing to adjust downward despite dropping an average of 12 miles of predicted range for every five traveled.

The range for all three trucks when towing was less than half as far as when cruising lightly loaded at 75 mph. But the Hummer fared best, we suspect due to its punching the largest hole in the air to begin with—and the Rivian, which fared worst, the smallest—and therefore being relatively less affected by the blocky trailer.

The physics aren't different from towing with an internal-combustion pickup; in both cases the range will be sliced roughly in half. But in the case of these EVs, that reduced figure can be barely three digits. And low-battery warnings start in at roughly 50 miles to empty, when the battery pack is still nearly half full. Even if you're accepting of the lengthy recharging stops—which will be even longer due to the need to charge the battery further than when traveling unladen—most highway-adjacent charging doesn't allow pull-through access. And disconnecting a trailer—especially one like this with a weight-distributing hitch—every couple of hours is a major hassle.

 

[ericram]

What is the overall opinion of the vehicle, and does the company seem to have good backing and stability?

For the record I only saw the rear and side of the truck and was not able to see the grill and headlights.

Amazon and Ford had backed. They have billions of dollars. Way more then tesla at start up.

I believe in and have followed this EV company for a while now. The owners who have signed on early have had very positive experiences with their vehicles. Granted there are some very limited issues with being the first ever vehicle produced by this company but that is to be expected. They are ramping up fast and doing a very good job of servicing the new owners.

 

[ericram]

How big are the side mirrors?

Huge

 

[dgordo]

My buddy has the truck and his wife has the suv. They love them.

 

[joelbc1]

It's electric. The guy who is ramrodding the solar-energy push in the western 'burbs of Polk Co. drives one. It looks very nice on the inside too.
BTW, saw the new Cadillac LYRIQ unveiling last week.......Sweet looking....2 models available to order @ $60k and $72k......unfortunately, there is no forseeable delivery date on them!

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

Amazon and Ford had backed. They have billions of dollars. Way more then tesla.

What?

 

[claykenny]

Amazon and Ford had backed. They have billions of dollars. Way more then tesla.

I believe in and have followed this EV company for a while now. The owners who have signed on early have had very positive experiences with their vehicles. Granted there are some very limited issues with being the first ever vehicle produced by this company but that is to be expected. They are ramping up fast and doing a very good job of servicing the new owners.

Tesla has $18 billion cash on hand. Rivian has $14 billion.

 

[JRHawk2003]

If you want an EV, the Kia Niro would be a more cost effective choice. I have been considering an EV like that, but the Iowa Winters really affects performance. In my hybrid it's bad enough, it's gotta kill EV mileage even worse.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

To answer OP. The efficiency is underwhelming.

Rivian R1T, R1S Range and Economy Figures Revealed by EPA

How much range can the electric truck and SUV muster? Read on to find out.

www.motortrend.com

314 miles of range on a 135-kWh pack (133 kWh usable)

2022 Rivian R1T Launch Edition - Specifications and price

Specifications of 2022 Rivian R1T Launch Edition. Top speed: 115.0 mph / 185.0 km/h, Battery: 135 kWh. Market-dependent prices, MSRP. Market-dependent prices, MSRP.

www.evspecifications.com

By comparison Model Y has 326 miles of range on a 74-kWh pack.

2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD - Specifications and price

Specifications of 2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD. Electric motor #1: 220 kW, Electric motor #2: 158 kW @ 8275 rpm, 163 Nm @ 125 - 6375 rpm, Top speed: 134.8 mph / 217.0 km/h, Battery: 82.1 kWh. Market-dependent prices, MSRP. Market-dependent prices, MSRP.

www.evspecifications.com

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

If you want an EV, the Kia Niro would be a more cost effective choice. I have been considering an EV like that, but the Iowa Winters really affects performance. In my hybrid it's bad enough, it's gotta kill EV mileage even worse.

Depends on the EV.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

Tesla has $18 billion cash on hand. Rivian has $14 billion.

Companies going in different directions with respect to finances.

Tesla Net Income 2010-2023 | TSLA

Tesla annual/quarterly net income history and growth rate from 2010 to 2023. Net income can be defined as company's net profit or loss after all revenues, income items, and expenses have been accounted for. <ul style='margin-top:10px;'> <li>Tesla net income for the quarter...

www.macrotrends.net

Rivian Automotive Net Income 2020-2023 | RIVN

Rivian Automotive annual/quarterly net income history and growth rate from 2020 to 2023. Net income can be defined as company's net profit or loss after all revenues, income items, and expenses have been accounted for. <ul style='margin-top:10px;'> <li>Rivian Automotive net...

www.macrotrends.net

Bezos owns ~20% of $RIVN. He wont let it go bankrupt. Although they are down 70% since IPO. $32.47/share vs IPO of $106.75.

 

[McLovin32]

Huge

Nice. #McLovinApproves

 

[ericram]

What?

Meant to say at start up.

 

[ericram]

If you want an EV, the Kia Niro would be a more cost effective choice. I have been considering an EV like that, but the Iowa Winters really affects performance. In my hybrid it's bad enough, it's gotta kill EV mileage even worse.

Doesn't compare to an adventure pick up truck or full sized SUV that can do 0-60 in just over 3 seconds.

 

[Jewlick]

I talked a random dude in the parking lot that had one. I was parked next to him with my Tesla Model Y. The truck he has was a lot smaller than I would have thought it would be. He said he loved the truck but was very jealous of Tesla's supercharging network because he "Can't go very far very fast" which makes sense and is something I have always said. Tesla's supercharging network is a huge competitive advantage if you want to use it for anything outside a daily driver.

He also said he was jealous of Tesla's service options. He said there are issues with his truck, which is not surprising considering they are just starting production and figuring things out. But for service he has to flat bed it to Dallas or Nashville (I am in Little Rock). So its a huge pain if anything is wrong with it. With Tesla, mobile service comes to your house and can fix 80% of issues and if they can't right now I have to drive to memphis but better than flat bedding it to Dallas or Nashville.

I think they will do well with all the money behind them but they will run into similar problems Tesla did in the early days. They announced their version of superchargers over a year ago and they would have 600 stations. They very well might get there but so far after over a year they have 7 stations open.

Starting a car company is hard and Tesla almost went under multiple times. For the sake of competition and electric cars I hope they do well.

 

[ping72]

How do truck nuts look on them?

 

[ericram]

I talked a random dude in the parking lot that had one. I was parked next to him with my Tesla Model Y. The truck he has was a lot smaller than I would have thought it would be. He said he loved the truck but was very jealous of Tesla's supercharging network because he "Can't go very far very fast" which makes sense and is something I have always said. Tesla's supercharging network is a huge competitive advantage if you want to use it for anything outside a daily driver.

He also said he was jealous of Tesla's service options. He said there are issues with his truck, which is not surprising considering they are just starting production and figuring things out. But for service he has to flat bed it to Dallas or Nashville (I am in Little Rock). So its a huge pain if anything is wrong with it. With Tesla, mobile service comes to your house and can fix 80% of issues and if they can't right now I have to drive to memphis but better than flat bedding it to Dallas or Nashville.

I think they will do well with all the money behind them but they will run into similar problems Tesla did in the early days. They announced their version of superchargers over a year ago and they would have 600 stations. They very well might get there but so far after over a year they have 7 stations open.

Starting a car company is hard and Tesla almost went under multiple times. For the sake of competition and electric cars I hope they do well.

Rivian will have a mobile repair network and their EV charging system in being built out. Also the federal government is going to have a full network along highways every 50 miles. It will just take a year or two for all this to be in place. Tesla has the time advantages here but others are catching up quickly.

Not really sure why you thought it would be bigger?

 

[Jewlick]

Rivian will have a mobile repair network and their EV charging system in being built out. Also the federal government is going to have a full network along highways every 50 miles. It will just take a year or two for all this to be in place. Tesla has the time advantages here but others are catching up quickly.

Not really sure why you thought it would be bigger?

Just in pictures looked bigger - I am not the only one to say that from people I know that have seen one in person. I think in most people's mind it would be like the F150 but it more like a ranger.

Sure - Rivian will have mobile service etc - basically do and learn from Tesla - which is great. But it is not there yet and will take time. Spinning that stuff up is nothing something that happens over night - takes years.

 

[HawkMachine]

They are struggling a bit right now with supply chain shortages.

Their goal was to build 25,000 vehicles this year. I doubt that happens.

Stock is down around 67% from a year ago.

I do know George Soros bought a bunch back in December I think it was.

Also Amazon has backed them.

Was just looking at the stock a couple days ago.

 

[ericram]

Just in pictures looked bigger - I am not the only one to say that from people I know that have seen one in person. I think in most people's mind it would be like the F150 but it more like a ranger.

Sure - Rivian will have mobile service etc - basically do and learn from Tesla - which is great. But it is not there yet and will take time. Spinning that stuff up is nothing something that happens over night - takes years.

Guess my expectations were it was just this size. I personally think the lightning and the f150 are too large. Hell they are always sticking out in parking spots.

I agree it will take time to build out the network but it's in progress.

As for the repair vans they are also being built. They can replace and repair most parts/issues at your home or work.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

if you watch the first few episodes of ewen mcgregors trip from the tip of South America to LA, they show Rivians first two prototypes that went on the trip.

 

[Bonerfarts]

My neighbor actually has one. I think it looks sharp. He said its nice as a day to day truck for work and the store. Once you throw a trailer on there the battery life drops considerably, like 20 miles on a charge.

 

[Hawkeyenuts66]

My neighbor actually has one. I think it looks sharp. He said its nice as a day to day truck for work and the store. Once you throw a trailer on there the battery life drops considerably, like 20 miles on a charge.

20 miles on a full charge? Wow that's absolute crap.