Rivian Targeting First Deliveries In September

Rivian was supposed to start delivering its R1T electric pickup truck earlier this summer, but the automaker ran into production issues. The company stated that it was looking at an updated delivery date in September. With August coming to an end, Rivian has some good news. The R1T is ready for production and Rivian is waiting for government approval to start delivering the pickup truck, reports Electrek.

In a statement to the outlet, Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe stated, “With all of this, I am excited to report we have started producing vehicles that reflect all of our quality iterations and design refinements. We are currently working with various governing agencies on the final approvals needed for us to make the first deliveries to preorder customers in September.”

The Launch Edition, which is sold out, is the model that Rivian plans to deliver in September. The model comes with an exclusive Launch Green color, special interior badges, the large battery pack for roughly 300 miles of range, the Adventure Package, a Meridian audio system, wash wood trim, and perforated vegan leather upholstery. Pricing for the Launch Edition starts at $73,000.

Based on Electrek’s report and Scaringe’s comments, this sounds like a promise and not just a hopeful timeline. It looks like deliveries will begin immediately after Rivian receives the go-ahead from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the EPA.

One of the largest hurdles for Rivian is its lack of service centers. Consumers will run into issues with their vehicles and they’ll have to get them repaired somewhere. Scaringe confirmed to Electrek that Rivian currently has five operational service centers with more in the works. Rivian Service Centers are available in Brooklyn, NY; Normal, IL; Bellevue, WA; El Segundo, CA; and San Francisco, CA.

For consumers that don’t live in these areas, you’re going to have to trek out to one of these areas or wait for more service centers to become available. Rivian also has plans to introduce a mobile service to perform onsite repairs on its EVs.

As a new automaker, another potential issue for Rivian could be quality problems. It’s something Tesla continues to struggle with, as its vehicles have left the factory with misaligned panels, paint defects, loose trim pieces, uninstalled seats, and other tiny problems. We’ll have to wait for the first R1Ts to see if the automaker has any qualities issues that it needs to work out.

As an EV brand, having chargers for consumers to use is going to be a problem. Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network is one of the major reasons for its success. Rivian plans to come out with 3,500 DC fast chargers at roughly 600 sites through 2023. The electric automaker also plans to introduce 10,000 public chargers across Canada and the U.S. by the end of 2023. Unfortunately, these chargers are still a few years away. So Rivian owners will have to find a charging station that has an SAE J1772 plug.

For consumers that have put in an order for the Adventure Package or Explore Package, you’ll have to wait until next year to get your truck. The automaker claims that deliveries for these two trims will begin next January.

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