[eHauler]

When should we expect media drives of the Rivian R1T and R1S? With first deliveries happening in June, I thought by now we would seeing early coverage of them on social media then actual articles and videos soon after.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I hope deliveries start before the press get their hands on production vehicles. I bet press will coordinate with early LE deliveries to drive their vehicles (like Doug DeMuro), and the general press can share the test drive fleet with potential customers.

 

[Wildabeest]

Unlike many vehicles releases, RIvian current has far more demand than supply or ability to supply. So it may be that they are not as concerned about the typical marketing hype needs. Not to mention they have plenty of capital, so don’t need to market to investors as well.

 

[Rivian-WI]

I would be fine if Rivian gives Press the first several cars off the Production line, but tell Press they are still pre-production to help lesson any issues they find.
This would give Rivian some good info for some final tweaks to the Line before they crank out mine.

 

[kbuicker]

I asked Rivian this exact question. I imagine Alex on Autos will review one since he was a very early reservation holder.

"Hi Kevin,

Thank you for contacting us and being a new member of our preorder community! One of the ways you'll be able to experience the R1 first hand is through our Experience Centers. These centers will come in many shapes and sizes, all built around adventure, our community, and introducing you to Rivian vehicles. We’ll be sharing more details on our Experience Center locations and what you can expect at them later this year.

Additionally, we look forward to seeing you behind the wheel on a test drive ahead of the delivery of your Electric Adventure Vehicle. As soon as COVID-19 health precautions lift and it's safe to be together again, we'll release more details about our test drive program. Like you, I cannot wait to see what it's like to drive and interact with the R1T!

I hope this helped offer some insight. Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional thoughts or questions. We appreciate you as a member of our community and look forward to seeing you behind the wheel of the R1T soon!


Stay adventurous,
Justin"

 

[Dickee]

When should we expect media drives of the Rivian R1T and R1S? With first deliveries happening in June, I thought by now we would seeing early coverage of them on social media then actual articles and videos soon after.

I asked customer service and here's what I got...the first response was a non-response. My second attempt got closer to the truth and I think I irritated them for asking/suggesting it as I had indicated how much I respected Alex on Autos and MotorWeek plus others and how I'd be SOLD for SURE if they LOVED IT, which I said that I expected they would:

"You mentioned some great shows there! I personally love Fully Charged. If you have not already, I encourage you to check out The Long Way Up on Apple TV. The vehicles in that show are early prototypes and we still moved forward with filming. We also had our R1T participate in the 2020 Rebelle Rally: video. We also recently released a cold-weather testing video and encourage this viewing. If we have an opportunity to share our vehicles with the media outlets provided, we will reach out with that information."

Second response:
"Thanks for reaching out back out. We appreciate the enthusiasm!

Right now, we are solely focused on producing world-class electric adventure vehicles. Our commitment is to our preorder holders and delivering on time. When we have the ability to provide those outlets with a final production vehicle, we will do so. That is not an option at this time.

I'm glad you are exploring other EVs. The vehicles you mentioned are solid choices and offer a wide variety of use cases. We encourage you to purchase the vehicle that best fits your needs."

I think that makes it clear. The answer is NO.

Take care,
Dickee

 

[eHauler]

I asked customer service and here's what I got...the first response was a non-response. My second attempt got closer to the truth and I think I irritated them for asking/suggesting it as I had indicated how much I respected Alex on Autos and MotorWeek plus others and how I'd be SOLD for SURE if they LOVED IT, which I said that I expected they would:

"You mentioned some great shows there! I personally love Fully Charged. If you have not already, I encourage you to check out The Long Way Up on Apple TV. The vehicles in that show are early prototypes and we still moved forward with filming. We also had our R1T participate in the 2020 Rebelle Rally: video. We also recently released a cold-weather testing video and encourage this viewing. If we have an opportunity to share our vehicles with the media outlets provided, we will reach out with that information."

Second response:
"Thanks for reaching out back out. We appreciate the enthusiasm!

Right now, we are solely focused on producing world-class electric adventure vehicles. Our commitment is to our preorder holders and delivering on time. When we have the ability to provide those outlets with a final production vehicle, we will do so. That is not an option at this time.

I'm glad you are exploring other EVs. The vehicles you mentioned are solid choices and offer a wide variety of use cases. We encourage you to purchase the vehicle that best fits your needs."

I think that makes it clear. The answer is NO.

Take care,
Dickee

Wow, great responses and thanks for reaching out to them. It can really be a hit or miss. Understandable though.
Too bad they didn't provide a rough timeline but we know June is a big month for deliveries so maybe something around then?

I was hoping for prototype drives like this, heck even with embargoed info would be fine.