[Logan]

Hello, brand new here. My wife and I live in SLC, UT, have 5 little kids and we do just about everything active outdoors that we can with them. We look forward to ski trips, hiking, canyoneering, touring national parks, and camping in the R1S! We reserved the R1S after following with great interest for many years. It will replace our premium-gas-guzzling 2014 Audi Q7. We heavily considered the Model X but it just does not fit our needs. Trunk space is minimal and it isn't exactly built for adventures, to say the least. For one, you can't put a box on top of a car that has gull wings!! We have followed the Model Y's development but it has been plagued with quality issues and while the 7-seat model has been promised and anticipated and prototyped, it has yet to become available and would be a very tight squeeze for our family of 7. I might get a Tesla for my daily commuter, some day. But their off-road capability would be a joke compared to the R1S and I would have to take the R1S if I'm answering a hospital call during Snowmageddon.

Why did we commit to the R1S? I believe in this company's vision, culture, and commitment. I believe the car will deliver on its promise to be dependable with minimal maintenance needs, extremely safe, and extremely capable. Most days, we just need something to cart the kids around from point A to point B on hilly roads sometimes in the snow. (I love that RJ and his kids are giving the R1T a thorough beta test as we speak). But when we're ready for an adventure, we want to be able to pack all 5 kids into the car plus gear and access remote hiking and canyoneering trailheads on sandy dirt roads in Southern Utah and access backcountry skiing (and resort skiing) locations around Salt Lake City.

The design and appearance of the R1S to me is the reincarnation of a Swiss Army Knife as an SUV. Every little nook and cranny has hidden functions and features for your next adventure. Come across a fellow EV in the wilderness with 1% battery? Oh, let's just hook you up with a little juice. Camping with the kiddos and the toddler won't stay in their bag and it's 2am and 35 degrees out? Oh, let me just plug in our mini space heater to the car with an extension cord for a bit. Driving down a narrow dirt road that "feels" like the right path to that canyon you're trying to find and it dead-ends? Oh, let's just turn on tank mode and flip this rig around. And, of course, I can't wait to try putting groceries in the frunk!

Although a lot of competition has suddenly sprung up during Rivian's long, slow, methodical development, I doubt any of these other companies will deliver a more capable or respectable option. In my opinion the only other practical consideration at this time is Tesla, but the culture and feel at Tesla is so different. They are so focused on software and self-driving; in my opinion, Tesla is perfect for the daily commuter who wears a suit and tie and doesn't wander off road, ever, while Rivian is perfect for those of us who choose to live closer to the places we play than the places we work. The idea of Tesla building a truck just doesn't seem to fit the company's image and I don't think Elon Musk would connect with the customer base that Rivian is rapidly building. Yes, I believe Rivian's self-driving software will lag behind Tesla for years, but they have all of the hardware for Level 5 self-driving capability and the over-the-air updates will add functionality. I'm sure RJ and the others have big dreams but they aren't going to over-promise and under-deliver (think Robo-taxis). Instead, he will "let the results speak for themselves."

I would love to hear others' stories. Why did you commit to a Rivian?

 

[Wildabeest]

Welcome Logan! As a Tesla Model S owner (and also a Utahan - Park City) for 5+ years, I totally agree with all of your points above. I was an early EV adopter when I lived back east and the Tesla served my needs fine. But after moving to the Rocky Mountains, I needed something more offroad capable and ended up having to add a 4Runner to my garage. I’ve been anxiously waiting ever since for the day I could do a 2 for 1 replacement. I was very early on the reservation list for a Bollinger, but when they upped the price from $65-80k to $125k at their official reveal, I bailed and immediately preordered a Rivian R1T. I also looked at the Nikola Badger, but was concerned about hydrogen viability and infrastructure, as well as some of the corporate shenanigans at Nikola. I also really like the new Hummer, which was revealed long after I reserved my Rivian, but the $112k sticker and longer wait has me set on the Rivian. I’m guessing I’ll get my truck in the Oct/Nov timeframe. Can’t wait! I’m hoping they put a service center and experience center in SLC, but I’m guessing that won’t be in the first wave. But we can always hope (and lobby them!).

My needs are comparable to yours except I’m past the kid phase. I have off grid properties in UT, WY, MT and NM that are 5-20 miles down dirt roads. I’m an avid outdoorsman and hunter. I also like to play around on the trails around Moab and the rest of the desert southwest canyons - both in my 4Runner and my SxS. Bottom line is the R1T check’s most if not all of the boxes for me. The biggest concern for me is the lack of 400 mile battery on the LE, and lack of DCFC charging infrastructure in many of the places I need to go. I’m hopeful the latter improvEs quickly to alleviate the issue with the former.

 

[lefkonj]

I chose my R1S because I utilize the space in an SUV routinely. Whether that be for home projects, kids going off to college, scuba diving or any other number of things that a car just won't cut it. I wanted to leave ICE behind me, but the Audi e-tron just doesn't have the range and I am not a fan of the Tesla X or Y. Rivian fits my needs and I am excited to see what happens with all EVs over the next 5 years.

 

[eHauler]

R1S is what I'll get simply for the reason that there's nothing like it.
Where else can we find an all-electric utility that does many traditional SUV things?

 

[KenJ]

Hello, brand new here. My wife and I live in SLC, UT, have 5 little kids and we do just about everything active outdoors that we can with them. We look forward to ski trips, hiking, canyoneering, touring national parks, and camping in the R1S! We reserved the R1S after following with great interest for many years. It will replace our premium-gas-guzzling 2014 Audi Q7. We heavily considered the Model X but it just does not fit our needs. Trunk space is minimal and it isn't exactly built for adventures, to say the least. For one, you can't put a box on top of a car that has gull wings!! We have followed the Model Y's development but it has been plagued with quality issues and while the 7-seat model has been promised and anticipated and prototyped, it has yet to become available and would be a very tight squeeze for our family of 7. I might get a Tesla for my daily commuter, some day. But their off-road capability would be a joke compared to the R1S and I would have to take the R1S if I'm answering a hospital call during Snowmageddon.

Why did we commit to the R1S? I believe in this company's vision, culture, and commitment. I believe the car will deliver on its promise to be dependable with minimal maintenance needs, extremely safe, and extremely capable. Most days, we just need something to cart the kids around from point A to point B on hilly roads sometimes in the snow. (I love that RJ and his kids are giving the R1T a thorough beta test as we speak). But when we're ready for an adventure, we want to be able to pack all 5 kids into the car plus gear and access remote hiking and canyoneering trailheads on sandy dirt roads in Southern Utah and access backcountry skiing (and resort skiing) locations around Salt Lake City.

The design and appearance of the R1S to me is the reincarnation of a Swiss Army Knife as an SUV. Every little nook and cranny has hidden functions and features for your next adventure. Come across a fellow EV in the wilderness with 1% battery? Oh, let's just hook you up with a little juice. Camping with the kiddos and the toddler won't stay in their bag and it's 2am and 35 degrees out? Oh, let me just plug in our mini space heater to the car with an extension cord for a bit. Driving down a narrow dirt road that "feels" like the right path to that canyon you're trying to find and it dead-ends? Oh, let's just turn on tank mode and flip this rig around. And, of course, I can't wait to try putting groceries in the frunk!

Although a lot of competition has suddenly sprung up during Rivian's long, slow, methodical development, I doubt any of these other companies will deliver a more capable or respectable option. In my opinion the only other practical consideration at this time is Tesla, but the culture and feel at Tesla is so different. They are so focused on software and self-driving; in my opinion, Tesla is perfect for the daily commuter who wears a suit and tie and doesn't wander off road, ever, while Rivian is perfect for those of us who choose to live closer to the places we play than the places we work. The idea of Tesla building a truck just doesn't seem to fit the company's image and I don't think Elon Musk would connect with the customer base that Rivian is rapidly building. Yes, I believe Rivian's self-driving software will lag behind Tesla for years, but they have all of the hardware for Level 5 self-driving capability and the over-the-air updates will add functionality. I'm sure RJ and the others have big dreams but they aren't going to over-promise and under-deliver (think Robo-taxis). Instead, he will "let the results speak for themselves."

I would love to hear others' stories. Why did you commit to a Rivian?

I was interested in the R1S until, in the fine print, they noted the 7 seater would not have the larger battery. So far all claims of mileage have been deflated by 10-15% so my guess was the 400 mile range was going to be closer to 350 not bad but I think the magic number will be a true 450 mile range. So when finding out the R1S seven seater would not have the 400 range I was justified the R1T but again that 400 mile range truck will not be out till 2022. So back to waiting and we will see. Rivian is the best looking EV and has awesome capabilities which I love but as already been said they are behind in autonomous driving but so are many other car manufacturers. Tesla is significantly ahead of everyone in that area and if they chose to build a vehicle more comparable to a R1T or R1S Tesla would be able to make one of those much quicker than all the other manufacturers would have in catching up to the Tesla technology, soon to be battery domination, and there charging grid. Tesla’s biggest facility will be in the heartland of the pick-up truck world. Basically a mid size truck like Rivians and a truck like a F-150 would cover (guessing) about 75% of truck sales and that with this quote from CNET
“In April, more buyers purchased trucks than passenger cars for the first time ever in US history. Bloomberg reported on data from Autodata Corporation on Monday that showed pickups outsold cars by just over 17,000 units.May 5, 2020”
would basically be the market to go after in the truck world which would make the company the dominant force in that segment and have a powerful force in vehicle sales all together.
Tesla has the most difficult aspect of the EV market sorted out (technology, charging stations and possibly the battery production with the 48/60 cell). I like Rivian and will wait and see but as of now I think they have a long way to go in the autonomy world and hopefully they are able to get the 48/60 cell type battery (which would greatly help for the room they need to fit in a R1S so it can still be a 7 seater with 400 plus mileage range). So in the end I will buy a Tesla Model X (albeit none of their vehicles look good and that model is the worst design because of the falcon wing doors, but since I rarely need the back seats it is the best one for a midsize CUV/SUV) and will buy a R1T when the 400 mile battery is available and grow with that car as it matures technology wise. If Tesla were to make a normal looking truck or SUV seven seater I would be interested in something like that but then again by that time Rivian could be caught up enough on the technology side to be perfectly happy to stick with that brand. All in all I love the EV model approach and had test drive a model X for about a week and wanted to buy one so bad but back a couple years ago refuse to buy it because of the falcon doors. Looks like I will have to jump that hurdle and move on 🙂

 

[Wtitus3]

I have a 2013 Chevy Volt I bought new. Have 95,000 miles on it. Only trouble it has given me is couple of flat tires -- there is NO spare so basically you need a tow with a flat. What a pain. But truly, other than that, have put a bit of fuel in it, changed the oil in the generator and that's it. I have been waiting for the 300+ range for an EV. As I was evaluating some of the Korean manufacturers, given that I live in Plymouth, Michigan, heard about Rivian and knew that I wanted an R1S with the extended range pack. Reading the forum...learned that they don't plan this for the 7-seater. Hope they change the config before I finalize my options!

 

[Logan]

I envy your 95k miles of experience with an EV. I would've gone electric years ago but I absolutely have to have 4wd where I live. I too have been wondering if I'll want the extended range pack but the drawback to me is the massive weight of that 180kV battery that honestly you will not need unless you're regularly doing road trips.

For example, the 100kWh Tesla battery weighs 625 kg or 1377 pounds. A 180kW battery at the same energy density would weigh 1125 kg or 2480 lb (1.24 tons).

 

[travwill]

Tesla S and X owner here but got rid of them due to quality issues. Never had cars in the shop so much so am going to avoid that brand. Stupid crap like the driver seat coming unbolted right after delivery, leaks, MCU failures, so many things. Prob an aggregate of 100+ days in shop between them.

Like Rivian here due to the size (R1T but comfy for 5). The range (going with max pack). And the what I hope will be strong known quality.

Words of wisdom:
1. Model Y seats 6-7 are utterly unusable.
2. Model X seats 6-7 are almost unusable and not too comfy. Better if you do the 6 seat version at best, but then you lose all of 2nd row fold down cargo utility which sucks.
3. Compared to Rivian, Teslas are actually overpriced.
4. Tesla’s are delicate cars. Won’t last.

 

[eHauler]

Tesla S and X owner here but got rid of them due to quality issues. Never had cars in the shop so much so am going to avoid that brand. Stupid crap like the driver seat coming unbolted right after delivery, leaks, MCU failures, so many things. Prob an aggregate of 100+ days in shop between them.

Like Rivian here due to the size (R1T but comfy for 5). The range (going with max pack). And the what I hope will be strong known quality.

Words of wisdom:
1. Model Y seats 6-7 are utterly unusable.
2. Model X seats 6-7 are almost unusable and not too comfy. Better if you do the 6 seat version at best, but then you lose all of 2nd row fold down cargo utility which sucks.
3. Compared to Rivian, Teslas are actually overpriced.
4. Tesla’s are delicate cars. Won’t last.

I've heard so many stories like that about Tesla, so much that I project conquest sales from them to brands like Rivian will be strong. Rivian might not even have to offer a "conquest incentive" to lure people in. It might also be why Tesla/Musk are finally publicly acknowledging these issues.

In Epically Nerdy Interview, Elon Musk Discusses Build Quality Problems With Engineer Who Compared Model 3 To 'A Kia In The '90s'

Elon Musk is taking accountability for Tesla’s manufacturing failures. He recently sat down with one of Tesla’s biggest build-quality critics, manufacturing expert Sandy Munro, founder of the benchmarking consultancy Munro & Associates. Here’s what Musk had to say about large panel gaps and...

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