The electric automaker will prioritize R1S and R1T trucks and SUVs equipped with the 314-mile ‘Large’ pack for 2022.
Rivian is pushing back production of its electric R1T and R1S trucks and SUVs equipped with the optional 180.0-kWh Max battery pack or Explore package to 2023. The news was revealed in an email sent to customers by the company’s founder and chief executive officer, RJ Scaringe. The email was subsequently posted to Reddit, and a Rivian spokesperson confirmed its authenticity to Car and Driver. In it, Scaringe says the automaker will prioritize the production of R1T and R1S models fitted with the 135.0-kWh Large battery pack and the Adventure package.
The Large battery pack offers up to 314 miles of EPA-rated driving range in the R1T and 316 miles in the R1S. Those figures fall a good deal short of the 400-plus miles of range the Rivian claims the $10,000 Max battery pack will provide for either Rivian vehicle.
Opting for the Explore package slashes $5500 from the price of the R1T and R1S. Whereas the Adventure package includes niceties such as a Meridian premium audio system, wood interior trim, heated and ventilated seats, and a power-operated tonneau cover for the R1T, the Explore package features a lesser audio setup, matte black interior decor, heated but not ventilated seats, and a manually operated tonneau cover for the R1T.
Despite the additional range of the Max battery pack and the cost savings associated with the Explore package, Scaringe notes in his email that the "large majority" of Rivian buyers are opting for R1T and R1S trucks and SUVs with the Large battery pack and the Adventure package anyway, adding that R1T and R1S trucks and SUVs optioned with the Max battery pack make up "approximately 20 [percent] of preorders."
The Rivian CEO goes on to acknowledge the "challenging" aspects of the company’s shifting production schedule for its customers by writing that representatives are planning to reach out to those with preorders for R1T and R1S vehicles with either the Max pack or Explore package. The company wants to "gauge [their] interest in reconfiguring to an Adventure Package with Large pack battery so that [they] can take delivery in 2022," he wrote.
Despite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg’s career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend.
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