After news that deliveries had been postponed by a month from the original target, the Rivian R1T electric pickup has been delayed yet again, with the truck now set to reach customers in September.
As is the case with many other auto manufacturers, this delay was brought on by both the pandemic and the ongoing chip shortage, but those setbacks are likely affecting smaller companies like Rivian disproportionately more than the automotive giants of Ford, GM, and the like.
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In a letter sent to reservation-holders this Friday, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said: “There are many reasons why our production ramp is taking longer than expected. The cascading impacts of the pandemic have had a compounding effect greater than anyone anticipated. Everything from facility construction, to equipment installation, to vehicle component supply (especially semiconductors) has been impacted by the pandemic. Beyond these unforeseen challenges, launching three new vehicles while setting up a multi-vehicle manufacturing plant is a complex orchestra of coordinated and interlinked activities where small issues can translate into ramp delays.”
The company also faces the challenge of producing not only three different vehicles in the same plant, but also vehicles for two different markets, with the R1T and R1S for regular consumers, and the delivery vans for commercial applications. While the two production lines in their Normal, Illinois factory are separate, they are still making sure the consumer vehicles are meeting all the proper quality control standards.
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Regarding that, Scaringe also wrote: “We have now built hundreds of vehicles as part of our validation process, with many of those spotted out in the wild covered in unique vinyl wraps. I have been asked why we aren’t delivering those vehicles or why we continue to test rather than deliver. We believe it is critical to both our long-term success and your ultimate satisfaction that the quality and robustness of our launch products truly sets the tone for what to expect from us as a brand.”
This delay will also affect the rollout of the R1S electric SUV, which will see deliveries begin shortly after in the fall.
