Rivian will delay the construction of R1T and R1S vehicles with “Max” battery packs until 2023, according to a letter to customers sent out by its CEO, R.J. Scaringe. For 2022, he said, the company will focus instead on vehicles fitted with the “Large” battery pack.
The Max pack battery is expected to offer more than 400 miles (644 km) per charge but only makes up about a fifth of the 71,000 pre-orders the company has received so far in the U.S. and Canada, per the letter. In order to build as efficiently as possible, the company will focus on vehicles ordered with the Large pack, which offers a range of 314 miles (505 km).
“In order to serve the largest number of preorder holders, we will be prioritizing building the Adventure Package with Large pack battery during the next year,” wrote Scaringe in a letter posted by Reddit user u/oldhouse98. “In setting our delivery timing, we optimized our build sequence around the build combination that would support us ramping as quickly as possible and therefore have the largest possible positive climate impact.”
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Scaringe added that Rivian will reach out to those customers who pre-ordered “Max pack” vehicles in January to gauge their interest in configuring a new vehicle “so that [they] can take delivery in 2022.” According to his figures, that should amount to a little more than 14,000 customers.
Rivian will also add a new feature on its website that will give customers ordering a new vehicle an estimate of when it will be delivered.
“The information will be tailored specifically to you and the exact vehicle you configured,” wrote Scaringe. “Our goal is to give you accurate, up-to-date details about your specific preorder so you can better plan and stay more informed.”
Although Rivian’s EVs have been the subject of much excitement and critical acclaim, getting them to market has been a slow process. The company initially intended to deliver its first vehicles in 2020 but the pandemic and commitments to its corporate customers have made things difficult for the startup. The company, though, managed to deliver its first R1T pickups to customers in September and its first R1S SUV in December.
