Rivian Delays R1T And R1S Launch

The R1T has been pushed back to September and the R1S to fall.

Rivian has delayed the launch of their first vehicles, the R1T pickup and R1S EUV. Both were set to go on sale this July and August respectively, but that has now been pushed back to September and ‘fall’. In a letter to customers, CEO RJ Scaringe cited the impacts of the pandemic / lockdowns and global semiconductor shortage led to this latest delay. The process of setting up their Normal, Illinois factory and producing Amazon’s delivery van has also had an impact.

“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.”

Rivian’s adventure vehicles, the R1T and R1S, are now available to order with prices starting at $67,500 and $70,000 respectively. What are your thoughts on Rivian? Let us know in the replies section below.

Image via Rivian