Rivian has clarified the timeline for the R1T electric van and R1S electric SUV, and the vehicles are delaying a little longer than expected.
Earlier this year, we reported on how the pandemic fueled Rivian’s first vehicle deliveries from late 2020 to 2021.
While the automaker confirmed the delay until next year, they would not clarify to what extent in 2021 they plan to deliver the new vehicles.
Rivian has now released an update for reservation holders with a clear timeline:
- Deliveries of R1T will begin in June 2021
- Deliveries of R1S will begin in August 2021
The automaker says it feels comfortable announcing the timeline after officially launching its pilot production line this week:
“This week at our plant in Normal, IL, the work of thousands of Rivian team members comes together when our pilot production line begins operating.”
Rivian bought the blind factory from Mitsubishi in Normal, Illinois a while ago and has been adapting it for electric vehicle production.
Rivian added in a message to reservation holders today:
“Keeping our team safe as we progress has been our top priority in recent months. We look forward to sharing more updates soon, including details on the vehicle’s key features, the date you can configure your R1T or R1S, as well as our plans for our charging network. “
Last month, Electrek reported on Rivian’s plan to build the ‘Rivian Adventure Network’, a new fast-charging network.
Rivian previously announced that he will stick to his original 2021 timeline for Amazon’s first electric delivery vans.
According to the specifications released at launch in 2018, the R1T is equipped with 4 electric motors, each with a power capacity of 147 kW at the wheel, while the total output power can be configured in different levels from 300 kW to 562 kW (input to gearbox).
Different power levels match different battery pack options, which are another impressive feature as they have the largest capacity of any other electric passenger vehicle – 105 kWh, 135 kWh, and 180 kWh.
Rivian says it will translate to “over 230 miles, over 300 miles, and over 400 miles” of range with a full charge.
They are talking about a charging speed of up to 160 kW at fast charging stations and an 11 kW on-board charger for level 2 charging.
It has a towing capacity with a trailer weight rating of 5,000 kg, that’s 11,000 lbs.
Rivian announced that the vehicle will start at $ 69,000 before incentives, but after Tesla announced the Cybertruck with similar specifications for much cheaper, the company said it will lower its price.
The taking of Electrek
We thought for a while that Rivian might end up on the market first with an electric van, but this delay is longer than we expected.
It is now placed at the same time as or just before the Tesla, Ford, and GM electric trucks.
The competition will be fierce, but it will be an exciting time for the segment in the United States.
I honestly can’t wait. This kind of competition for the most lucrative segment of cars that turns electric will be fascinating to cover.
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