Zac Quinn 
Now that the Launch Edition vehicles for Rivian are being delivered, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has sent out an email to Adventure and Explore package reservation holders, which announces the estimated delivery timing windows. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s good news for preorders for the Rivian R1T pickups with the Max Pack battery or those that opted for the Explore Package on their R1S/R1T.
According to InsideEVs, the emails sent to preorder holders states that Rivian will prioritize building the Adventure Package with Large Pack batteries in 2022. The reasoning behind that is because that’s the configuration with the largest number of preorders. The email states that as of December 15th Rivian had around 71,000 preorders for the R1T and R1S in the US and Canada. Of those preorders, 80 percent were configured in the adventure package with a Large Pack battery.
Both the Rivian R1S and Rivian R1T are built in America, at the company’s Normal, Illinois assembly plant.
Rivian R1T and R1S Delays: Details
Meanwhile, RJ Scaringe has also stated that Explore Package preorders and vehicles with a Max pack battery will be built in 2023. Rivian rationalizes the decision by saying: “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.”
Rivian is well aware that the 20 percent of customers with the two delayed configurations will be disappointed and states that those who have placed reservations for these models in 2018 and 2019 will be offered the chance to reconfigure to an Adventure Package with a Large Pack battery in order to take delivery in 2022.
In addition, the American EV maker will be adding clarity to delivery timing in early 2022. They will be introducing a new feature on the Rivian Account Page that will display current delivery timing estimates. The information will be tailored specifically to individual orders with the goal to give accurate, up-to-date details on specific preorders to keep customers informed. In addition, customers who have ordered a R1T Max Pack and Explore Packages will be contacted by Rivian in January so that they can gauge interest in reconfiguring to an Adventure Package with a Large Pack battery.
