Lucas Bell 
While the idea of an electric pickup truck would have seemed ridiculous just a decade ago, things have been moving quickly in the auto industry as of late. All three of Detroit’s automakers have confirmed that they’ll be developing electric trucks over the coming years, and several electric automakers like Bollinger, Rivian, and of course Tesla have thrown their hats in the ring as well. Out of all of the segment newcomers however, the Rivian R1T is expected to be the first to arrive to customers in June of 2021. While a select few Rivian buyers should indeed be the first people to own an electric pickup truck, CEO RJ Scaringe says some customers are going to have to years.
The news comes by way of Scaringe himself, who recently made an appearance on Bloomberg Television. During the interview with Ed Ludlow, the auto executive admitted that massive supply constraints will limit production until at least 2023. Rivian is working to expedite this process, though Scaringe noted this timeline was a part of their initial production plan from the beginning.
Rivian has yet to disclose their targeted production figures, nor have they been transparent with their reservation numbers. That said, Bloomberg has reported that the majority of Rivian R1T customers are unlikely to receive their trucks before the first quarter of 2022 based on current production rates. The time of delivery will depend on factors such as when the order was placed, the buyer’s location, and which model was ordered.
One could argue that having too many orders to fill is not a bad problem to have. The Rivian R1T has garnered a huge amount of attention since its initial debut, thanks in no small part to its estimated 400+ miles of range. With financial backing from industrial giants like Ford and Amazon, we’re sure Rivian is going to be able to smooth out these teething issues as they go. The only question is whether or not customers will be willing to wait when options like the GMC Hummer EV or the Electric F-150 hit the market.
