As an early adopter myself, I get the attraction of being first in line for the latest gadgets, especially whip-smart electric vehicles loaded with cool tech. Rivian tapped into that ethos perfectly when revealing its R1T pickup concept back in 2018 – an electric truck engineered specifically for adventure.
Fast forward to today with Rivian delivering the first production R1T trucks, and reviews paint a murkier picture. Despite exhilarating performance and head-turning styling, significant issues around reliability, charging, tech gaps, service delays and unmet promises may give truck enthusiasts pause. Here’s my in-depth analysis as an energy systems engineer on if the R1T makes sense for you today or if waiting a model year or two means smoother travels.
Why the Buzz Around the R1T?
As the first startup launching an electric pickup truck, Rivian captured imaginations in a growing but crowded EV truck segment aiming for America’s bestselling vehicle niche.
The R1T brings a lot for tech-focused adventurers to drool over:
- Up to 330 Miles of Range: Plenty for most outdoor weekenders
- 0-60 in 3 Seconds: Quick throttle response for the trail
- 11,000 lb Tow Rating: Serious hauling capability
- 3 Feet of Water Wading Depth: Impressive compared to ICE pickups
- Four Independent Electric Motors: Advanced independent torque vectoring
- Gear Tunnel Storage: Perfect space for gear wet/dirty/smelly
With so much engineering packed in, what’s caused the shaken confidence from once breathless fans about Rivian’s chances to compete long term?
5 Reasons I Would Hold Off on Buying the R1T Today
Based on Rivian’s first year delivering the R1T to actual owners, the truck fails to fully deliver on capabilities expected from a premium electric vehicle in multiple areas – especially one starting at over $70,000.
1. Being a Beta Tester Holds Major Risks
As the inaugural vehicle from the startup, R1T owners become default beta testers identifying issues in real-world conditions so Rivian engineers can diagnose problems and improve future models. But paying $73,000+ to perform unpaid QA work seems unfair.
Reviewers found everything from loose body panels requiring realignment to glitchy onboard computer processors needing complete replacement already. Mechanical gremlins requiring tow trucks morphed from rare occurrences to more common headaches.
Not all faults trace solely to manufacturing though – the complexity of advanced systems like quad motor torque vectoring and air suspension mean most issues will only surface over years and thousands of testing miles. So early adopters experience unavoidable pain.
”I thought maybe the third time would be a charm with getting my R1T fixed, but not so — went over 200 miles today and something is wrong AGAIN.” – Carol D. Rivian Owner Forum
Hopefully once Rivian analyses data from the first ~10k trucks over the next year or two, future models stand better chances of reliable daily use straight from the factory.
2. Terrible Value Starting at Over $73,000
The sticker shock only begins with the $73,000 base price. Bells, whistles and bigger battery upgrades quickly escalate that figure over the $100k threshold. Then ongoing costs like insurance or charging take big bites too – easily surpassing totals for comparable legacy trucks.
| Cost Type | R1T Cost (5 Years) |
|---|---|
| MSRP Base Price | $73,000 |
| Electricity (30k mi) | $4,500 |
| Insurance | $14,000 |
| Moderate Maintenance | $5,000 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | $96,500 |
While Rivians hold their value well currently due to production shortages, long term residuals for first model years remain big question marks — especially if future iterations solve reliability woes hampering today’s trucks.
All that risk bands the R1T as a terrible investment compared to rivals arriving to market soon.
3. Sparse Service Center Network Leaves Many Buyers Stranded
Startup automakers need years to build out national networks supporting maintenance, repair and warranty work. Yet customers experienced serious delays getting needed help already.
Through mid 2023, Rivian lists just six service centers across the sprawling central U.S. – an area almost certainly supplying avid early adopters.[1] Even West Coast owners may log hundreds of miles trucking broken R1Ts if their local center stays overwhelmed juggling backlogs.
Dissatisfaction around limited maintenance support spiked so high that Rivian’s CEO published an open letter to customers vowing expanded service capacity entering 2023:[2]
”We are not yet able to adequately service our existing fleet due to a combination of systems constraints as well as parts availability…it is painfully clear that we were not adequately prepared for the pace of growth in repairs that comes with a rapidly expanding fleet of vehicles.”
Rural owners face the biggest hassles sourcing qualified R1T technicians locally, so thoroughly vet service access before committing to such a big ticket purchase lacking reliable support channels today.
4. Missing Core Pickup Truck Capabilities
While cool gear tunnels delight outdoor aficionados, several baseline truck capabilities come up critically short – namely range, charging rate, driver assistance features and smartphone app functionality.
An analysis by InsideEVs highlights real-world range often landing around just 250 miles for early R1T trucks – despite EPA estimates hovering closer to 330 miles. Clearly insufficient for serious remote adventures or towing heavy loads long distances.
Fast charging also lags well behind upcoming electric trucks promising to restore 200+ miles in just 10-15 minutes. Slow DC fast charging leaves R1T owners enduring hour-plus waits during road trips.
Surprisingly given Rivian’s luxury pricing and positioning, core safety systems like automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning and lane centering failed to make launch capabilities – shocking for any modern vehicle.
Lastly, the much hyped Rivian mobile app disappoints owners through painfully slow responses in remote controlling vehicle functions like locking/unlocking or HVAC temperature preconditioning. Rather than feeling enhanced freedom through connectivity, owners get left frustrated by its half-baked nature.
5. Being Treated Like A Good Friend, Not An Owner
With over 100k preorder holders stretching years back in many cases, Rivian buyers hoped entering the delivery queue would bring satisfaction. What they found instead doubled down on the frustration.
Promised delivery timing estimates get pushed back – often inexplicably so late in the manufacturing process that buyers already transported trades-ins and prepared financing.[3]
Parts shortages cripple repair schedules with wait times ballooning past six months in some cases. One owner gets loaned a Rivian service van while his sits idle for three months awaiting a replacement charging port.[4]
While Rivian delivery specialists talk a great game keeping buyers continually updated with a warm community vibe, the systemic dysfunction around production scheduling, parts/service availability and problem resolution signals an immaturity no amount of friendly tonal branding can mask at this point.
Rather than play guinea pig sorting through Rivian’s persistent teething pains with the R1T, I would invest instead in an electric truck arriving soon from legacy auto titans wielding the manufacturing might to potentially leapfrog Rivian through superior execution.
Here are two trucks I would purchase today instead:
Ford F-150 Lightning
The world’s best selling pickup enters the electric era with cyber punk styling but make no mistake – this represents classic Ford truck ethos weaponized through advanced battery-electric power. With a $52k base price after tax credits and 230 mile standard range (upgradeable to 320 miles), the 2020 F-150 Lightning brings pragmatic capabilities like:
- 10 Power Plugs to Run Tools/Appliances Anywhere
- Mega Power Frunk Carrying Heavy Cargo
- BlueCruise Handsfree Driving Tech
- Home Integration Through FordPass App
Tap into America’s most expansive auto service and support ecosystem by choosing the legendary king of trucks electrified for the next generation.
GMC Hummer EV Pickup
If über-patriotic military styling and off-road theatrics hold more appeal than workhorse essentials, the audacious Hummer EV pickup trucks cinema onto roads soon with azimuth-twisting skills showcasing how driver-focused mechatronics redefine adventure.
Ultium battery packs get centrally integrated into chassis for amazing stability stomping over any obstacle. Striking capability stats like 11,500 lb tow rating and CrabWalk diagonal cross-articulation accentuate that this electrified beast takes no prisoners traversing the untamed wilds.
Expect monster price tags scaling into six figures for some editions when deliveries start in mid 2023 – especially on loaded initial year models. But brandishing the baddest electric truck across rutted terrain makes some costs easier to bear for serious muck enthusiasts.
Swaggering into the fledgling electric truck segment wielding amped expectations around an audacious new vehicle aimed at outdoors adventure junkies thirsting for torquey and sustainable transport set Rivian on a trajectory for unavoidable turbulence.
Delivering remarkable feats of dynamic engineering and notice-me visual magnetism position the R1T for sales success…when supported by manufacturing maturity and service competence catching up to the sunny promises.
So while the R1T may emerge as a category standout after a few years of tuning based on owner feedback, clear challenges still plague the current model around reliability, value, charging and technology gaps. Evaluating later edition R1Ts for purchase as production volumes stabilize seems the prudent path for prospective EV truck buyers today – especially considering rivals like Ford now appearing and champing at the bit striving to outclass Rivian.
Extending patient optimism feels reasonable based on the young company’s trajectory to date. But committing your dollars and daily reliance not yet. Check back in 2024 once teething pains subside for America’s aspirational electric truck startup.
References:
[1] https://rivian.com/support/article/where-are-rivian-service-centers-located[2] https://stories.rivian.com/an-update-on-service [3] https://electrek.co/2022/07/15/rivian-delays-r1t-electric-truck-deliveries-by-months/ [4] https://www.autoevolution.com/news/rivian-nightmare-customer-waited-three-months-for-a-charging-port-replacement-197024.html
