Jose Castillo from the YouTube channel RivianTrackr has been the proud proprietor of a quad-motor Rivian R1T since spring 2022. With Might being his two-year possession anniversary, he thought it could be useful for potential patrons to know what to anticipate from the automaker and the truck itself.
Shopping for any car in its first mannequin 12 months could be fraught with hazard, and Jose’s was one of many first 4,000 Rivians on the street. However should you like residing on the sting, then being one of many first homeowners of the primary mannequin from a model new automaker is perhaps the riskiest transfer of all. Simply ask any Fisker Ocean driver what might presumably go incorrect.
However Jose felt snug understanding he was in shut proximity to one of many first Rivian Service Facilities in central Florida. So he at the very least knew that if something went incorrect with this early manufacturing R1T, he wouldn’t have to drive tons of of miles for restore or guarantee work.
Fortunately, the truck has been very dependable to this point, though it has been to the service middle greater than as soon as. The truck’s solely main downside got here from a identified concern with the HVAC system. This was mounted below guarantee, and no different important work has been wanted since then.
Rivian Technical Help additionally shortly solved just a few different minor technical hiccups. After all, not all Rivian homeowners have had such nice experiences, particularly these the place the closest service middle is in one other state solely. So hold that in thoughts if the closest one to you is 100 miles or extra away.
Since he and his spouse do business from home, they’re a one-car household. Earlier than the R1T, Jose drove a 2020 Tesla Mannequin Y LR. The Mannequin Y was a automobile they liked and was principally trouble-free, however that they had just a few points with it that have been by no means resolved.
Probably the most frequent annoyance with the Mannequin Y was a continuing rattling within the passenger door whereas driving. “I took it into Tesla a number of instances. They instructed me they mounted it! However boy, they by no means did.” He ended up having to make a DIY repair to cut back the noise.
On the Rivian, early on, the truck’s entrance drive shaft creaked, however this has since been remedied through a recall. Jose has not skilled any distracting creaks or rattles since then. So at the very least on this entrance, his Rivian’s construct high quality is increased than his earlier Tesla. He’s additionally paying barely much less to insure his R1T than he was to insure the Mannequin Y.
As a consequence of its dimension and flexibility, additionally they choose the utility of the R1T. With the Mannequin Y, they hardly ever ever used the car’s frunk. As a result of the entrance trunk was not powered and is sort of small, it was much less handy than the hatch when loading groceries, baggage, luggage, and many others.
Nevertheless, with the R1T, the couple finds themselves utilizing the frunk on a regular basis. It’s powered and has practically 3 times the capability of the Mannequin Y’s. “You may put a lot in there,” He explains. “I do know individuals on the market who go ‘Oh nobody makes use of the entrance trunk of their EVs’ (however) I name B.S. on that. I really like my entrance trunk.”
The other is true of the gear tunnel, which he makes use of lower than anticipated. Nonetheless, it’s nice for journeys to the seashore, being an easy-to-clean storage spot for umbrellas, chairs, towels, sandals, and different sandy equipment.
He had one concern about switching from the Tesla to Rivian: shedding entry to Tesla’s Supercharger community when touring. Fortunately, utilizing non-Tesla charging networks was not a giant concern and issues have been rare. However points got here simply typically sufficient to trigger actual anxiousness.
“More often than not, it was simply being involved ‘Oh my god, am I going to have to attend? Will this charger work? Is it going to be derated?’ (…) However then you definately bought there, and you charged, and it was tremendous.” Nonetheless, Jose prefers Tesla’s community. So now that Rivian homeowners have entry, he prioritizes charging at Superchargers over ones like Chargepoint and Electrify America.
One space the place Rivian excels is within the vary estimates. “Rivian has actually stepped up their sport. Their guess-o-meter has gotten good at fairly precisely predicting your vary while you arrive.” He says that the present Rivian software program begins every journey with a fairly conservative estimate fairly than an optimistic one, then adjusts as you drive. He’ll regularly arrive at his vacation spot with rather more mileage than the truck estimated initially.
On the flip aspect, the telephone unlocking can generally be unreliable. Whereas it has improved over time, connectivity failures nonetheless pop up on the most inconvenient instances when you’re in a rush, carrying heavy objects or standing within the rain. This is a flaw shared along with his earlier car, the Mannequin Y.
So far as car efficiency, Jose went with the quad-motor and loves its off-road efficiency, he says it’s overkill for many patrons. “The twin-motor variant is phenomenal (…) I suppose the dual-motor variant is the only option for 95% of householders, however I really like the quad-motor.”
His solely main remorse is with the inside and exterior coloration. By taking supply sooner than initially scheduled, he was restricted in his inside and exterior choices, going with black paint and a black inside. So, he just lately lined the truck within the satin purple wrap seen within the video.
“I actually bought bored with black. Black is actually arduous to take care of as a coloration.” If he have been to do it once more, he would possible go for Rivian Blue or Compass Yellow with the Ocean Coast inside.
It’s at all times fascinating to listen to from homeowners about their particular use circumstances and what they like and dislike a few car. Try the total video if you are contemplating including a Rivian to your loved ones fleet. And if you’re a Rivian R1T driver, does Jose’s expertise match up with your individual? Tell us within the feedback under.
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