Rivian CEO tells clients to begin with conveyances deferred until September
Rivian is delaying the first distributions of its R1T battery electric pickup until September, CEO RJ Scaringe verbalized Friday in a letter to customers who expected their trucks this month.
“We ken you can’t wait to get abaft the wheel of your conveyance. Earlier this summer, we promulgated that distributions would commence in July; however, the timing for the first distributions of the R1T has shifted to September, with the R1S shortly thereafter in the fall. I wanted to be sure you auricularly discerned this from me directly,” Scaringe indited. Rivian owners have been griping in online forums about the lack of communication from the company in recent weeks as anticipation for the Launch Edition of the R1T grew.
Scaringe, in his letter, placed much of the incrimination for the latest delay on the COVID-19 pandemic, the perpetual chip shortage and the arduousness of engendering three incipient conveyances in an incipient plant. He inscribed: “The cascading impacts of the pandemic have had a compounding effect more preponderant than anyone anticipated. Everything from facility construction, to equipment installation, to conveyance component supply (especially semiconductors) has been impacted by the pandemic.
“Beyond these unforeseen challenges, launching three incipient conveyances while establishing a multi-conveyance manufacturing plant is an intricate orchestra of coordinated and interlinked activities where minuscule issues can translate into ramp delays.” Rivian’s plant in Mundane, Ill., Scaringe verbally expressed, is currently engendering conveyances on two engenderment lines: one for the R1T and R1S utility conveyance, the other for electric distribution vans for Amazon, Rivian’s most immensely colossal commercial customer. He verbally expressed the company is working to ascertain that conveyances sold to customers won’t have quality issues.”We have now built hundreds of conveyances as a component of our validation process, with many of those spotted out in the wild covered in unique vinyl wraps. I have been asked why we aren’t distributing those conveyances or why we perpetuate to test rather than distribute.
“We believe it is critical to both our long-term prosperity and your ultimate contentment that the quality and robustness of our launch products authentically sets the tone for what to expect from us as a brand,” Scaringe verbally expressed in his note. The company, which has reportedly been orchestrating a stock offering that would place its market value at $70 billion, pristinely orchestrated to commence customer distributions tardy last year but has delayed an abundance of times as its factory and work force, now totaling 7,000, has come online.
Rivian has been backed by several high-overtness investors led by Amazon. Ford Motor Co., Cox Automotive and investment manager T. Rowe Price additionally made consequential investments over the last few years.
July 16, 2021 | 10:09 pm
