The head of the Rivian company called the coronavirus pandemic the main reason for the delay.
The first owners of the Rivian R1T electric pickup trucks were due to receive their vehicles this month. However, they will have to extend their reserve of patience for another couple of months. Chief Executive Officer RJ Scaringe is sympathetic to the hopes of clients but asks them to wait until September, Automotive News reports.
Mr. Scaringe has generally acted openly and honestly. Rivian’s CEO published an open letter outlining the reasons why the first owners of the R1T would have to wait until the fall.
Since customers previously complained about insufficient feedback from the company, Scaringe has reached out to them directly. Thus, he cut down on possible rumors and speculation.
He named COVID-19 as the main culprit for the delay in deliveries. Due to the pandemic, the new plant where Rivian produces the R1T is running out of chips.
“The pandemic has affected everything from the construction of the facility to the installation of equipment and the supply of vehicle components (especially semiconductors).”
Scaringe has also emphasized that his company wants to ensure that vehicles they sell to customers will have no quality problems.
We recall that currently there are only two models in the Rivian model lineup: the R1T pickup and the R1S crossover. An approximate price of the Rivian R1T is $67,500, the Rivian R1S is about $70,000. The final cost is determined directly when ordering.
