In a recent letter to current reservation owners of the R1T, Rivian said it will stop producing and installing electric tonneau covers on all future deliveries. Those reservation owners can now choose between a manual tonneau cover or no cover while Rivian “upgrades” the powered version. Click here for details.
Update: A Rivian spokesperson released the following statement regarding the matter:
In September, we shared our plans to upgrade the powered tonneau cover to R1T owners. (See email and support center article for details.) As we move forward in the process, we are removing the existing electric tonneau cover from production. Today, we notified affected pre-order customers of the R1T and offered them the option to choose between no tonneau cover and a manual tonneau cover to ensure delivery as soon as possible.
Pre-orders of Launch Edition R1T will receive a price adjustment based on their selection. This can be verified later through the configurator. Adventurer Package R1T pre-orders with a powered tonneau cover configured can change their selections on their account page. Selection does not affect delivery timing.
For more information, see this Support Center article. This article contains the same information that was emailed directly to affected customers.
Rivian ($RIVN) is a relatively young American automaker that started offering its flagship EV, the R1T pickup, about a year ago. Global supply of critical EV components Constraints in his chain, plus growing pains consistent with start-ups working to ramp up to large-scale production, hit Rivian hard early on. rice field.
To address these issues, the company temporarily raised prices in the second half of 2021, but pulled back after a massive outflow of reservation holders and much backlash from the Rivian community. .
The company reported a loss of $1.5 billion in the first quarter of 2022, but continues to show massive progress throughout the year in R1T and R1S production. The third quarter saw the largest production increase ever, with over 7,300 EVs successfully built.
Rivian continues to grow by restructuring its business and assembly practices, but it looks like it’s added a redesign of its electric tonneau cover to its to-do list.
A letter to Rivian customers about power tonneau covers
hat tips to Rivian Forum Member MountainBikeDude shared a letter he received from Rivian regarding the complete discontinuation of powered tonneau cover production. This post is corroborated by multiple other forums her members sending their own versions of the same digital letter, suggesting that this notice may have been sent to all current R1T reservation holders of hers. presumed to be high. Here is the full text:
I recently shared with an R1T owner that I was upgrading my power tonneau cover. As we move forward in the process, we are removing the powered tonneau cover from production. We plan to reintroduce this feature later, but no date has been set. In the near future, all R1Ts will come with either a manual tonneau cover or no tonneau cover.
Since you have selected a powered tonneau cover, you will need to update your configuration to either a manual tonneau cover or no tonneau cover. Please note that this selection will not affect delivery timing estimates scheduled for later this month.
Our manual tonneau cover consists of four interlocking panels constructed from a durable aluminum composite that slide in and out of the bed’s integrated side rails. When not in use, the panel stows in your cargo bag and fits easily in your gear tunnel. The manual tonneau cover is fully lockable and offers protection from inclement weather. If you receive immediate delivery, the panels will be shipped later. Our current estimate is early 2023 for him. Photos and a full demonstration of the manual tonneau cover will be shared by then.
If you choose no tonneau cover, vehicles delivered in the next few months will include side rails integrated into the bed. In early 2023, we will move to a design without integrated siderails. Note that driving the R1T without a tonneau cover has little or no effect on range when the bed is empty.
If you have any questions about this update, our team is here to help. Please feel free to contact us.
Tony Caravano
Head of Customer Engagement, Rivian
Rivian didn’t share why they updated the powered tonneau cover. Rivian has not yet responded to a request for comment. We will update this story when we know more.
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