Experiencing Houston Delivery and a Great Test Drive of My Rivian R1T on Monday
Houston Delivery on Monday
It was an exciting moment when I received my Rivian R1T on Monday. After ordering it in December 2019, I had a Guide assigned to me two weeks ago and had the chance to test drive it last weekend before delivery. The whole process of getting the truck was great and definitely worth the wait. My launch green R1T came with Forest Edge interior, Adventure package with racks and 20” AT tires.
The test drive experience was incredible. It took some time to get used to the stopping power but that became normal after 15 minutes. The driver support feature could have been better though; it is similar to our new Forrester but not at the Tesla level. This is expected to be pushed as an update later. There's no need for ludicrous mode either since the truck is ready to go all the time. It also has varying suspension modes so you can adjust according to different conditions.
I prepared a 220 NEMA 14-50 plug for charging but unfortunately, the rapid charger from Rivian did not come with delivery. Fortunately, it arrived this week and I tested it out last night. It worked fine and the truck is spectacular! To make things even better, rails and bike rack were shipped on Friday.
Charging speed on a 220V standard plug in my garage gives 13.7 mph while 110v gives less than 1 mph charge rate which is not really useful unless there's no other option available. Everything else works great including the camp speaker which is comparable to my Bose 3. As for home charging setup, I put a Grizzle at my lake place and a Rivian charger at home both set on max settings for 50 amp service giving 21 miles per hour charge rate on average.
All in all, it was a great delivery experience and I am very satisfied with my Rivian R1T so far!
What kind of R1T did you get?
I got a Launch Green with Forest Edge interior, Adventure package with racks and 20” AT tires.
How was your test drive experience?
The test drive was incredible. The stopping takes a little getting used too, but it’s becomes normal in 15 minutes. The driver support was the only minor disappointment. It’s similar to our new Forrester and not at the Tesla level. That’s expected to be pushed as an update later. No ludicrous mode needed, it’s ready to go all the time. The varying suspension modes are great. You can be a 911 or a Gladiator depending on conditions.
What is your home charging setup like?
I have 220 nema 14-50 installed and waiting on the rapid charger from Rivian. It didn’t come with the delivery, but it's supposed to be here this week. The plug I have worked fine last night.
Does the Rivian charger need to be hardwired?
Yes, the Rivian charger does not come with a plug, it just comes with a bare terminal block. It is designed to be hardwired - that's all from the installation manual that Rivian provides. You can add a plug if you want, as long as you set the DIP switches inside the charger appropriately to limit the current to 40A instead of the default 48A. And of course you have to procure your own pigtail and make sure its length is less than 12" as required by code. If you have an electrician do the work then I'm sure it will be fine.
How fast is your home charging rate?
I am getting 13.7 mph on the 220V standard plug in my garage and 21 miles per hour charge rate on average with both Grizzle and Rivian chargers on max settings for 50 amp service. I have a 100 amp service, so I can get up to 40 mph charge rate if I upgrade the charger.
When will your R1T be delivered?
My R1T is scheduled for delivery on Monday. I'm really excited and can't wait to take it out for a spin!