My Mini-Review of Rivian's First Mile Drive in Agua Dulce: Worth Every Penny!
My Mini-Review of First Mile Drive in Agua Dulce
I recently had the opportunity to attend a Rivian event at an inactive private airport located in Agua Dulce, California. I was excited to see the vehicles up close and personal, as I had watched many videos on them prior. There were three trucks on display with different interiors; one with Ocean Forest interior, two black, and no Forest Edge (green) interiors. Additionally, there were six or seven other trucks being used for demo drives that came in various colors such as blue, forest green, white, yellow, silver, and red.
The first thing I noticed when looking at the vehicles was the cost difference between the sensor that people have described produces video quality of an old Toyota backup camera from 10 years ago compared to what is expected of any modern car above $40k. Every little bit helps and considering the Rivian is roughly the same price of a Performance Model Y, it’s a far higher quality vehicle than the Model Y. Tesla might have better tech experience but they certainly cut more corners with their models than Rivian has with theirs.
We don’t know the specs of the hardware yet but if it’s a hardware issue of the camera then there must be a reason for it. It could also just be software programming in how much resolution is transferred based on optimal data transfer limits for multiple camera views at one time. The side views were crystal clear so it would seem odd if they used a different camera resolution for those cameras than for the center cameras. Everyone will have their own opinions about what matters most to them but personally this isn't something I'm concerned about.
Overall, my mini review of First Mile Drive in Agua Dulce was positive and I learned quite a few things about Rivian's vehicles that I didn't know before. From seeing them up close and personal, I can confidently say that these vehicles are worth every penny you pay for them!
How does Rivian discover locations for events?
Rivian utilizes an airplane hangar at an apparently inactive or rarely used private airport.
Are there any SUVs on display?
No, there were only three trucks on display.
Can reservations be made to go to the event and see the Rivian?
Yes, reservations can be made to go to the event and see the Rivian.
What is the difference in cost between a sensor that people are describing produces the video quality of an old Toyota backup camera from 10 years ago and what is expected of any modern car that's above $40k?
Every little bit helps. Considering the Rivian is roughly the same price of a Performance Model Y, it's a far higher quality vehicle than the Model Y. Tesla might have better tech from experience, but they certainly cut a whole heck of a lot more corners with the Model 3/Y than Rivian has with their vehicles.
Is it possible to get a cheaper sensor than the Chilewich one?
As far as I can tell, a representative 13MP CMOS sensor from Sony is less than <$2.
Does a crappy camera impact vehicle usage?
Yes, especially at night. If it actually is a low resolution issue, it could be due to reducing computational effort for Driver+.
Do we know if it's the camera, or the screen or somewhere in between?
It could just be software programming in how much resolution is transferred based on optimal data transfer limits for multiple camera views at one time. It could also just be that it needs some software adjustments.
Has anyone seen the specs of the hardware?
Nobody has seen the specs of the hardware that I'm aware of.
What did you learn from the event?
I learned that Rivian is a company that takes pride in their vehicles and puts a lot of effort into making sure they are up to date with the latest technology. They have a great team that is passionate about what they do and it shows in the quality of their vehicles. I also learned that the camera resolution issue could be due to software programming or hardware specs, but we won't know until more information is released.