Rivian: An Impressive Electric Vehicle Manufacturer with Great Range and Customer Service
Rivian recently delivered a R1T to an owner in Denver, Colorado. Despite being outside of the delivery area, they were able to arrange pickup at their service center. The vehicle was equipped with Rivian Blue paint, black mountain interior, and 20” black off road wheels and tires.
The delivery team was friendly and went over as much as the customer wanted them to before the customer took off on a 500 mile trip to Southern Utah. On the journey, the customer experienced 300 miles range when not carrying anything extra on the hitch and 240 miles range when carrying a bike and carrier.
Rivian's highway assist system is similar to Tesla's Auto Pilot but only available on major interstate highways for now. It will be continuously expanding and improving as more of the roadways are mapped out and driven by Rivian owners. Charging stations in Moab were readily available and it took about an hour to get from 20 something to 70% charge on a fast charger or 5 hours on a level 2 charger.
Overall, Rivian has been delivering vehicles quickly and efficiently despite any challenges that arise due to Covid-19. The customer had a great experience with the delivery team who were accommodating and helpful throughout the process. With its impressive range capabilities, highway assist system, and charging options, Rivian is proving itself to be one of the top electric vehicle manufacturers in the industry.
The customer was able to take advantage of the Rivian Adventure Network, which offers discounts on camping and outdoor activities. They were also able to use their vehicle for off-roading in Moab with no issues. The R1T handled well over rocks and sand, even when carrying a bike rack on the back.
Rivian's customer service is top notch as they are always available via phone or email if any questions arise during ownership. They have been very responsive to all inquiries from owners and potential customers alike. With its impressive range capabilities, highway assist system, charging options, adventure network discounts and great customer service it’s easy to see why so many people are choosing Rivian vehicles!
What model of Rivian did you pre-order?
I pre-ordered a Rivian Blue, black mountain interior, 20” black off road wheels and tires.
When did you pre-order it?
My pre-order was in January 2020.
When did you receive your first call from your guide?
I got my first call from my guide in early March.
How did you arrange for pickup at the service center?
Since I am outside of their delivery area (Crested Butte, Colorado), they said they’d let me arrange for pickup at their service center. Within a week, the dummy VIN they gave me for insurance quoting changed to my actual VIN, and my guide said my vehicle had arrived in Denver with about 40 others. I took the first available “delivery” date after changing my delivery address to the address of the service center.
How was the delivery experience?
The delivery team was super-friendly, and went over as much as I wanted them to. They let me out of there after a brief walk through since I planned to immediately drive it 500 miles to southern Utah.
Are charging stations readily available in Moab?
Yes, there are charging stations available in Moab. I saw a lot of charging options online. Even better, Rocky Mountain Power across from Swany Park has a free ChargePoint DC fast charger in their lot, as well as a slower one (level 2?).
What is the difference between highway assist and cruise control?
Adaptive cruise control is the system that was seeing errors with bright lights/setting sun. Rivian doesn’t have Auto Pilot, it has highway assist. It has similar functions as it steers the vehicle for you but is only available on major interstate highways.
Is charging faster with a larger battery when starting with less than 50% charge?
Yes, charging is usually faster with a larger battery when starting with less than 50% charge. It tapers as the battery gets full of electrons. But if the charging station is level 1 or level 2 and not direct DC level 3, charging will be pretty slow no matter what.
What kind of range were you experiencing when driving between 75-80mph?
Before putting my bike and carrier on the hitch in Boulder, Utah..(yes…a different Boulder), I was experiencing just about 3 miles range for every 1 percent of battery spent, equaling 300 miles range. When I put the bike on the back, wheels both extending past the sides a bit and adding drag, that dropped to about 2.4 miles for every 1 percent. That was both on I70 and on Hwy 50 between Grand Junction and Montrose.