Customers expecting a new Rivian R1T launch edition will have to wait another month.
The Rivian Owners Forum spotted a recent change to Rivian’s launch schedule, as posted on the automaker’s own update site. In that same post, Rivian told its preorder holders to expect Launch Edition deliveries to be completed by Spring 2022.
This news comes after another announcement when it opened preorders last summer, telling them to expect deliveries beginning in June 2021. The Rivian R1S SUV will follow, with those deliveries starting in August. A few different factors contributed to the month-long postponement, but the ongoing chip shortage and shipping delays within an industry still trying to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic top the list. Rivian also shut down its factory last year in lockstep with most other automakers, and that likely didn’t help matters.
Even with the longer wait, it seems the Rivian R1T will still emerge as the first mass-production electric truck to market. Lordstown Motors is still aiming for a Fall 2021 launch despite slashing their production, and the Tesla Cybertruck will not start production until later this year. The recently revealed Ford F-150 Lightning won’t arrive until next spring.
Rivian “Drive Program” coming this August
If you’re a preorder customer and interested in getting to drive the R1T ahead of the actual delivery, Rivian also plans to put on a “Drive Program” in select cities beginning in August. The company will hit the big cities — Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Detroit and Seattle among them — before announcing more locations at a later date. Beyond hitting one of the tour dates, another option for the drive program is an at-home drive. There, you’ll be able to set a date and time to try the vehicle out, and they will bring it to you.
