You Should Wait to Buy the Rivian R1T for This 1 Key Reason
The Rivian R1T electric pickup truck is a resounding success. It’s the first EV truck to be delivered to customers. Automotive critics have high praise for the R1T, as it recently won the MotorTrend Truck of the Year award. Many electric vehicle shoppers want to buy the R1T. However, you should wait to buy the R1T – and it’s because of one key reason.
Wait to buy the Rivian R1T until the max battery pack is available with a higher driving range
One of the most important things to consider when buying an electric vehicle is the driving range. You want to make sure that an EV has enough driving range to either make it back home or to a charging station. In fact, electric vehicle range is such a big concern that we have a new term to add to the dictionary: range anxiety, or the fear of running out of battery power in an electric vehicle.
With the advancements in EV battery technology, the range of electric vehicles gets better each year. This is also the case with the Rivian R1T. Currently, the R1T offers an electric range of up to 314 miles. While the 314-mile range is better than many other electric vehicles, it is lower than most gas-powered ones.
In the future, though, the driving range of the R1T will improve. Currently, the R1T features a standard battery pack that provides the 314-mile range. However, Rivian developed a max battery pack, which the automaker claims will provide over a 400-mile driving range for the R1T. While the max battery pack is listed on the Rivian R1T configurator site for a price of $10,000, it’s not available for the current R1T models.
Also, once the max battery pack is available, it might be a standard feature for the R1T, so later on, you may not have to pay extra for it. A frequent tactic of automakers is to charge extra for a newly developed feature, but then after a certain amount of time, include it as a standard feature.
If range anxiety is a concern for you, then it’s best for you to wait to buy the R1T until the max battery pack is available.
Wait to buy the R1T until Rivian builds the Rivian Adventure Network of EV charging stations
Expanding on the driving range issue, another reason to wait to buy the Rivian R1T is the Rivian Adventure Network of EV charging stations. Rivian has ambitious plans for the Rivian Adventure Network. The automaker intends to build 3,500+ DC fast chargers at 600 sites by the end of 2023.
The DC fast chargers in the Rivian Adventure Network can add 140 miles of range in 20 minutes to the R1T electric truck and R1S electric SUV. The charging network will connect cities on frequently-traveled routes in the United States and Canada, as well as some remote locations as well. Also, if you join the Rivian Membership program, it’s free to charge your R1T or R1S on a Rivian Adventure Network charging station.
Despite the grand ambitions and vastness of the Rivian Adventure Network, it is nowhere close to being completed. To maximize the full potential of the Rivian Adventure Network, it’s better to wait until its targeted completion date before you buy the R1T. Furthermore, with the recently signed federal infrastructure bill, the number of other EV charging throughout the country will significantly increase in the coming years.
Even if you want a Rivian R1T, it might be a long time before you can buy it
All of this talk about waiting to buy a Rivian R1T is possibly a moot point. This is because you might have to wait a long time before you can buy an R1T and have it delivered to you. Deliveries of the Rivian R1T recently started, and you can make a reservation on the Rivian configurator site for the R1T. However, even if you make a reservation now, you won’t be able to get an R1T anytime soon.
The demand for the R1T is sky high, and production is slow, resulting in a possible two-year wait to get the electric truck. Another factor holding back deliveries of the R1T is Rivian’s contract to build the Rivian Amazon Prime delivery vans for Amazon. It’s a lucrative multi-billion dollar contract and an important factor in the EV automaker’s long-term success. Because of this, Rivian prioritizes building the delivery vans over the production of the R1T and R1S.
The adage, “good things come to those who wait,” applies to the Rivian R1T. The R1T is an exceptional truck, and if you can afford it, I’d recommend buying it. However, it’s better to wait to buy the R1T until you can get the max battery pack with a longer range. Also, if you wait a couple of years to buy the R1T, you can utilize the full capabilities of the Rivian Adventure Network of EV charging stations.
