In the world of successful EV companies, Rivian is slowly creeping toward the top spots. Even though it’s just a startup that still bleeds money, the automaker’s products are so good that they are now wanted even by Europeans. That’s an impressive achievement for the brand, considering that over the pond people have a plethora of zero-tailpipe emission cars to choose from.
Scoring a win in the automotive industry as a young player is unbelievably hard. It requires a mountain of money, a ton of skilled people, and serious partners to pull it off. However, Tesla’s ambition to succeed and its inspiring wins have led to other brands coming out of the shadows. A good example in this respect is Rivian and its R1T, R1S, and EDV models. Gaining the trust of investors and prospective customers after earning Amazon’s backing, the Irvine-based brand quickly became a symbol of American prowess.
But, as with any company, there were a couple of hiccups on the road to this mild success Rivian is currently enjoying. The pricing policy changed on multiple occasions, and that angered many prospective buyers who were waiting to sign the almighty binding acquisition document.
Moreover, some amazing features, like the tank turn, got canceled and trims were reshuffled, while a couple of cool accessories like the camp kitchen are still missing. Keep in mind that this was happening right as the brand was selling its vehicles for $70,000 - $80,000 and flippers were auctioning them for over $135,000. Plus, the brand had to do a major recall because of the “whompy wheels syndrome,” and most recently, owners are finding out that good software is paramount for a battery-electric vehicle (BEV). Reliability comes into play with over-the-air (OTA) updates, which can add novelties or mess up existing settings.
But despite these hurdles, Rivian remained on top because its all-electric pickup truck and SUV have proven themselves to be good products. Influencers, reviewers, and owners did not have that many bad things to say about the R1T and R1S.
Photo: Michael Ewig on Twitter
Besides, a couple of Amazon employees shared their experiences, and that helped boost the morale and confidence of everyone involved in the Rivian universe.
That may be why a Rivian R1S already landed in Europe after less than a year since we’ve seen a couple of units reaching Africa and the Middle East. Initially, we believed this was a unit brought by Sixt to test out before getting a large batch of these vehicles over the pond. However, it appears the deal might not go through because the SUV in question is heading to a private owner.
The R1S went through a couple of auctions and exchanged some owners before arriving at an Infiniti dealer located in Naples, Florida. From there, it found a buyer located in Warsaw, Poland, who plans on using this vehicle as a personal means of transport. The three-row vehicle is suitable for families and can fit in most parking lots found on the Old Continent, thanks to its shorter wheelbase.
According to local sources, the Rivian is being temporarily held in Frankfurt, Germany, because it cannot be properly charged in Europe yet. The SUV has the CCS Type 1 port while European EVs use the CCS Type 2 port. As reported by people familiar with the unit’s situation, the owner is currently waiting for an adapter that’ll enable them to use the R1S without any issues.
Finally, Rivian should keep in touch with this fan and learn as much as it can from their experience. The data might become pretty valuable if the American automaker decides to expand its operations. It should also get in touch with the few Europeans who are already sitting behind the wheel of an imported R1T.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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