Photo: Rivian
It can’t be fun being a Rivian customer with an R1T reservation these days, as the company sent out a recent email informing future owners about the changes being made to the model’s powered tonneau cover.
“We recently shared with R1T owners that we are upgrading the powered tonneau cover. As we go through the process, we are removing the powered tonneau cover from production. We plan to re-introduce this feature later, but a date has not been set.”
Buyers who have opted for the powered cover will have to update their order, having to choose between either a manual tonneau cover or none whatsoever.
“It’s important to note this choice will not impact your delivery timing estimate,” the email continues. That said, buyers taking delivery of their R1T soon will receive the interlocking panels making up the cover at a later date – if they opt for a manual one, that is.
While it’s good to know the issue isn’t impacting delivery times, it must be pretty frustrating reading that email. And here’s another thing that sounds even more frustrating: as Rivian Forums user hilld added, there’s no option to upgrade to a powered cover later.
“Just heard this on the chat: Retrofit is not possible. You will not have the option to add the powered cover later. It is manual or nothing. Those are the choices. Once the new powered covers are available again, then you can order it again.”
In other words, people taking deliveries between now and when powered covers are upgraded are basically stuck. The only other possible option might be canceling, then ordering an R1T again when the feature becomes available…which is who knows when.
The scenario seems so outrageous that some users even went as far as claiming the company is doing it on purpose, so that “pre March orders will just give up and cancel.” One thing remains certain: no more powered tonneau covers for the R1T, unfortunately. For now.
Buyers who have opted for the powered cover will have to update their order, having to choose between either a manual tonneau cover or none whatsoever.
“It’s important to note this choice will not impact your delivery timing estimate,” the email continues. That said, buyers taking delivery of their R1T soon will receive the interlocking panels making up the cover at a later date – if they opt for a manual one, that is.
While it’s good to know the issue isn’t impacting delivery times, it must be pretty frustrating reading that email. And here’s another thing that sounds even more frustrating: as Rivian Forums user hilld added, there’s no option to upgrade to a powered cover later.
“Just heard this on the chat: Retrofit is not possible. You will not have the option to add the powered cover later. It is manual or nothing. Those are the choices. Once the new powered covers are available again, then you can order it again.”
In other words, people taking deliveries between now and when powered covers are upgraded are basically stuck. The only other possible option might be canceling, then ordering an R1T again when the feature becomes available…which is who knows when.
The scenario seems so outrageous that some users even went as far as claiming the company is doing it on purpose, so that “pre March orders will just give up and cancel.” One thing remains certain: no more powered tonneau covers for the R1T, unfortunately. For now.
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