Deliveries of Rivian R1T Truck Delayed to July

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

Rivian was going to pull out a major victory over traditional automakers by being the first to come out with an electric pickup truck. The R1T Launch Edition was supposed to arrive this June, but, as we've come to expect with electric vehicles, the vehicle has been delayed. The limited-edition trim level will now come out in July, one month behind Rivian's original schedule for the truck. After news of the change first surfaced on the Rivian Owners Forum, the automaker confirmed the news on its own site.

Customers Will Have To Wait

Instead of getting their R1T Launched Edition trucks in June, customers that preordered one of the models can now expect to receive their pickups in July. Deliveries of the Launch Edition will be completed by Spring 2022. TechCrunch reports that the delays are due to shipping delays, the ongoing chip shortage, and needing to get the service aspect of the automaker into place.

With Rivian announcing a delay for the R1T pickup truck, we're left to wonder if the automaker will be able to reach its original timeline for the R1S SUV. That model is expected to be delivered to consumers this August. The spokesperson told the outlet that it's working on trying to meet the R1S original schedule.

While Rivian announced the delay for the R1T, the automaker also took some time to announce some new features for the model. The pickup truck will come with an onboard air compressor as a standard feature. The Off-Road Upgrade package is now optional on Launch Edition and Adventure Package trims. This small change should make vehicles $2,000 than before. Consumers will also find new accessories to explore on the automaker's configurator.

Rivian's Still In The Lead

Despite the delay, Rivian will still be the first automaker to come out with an all-electric pickup truck. While competitors like General Motors, Ford, and Tesla have all showcased electric trucks recently, they're mostly targeting 2022 as the initial launch date for their trucks. So, as long as Rivian starts to deliver vehicles before the end of the year, it still has a large lead over everyone else.

Customers also have more things to look forward to in the upcoming months. In August, Rivian will introduce its drive program that will let customers attend a tour event or schedule a test drive at home. Rivian hasn't provided all of the details behind the new program, but we know that Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Seattle, and San Francisco were some of the first cities that Rivian chose to be the first cities to be eligible for the tour.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods