Rivian R1S, R1T Deliveries Pushed Back To September

July 19, 2021 7:37 am

Last summer, Ford-backed upstart EV maker Rivian announced that it would begin deliveries of its R1T pickup this June, with deliveries of the Rivian R1S SUV following in August. However, the automaker revealed this past May that it would be delaying deliveries of the R1T Launch Edition until July. And now that July has arrived, Rivian has announced yet another delay for both the R1S and R1T, which now won’t be delivered until September.

“Everything from facility construction to equipment installation to vehicle component supply (especially semiconductors) has been impacted by the pandemic,” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said in a letter sent out to order holders. “Beyond these unforeseen challenges, launching three new vehicles while setting up a multi-vehicle manufacturing plant is a complex orchestra of coordinated and interlinked activities where small issues can translate into ramp delays.”

Scaringe also pointed out that Rivian has built hundreds of pre-production models, but the automaker doesn’t want to rush the production of customer vehicles, preferring to take its time and hopefully avoid any potential problems that frequently plague new vehicle launches. “It is critical to both our long-term success and your ultimate satisfaction that the quality and robustness of our launch products truly sets the tone for what to expect from us as a brand,” Scaringe said.

Rivian expects deliveries of the R1T Launch Edition to be completed by Spring 2022, while all Rivian R1S and R1T Launch Edition customers will hear from their personal guide by the end of November with expected delivery timing.

As far as non-launch edition models go, it’s hard to tell just how long it might be before pre-order holders take delivery. Rivian previously stated that both the R1T and R1S would only be available in extremely limited quantities through 2023, mainly due to supply constraints.

We’ll have more on Rivian very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Rivian news and non-stop Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.