Rivian sends out a letter to its R1T reservation holders. It says that customers can now choose between a manual tonneau cover or no cover at all. The changes come as the company upgrades the powered version.
Rivian is a relatively young American automaker that began delivering its flagship EV, the R1T pickup, about a year ago. The growing pains that coincide with any startup working to ramp up to scaled production hit Rivian early and hard, on top of global supply chain constraints for vital EV components. To combat these issues, the company briefly raised its prices in late 2021 but backtracked after a mass exodus of reservation holders and much backlash from the Rivian community.
The company reported a $1.5 billion loss in Q1 of 2022 but has continued to show scaled progress in R1T and R1S production throughout the year. Q3 showed its largest production growth to date, successfully building over 7,300 EVs. While Rivian continues to grow by restructuring its business and assembly practices, it looks like it has added a redesign of its powered tonneau cover to its to-do list.
The new version
The text from Rivian includes, “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. For the foreseeable future, all R1Ts will come with either a manual tonneau cover or no tonneau cover.”
They further added that the timing of the delivery will not be altered and the vehicle will be delivered at the same earlier time. The company described the new update as “Our manual tonneau cover is comprised of four interlocking panels constructed of a durable aluminum composite that slide in and out of the bed’s integrated side rails. When not in use, the panels store in a cargo bag and fit easily in the Gear Tunnel. The manual tonneau cover is fully lockable and offers protection against light weather. If you are taking delivery soon, your panels will ship later. Our current estimate is early 2023. Photos and a full demonstration of the manual tonneau cover will be shared before then.”
For customers who decide to opt for the no tonneau cover, “vehicles delivered in the next few months will include the integrated side rails in the bed. In early 2023, we will transition to a design without the integrated side rails.”
