TIOT Iss.3 - It's time to discontinue the Rivian R1S.
On April 22nd of this year, Rivian announced that it had started production of the brand-new R2 and would begin delivering the vehicle later in the spring. Even though customers haven't received their vehicles just yet, a few car influencers have been granted early access to share their initial thoughts with the public (where was my invite, Scaringe?). From what has been shown on the internet so far, this vehicle seems like it's going to be a smash hit.
Some of the vehicle's strengths include a starting price under $60,000, even for the highest performance trim. It delivers an impressive level of performance for its class, with the performance version accelerating from 0-60 mph in as little as 3.6 seconds. The R2 is a little smaller than its predecessor but still offers real practicality, including usable storage in the frunk and a rear window that rolls down (a feature not available on the standard trim). All of this makes me excited to review the vehicle when it becomes available to the public, and it also raises the question of where the R2 fits within the Rivian lineup.
And that's where things get interesting... the R2 isn't just another addition to the lineup, it may be Rivian's new centerpiece. With the combination of price, performance, and practicality, it's worth considering how the R2 might reshape the hierarchy within Rivian's current lineup. While the R1T stands apart with its distinct pickup truck design, the R1S shares a lot in common with the R2, and in some areas, even falls short. Notably, the R1S lacks features like a traditional glovebox and Rivian's newer Haptic Halo steering wheel controls, both of which are present in the R2. I believe it's time for Rivian to fully commit to its future products and stop producing the R1S now to cement a brighter future and stronger product line for the brand.
I can’t even take credit for this idea, as we saw earlier this year with Tesla's discontinuation of the Model S and X. I can only assume that an older model with fewer features and a similar style will sell far worse for Rivian than even the Model X did for Tesla. The best business decision would be for Rivian to stop production on the R1S and start production on the R2 to meet the demand from customers faster and reallocate the RS1's current resources towards future vehicle development especially with promising vehicles like the R3 and R3X on the horizon.
Tell me what you think though. Would you sacrifice the R1S just to get a R3 into production faster? What about the R1S itself? Are there any other reasons you can think of to keep it alive in a world where the R1T and R2 exist that I might have missed? I'm curious to see if y'all have anything to say, and I will catch you next Tuesday!
