Rivian delays first deliveries of R1T electric pickup truck, starts contacting buyers

Rivian is preparing its buyers for the first deliveries of its R1T electric pickup truck, which the automaker has now confirmed will be delayed to July.

There’s currently a race to bring electric pickup trucks to the US market.

Pickups are the best-selling vehicles in the US, and the electrification of the segment is expected to greatly accelerate EV adoption in the market.

It’s also going to disrupt the very lucrative segment, which is putting a lot of eyes on the first electric pickup trucks.

Rivian, even as a startup that hasn’t delivered anything yet, has been seen as the most likely to deliver the first all-electric pickup truck.

We even reported on people placing bets on which electric pickup truck would make it to market first and Rivian was leading to odds.

Rivian had been guiding the first deliveries of its R1T electric pickup truck in June 2021, but now the automaker announced that it will becoming in July:

Launch Edition deliveries are now planned to start in July and be completed in spring 2022. All R1T and R1S Launch Edition preorder holders will hear from their Guide by the end of November with their expected delivery timing.

The automaker confirmed that their “Guides,” sales employees, are starting to contact people who preordered the electric vehicle:

This week, our Guides begin sending email introductions to R1T Launch Edition preorder holders. We’re so excited to start meeting you. This introduction email will include your Guide’s direct contact information and an invitation to set up a phone call to discuss your configuration and share your estimated delivery timing.

Rivian also announced that it will start drive events in several US markets in August.

Along with the announcement, the company also confirmed a few changes to its configurator and options available:

• Off-Road Upgrade now optional on Launch Edition and Adventure Package vehicles
• Air compressor now standard on all Rivian vehicles
• Rivian Adventure Gear now available in configurator
• Camp Kitchen now includes Snow Peak Kitchen Set

Rivian has confirmed that the R1T starts at $67,500 for the base “Explore” version, which is coming in 2022, while the Launch Edition is going to start at $75,000.

All these vehicles are going to be available with Rivian’s mid-tier battery pack, which the company claims enables a range of over 300 miles.

When Rivian first unveiled its lineup, it said that its vehicles are going to be offered with 105 kWh, 135 kWh, and 180 kWh battery packs enabling “230+ miles, 300+ miles, and 400+ miles.”

The shorter range and longer range battery options are going to be made available later.