I am going to be totally honest here, as the owner of two gen 1 R1 vehicles, at first I felt negative feelings as I read through all the specs of the refresh vs what we have now in Gen 1.
However, as I have reflected on this I actually feel like Gen 1 is a better deal. Our T Quad MSRP was 88,500 and S Quad was MSRP 94,500. To get comparable performance in refresh we start at six figures when you include destination. The max pack and other options like dynamic glass are included and power tonneau is included on R1T...so the value is definitely there...but the admission price is significantly higher.
The Driver+ is a disappointment for existing R1 owners, however I am sure the current system on the R1T and R1S will get updates it just will not get new features. The hardware is the limiting factor here. The assisted lane change is good enough for me and I suspect most owners. Also, remember that the more advanced features will also come as a subscription you will have to pay for after a 2 month free trial. So I see no reason to be upset about this.
Anything that is not hardware dependent should be back ported via software to 1st Gen R1 vehicles according to Rivian. Its the right thing to do by the current owners and those who went all in on Rivian. I know Rivian will take care of their current owners.
Lastly, we know the max pack does not get its advertised range except for under optimal conditions. The EPA documents also show that the max pack on refresh has similar usable capacity to the gen 1 max pack (about 142 kwh). To get similar performance to the Gen 1 quad motor max pack is the only pack available. You also have to opt for other premium options like dynamic glass roof. 2.9 vs 3.0 for existing quad are super fast speeds. I think the dual motor or dual motor with performance is going to be more than enough for most and those models lost a lot of standard features such a gear guard, air compressor, and camp speaker which are now optional on the refresh.
I am not really seeing a whole lot to be upset about for existing owners. As we move past the hype and into the real world we will need to see how the changes Rivian has made translate into the real world. I still think the existing vehicles are a tremendous value vs. the refresh especially when you compare the range/performance vs. cost.
Also, if you thought the 21" road/range tires were expensive at $460 each wait until you check the price on the 22" Aero tires...$555 each!
I may lease a refreshed model down the road (depending on how the leases for the refresh are structured), but I don't see any really compelling reason to go out and reserve one now.
I also don't think as 1st gen owners we should feel negative about this refresh. The refresh will be good for Rivian and allow them to survive which I think is the most important thing here. The bigger reason I am disappointed with the driver + is that they will not be able to fully utilize the existing fleet of R1 vehicles nor will they be able to sell the subscription to 1st gen. That to me is more concerning than the lack of new feature add. This last part will become less an issue once we get to R2 as they will significantly grow their fleet.
I think Rivian made some meaningful changes to help them turn a gross profit and also maintain the lower price point models which make their vehicles accessible to as many buyers as possible.
The big concern I still have is with service. I love the folks at the Rivian service centers...they are awesome....but Rivian NEEDS MORE SERVICE CENTERS! I know easier said than done but many owners cannot afford to drive long distances or wait months for service on their vehicles. Please Rivian make opening new service centers a priority.
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