Rivian has provided two updates on Thursday, notifying existing reservation holders that they have discontinued the Explore Package, and that they will soon be delivering vehicles with the Ocean Coast interior, although it won’t be exactly as it was originally advertised.
Explore Package Discontinued
The biggest update of the two is that Rivian will no longer be offering the Explore Package, the entry-level interior option for the R1T and R1S. In an email sent to existing reservation holders obtained by Drive Tesla, the automaker says they have made the difficult decision “in order to deliver as many vehicles as possible.”
The email continues to explain they were expecting more customers to select the Explore Package, which was about $7,500 CAD or $5,500 USD cheaper than the premium Adventure Package. However “only a small percentage” have done so, so in order to streamline their supply chain they are discontinuing the package, thereby forcing customers into a fairly significant price increase if they still want a Rivian.
“By focusing on the Adventure trim package, we’re able to streamline our supply chain and ultimately deliver vehicles more quickly.”
According to the email customers who had originally selected the Explore Package can update their order, or cancel it and receive a refund. This includes those customers who signed a binding contract in order to secure the EV tax credit just a few days ago.
If they don’t cancel their order and don’t reconfigure it, it will be removed from the production queue on September 1, 2022.
Ocean Coast Interior
Rivian will also soon begin deliveries of R1 vehicles with the Ocean Coast interior, an option it delayed earlier this year due to supply chain issues. They haven’t quite overcome those challenges, and will be offering the Ocean Coast with a dark-stained ash wood accent instead of the original light wood accent.
To appease those customers who might not like the darker accents on the dash, Rivian will be offering a vegan leather wrap instead.
Deliveries with the new interior are expected to begin very soon, likely before the end of the month.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify that customers who signed a binding contract will also receive a refund if they cancel their order. We apologize for any confusion.
https://twitter.com/Rivian/status/1560344498227466240
