Just when Rivian appeared to be running smoothly, the new R1S SUV hit another snag. Rivian R1S deliveries are being pushed back to the end of the summer or further. With the Rivian R1S release date up in the air again, when will early buyers have an electric SUV in the driveway?

The new automaker has delayed Rivian R1S deliveries again

Those who ordered the Rivian R1S back in 2019 were finally at the end of the road. Deliveries of the electric sport utility vehicle were slated for June and July 2022, meaning some buyers had already passed that estimated delivery date. And that Rivian R1S release date had already been pushed back once.

Just yesterday, Auto Evolution says people started receiving emails from Rivian, noting the automaker was pushing the delivery date back. According to the email posted on Rivian Forums, various reasons have caused this pushback.

The email starts by thanking the buyer for choosing a Rivian electric SUV over a conventional one. The first email shared pushed the Launch Edition R1S delivery back to October to December 2022.

Depending on the configuration and location, Rivian R1S deliveries might be a long way out

The email notes that the delivery date depends on the date the vehicle was ordered, the buyer’s location, and configuration choices. The first reason indicated for the delay is the supply chain. Rivian notes that to navigate the supply chain issues, the automaker has had to reduce the complexity of specific builds. That means some options chosen by the buyer might not be possible or are taking too much time.

A second reason for the delayed Rivian R1S deliveries is some areas’ lack of service infrastructure. Rivian wanted to prioritize deliveries in places where buyers could access a service center.

Currently, Rivian only has service centers in 14 states. California has five service centers, but Florida only has one. That doesn’t seem like enough service centers to serve all potential buyers, but the reason seems like a bit of an oversight. Wouldn’t Rivian be considering this as an issue ahead of time?

This is just another hiccup in a line of hiccups from Rivian. After wildly raising prices by $20,000 out of nowhere back in March, then taking it back, and shifting these delivery dates around, something is happening behind the scenes.

The earliest delivery dates are August to September this year, likely for the early orders located close to a service center. Some buyers didn’t receive an email, leaving people even more confused. Does that mean summer Rivian R1S deliveries are still on? Or does that mean these configurations are so far out, that Rivian didn’t feel it necessary to send an email?

Is the clunky rollout of the R1T electric truck a glimpse into the future?

Much like with the random deliveries of the R1T electric truck, there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to who is getting prioritized. Rivian says it’s because of configuration and location, but the first wave of deliveries for the R1T proved that mainly was to save face. Those who ordered a more expensive version shot to the front of the line, leaving those who ordered immediately at the back of the line.

With deliveries of the R1T, eagle-eyed fans were seeing the truck on the road near service centers. These were employe vehicles or other business-related vehicles, but at least the truck existed. So far with the Rivian R1S deliveries, no one has seen any on the road. Perhaps the R1S is not ready, and the automaker is trying to save face, but one could assume the R1S would be out and about if it were ready.

Rivian is undoubtedly not alone in this issue. With supply chain issues for the last two years, production issues due to COVID-19, and semiconductor chip problems, every automaker has been negatively impacted. Not all automakers are trying to release brand new vehicles to brand new customers, though. For now, Rivian R1S electric SUV deliveries won’t be happening anytime soon.