Rivian continues to surge ahead in vehicle production, aiming to compete with the likes of Tesla in the fully electric vehicle space. But in their quest to get ahead, some already notice even more growing pains. In fact, in rushing a few vehicle options, Rivian postpones the launch of some of its biggest features. It may seem to some that Rivian may have rushed into certain features before their production capabilities were prepared.

Rivian experiences a few production woes, including features Rivian postpones

Rivian came out of the gate fiercely, launching its all-electric pickup and SUV. But production woes have plagued the automaker from the start, trying to find a scalable rhythm to meet demands. Growing pains were only hindered even more by the supply chain issues and chip shortages over the last two years. Rivian’s 1Q earnings in 2022 marked a $1.5 billion loss, according to Electrek. 

Rivian continues to push forward, launching new features and promoting a goal to hit its 25,000 units produced for the year. Rivian announced it rolled 7,363 vehicles off the line in its third quarter this year. But there are already additional announcements about the production pauses for specific options. In a way, it could imply that Rivian is rushing too much before perfecting designs.

Unexpected postponements as Rivian postpones some anticipated features

One postponement, announced a short time ago, involves the novel Camp Kitchen feature. It was a highly-advertised Rivian R1T feature, as Car Scoops points out, but it is no longer available to order. Rivian says it just doesn’t have the timeline to dedicate now. And there are no indications yet about when the Camp Kitchen feature will return, although some are expecting a price change, as well.

Rivian’s official message tells the consumer they’re “temporarily pausing,” citing the internal team’s ongoing testing of the Camp Kitchen. In a rush to launch, it appears that Rivian is finding new designs to explore that may make “cooking in the wild even better.” A redesign is believed to include an update to the Gear Tunnel Shuttle, also part of the Camp Kitchen package.

Another postponement announcement came just before the production halt of the Camp Kitchen. Rivian announced another pause on its powered tonneau cover. In letters sent to all consumers with pending R1T orders, Rivian says it plans to upgrade the tonneau cover design. In the meantime, those consumers with orders can take delivery of their R1T vehicles with either a manual version or no tonneau cover.

Today’s lineup of Rivian vehicles

Because of the production woes, if you wanted to buy a Rivian, you’d have to put in an order. And you’d forgo the tonneau cover and Camp Kitchens for now on the R1T pickup. Called the “world’s first electric adventure vehicle,” Rivian’s R1T pickup is the automaker’s flagship vehicle. Its starting MSRP is $73,000. The automaker says these trucks can drive 260 to 400+ miles on a full charge, depending on the motor and battery pack configuration you select. They come in AWD capacities and can tow up to 11,000 pounds.

The other Rivian option is the R1S, an all-electric SUV. Its starting MSRP is $78,000. The full charge ranges for these vehicles are 260 to 320+ miles. They also come with AWD drivetrains and rate up to 7,700 pounds of towing capacity. This family-friendly EV comes with all the tech, vegan leather, and panoramic roof views, too.

The latest vehicle introduction is the Rivian Adventure Van. This EV camper van was also supposed to have the Camp Kitchen features.

Rivian continues to pique American consumer interest in a big way. Their vehicles could be fierce competitors for the likes of Tesla and other automakers transitioning to introduce all-electric vehicles. But for now, production woes continue for Rivian.