Rivian

[GoCougs]

Have seen many many R1Ts in the wild - they looked small to me, and sure enough, checking specs, it is - barely mid size (a bit shorter than the Tacoma crew cab short bed). Overall looks okay but I don't like the front end.

Rivian is indeed DOA on retail product. Not so much a criticism of Rivian - that affects all EV endeavors anywhere. Rivian's death knell is that it is run by competent, normal people, who will be naturally adverse to lying, cheating and scamming, i.e., will be less likely to engage in behaviors that pushed Tesla to the foreWRT financial reporting, product advertising and government regulation.

[Morris Minor]

I think it's more that they don't have their costs under control. And their products are built to ultra-luxury specs and sold only for upper-premium prices.

[Rich]

the jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJbZjJNq9NM

[Laconian]

The Boy Who Cried This Is The Most Amazing Wolf

"This has decent legroom" - WTF, he's completely folded into a paperclip shape in those cramped back seats. What the hell!

[GoCougs]

Oh, boy is he painful to watch. The exaggerations get me before the frumpy dress and slacked jaw. Just Jesus, 4.5MM subs. 

[Soup DeVille]

Oh, boy is he painful to watch. The exaggerations get me before the frumpy dress and slacked jaw. Just Jesus, 4.5MM subs. 

Remember those old timey jumping jack toys where you pull a string and they would wave their arms up and down?

Doug Demuro reminds me of those in every video.

[MrH]

Oh, boy is he painful to watch. The exaggerations get me before the frumpy dress and slacked jaw. Just Jesus, 4.5MM subs. 

That's his brand!

[Eye of the Tiger]

I refuse to click and add to the views.

[AutobahnSHO]

I refuse to click and add to the views.

+1

[Laconian]

But seriously, there's no excuse for such a big car to look so cramped inside.

[Morris Minor]

One reviewer (on Fully Charged I think it was) characterized the SUV form factor: large yet still somehow cramped inside. (certainly applies to my CX-5.) SUVs are bad for aerodynamic drag too. Brief search turns up no Cd numbers for the R1S.

(Again - my gassers: CX-5 - drag coefficient 0.33. Roomier G37 - Cd 0.29)

[giant_mtb]

One reviewer (on Fully Charged I think it was) characterized the SUV form factor: large yet still somehow cramped inside. (certainly applies to my CX-5.) SUVs are bad for aerodynamic drag too. Brief search turns up no Cd numbers for the R1S.

(Again - my gassers: CX-5 - drag coefficient 0.33. Roomier G37 - Cd 0.29)

Pretty much all of the small "SUVs" feel cramped inside. They're just sedans with taller bodies that make them seem bigger. Escape, Equinox, CX-5, Cherokee...they're all rather small inside. They just seem bigger because they have a higher floor without a giant transmission tunnel hump messing with the rear seat area.

[CaminoRacer]

CX-5 back seat is massive compared to the sedans I grew up in

[MrH]

One reviewer (on Fully Charged I think it was) characterized the SUV form factor: large yet still somehow cramped inside. (certainly applies to my CX-5.) SUVs are bad for aerodynamic drag too. Brief search turns up no Cd numbers for the R1S.

(Again - my gassers: CX-5 - drag coefficient 0.33. Roomier G37 - Cd 0.29)

Drag coefficient is independent of frontal area.  It's basically a measurement of how close to a tear drop shape the vehicle is.

[r0tor]

So what's to drag coefficient of a tear drop shape

[Eye of the Tiger]

So what's to drag coefficient of a tear drop shape

Depends

[Eye of the Tiger]

Depends

Depends on what?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Depends on what?

Depends on how salty your tears are.

[giant_mtb]

 

[Morris Minor]

Hyundai Ioniq 5 - Cd: 0.29 (SUV-thingy shape)
Hyundai Ioniq 6 - Cd: 0.21 (Blobby-teardrop-thingy shape)

The 6 has basically the same motors/underpinnings as the Ioniq 5: IIRC Hyundai is claiming an extra 100 miles or so on highway runs.

[Rich]

I think the number you're really searching for is CdA. I'm not sure how to calculate frontal area though. Is it only height x width, or more detailed to capture the silhouette of the frontal area.

[MrH]

Hyundai Ioniq 5 - Cd: 0.29 (SUV-thingy shape)
Hyundai Ioniq 6 - Cd: 0.21 (Blobby-teardrop-thingy shape)

The 6 has basically the same motors/underpinnings as the Ioniq 5: IIRC Hyundai is claiming an extra 100 miles or so on highway runs.

I'm also conflicted. I can never decide if the ioniq 6 is hideous or not. But there is something appealing about the efficiency of it.

[MrH]

I think the number you're really searching for is CdA. I'm not sure how to calculate frontal area though. Is it only height x width, or more detailed to capture the silhouette of the frontal area.

The whole silhouette. Cd is a bit misleading without the frontal area context. You can have cars with a great Cd but lots of drag, simply because it's huge.

[Morris Minor]

Rivian is having a rough time:


SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O) is laying off 6% of its workforce in an effort to cut costs as the EV maker, already grappling with falling cash reserves and a weak economy, braces for an industry-wide price war.

The company is focusing resources on ramping up vehicle production and reaching profitability, Chief Executive R.J. Scaringe said in an email to employees on Wednesday announcing the job cuts. Reuters obtained a copy of the email.
More...
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ev-maker-rivian-cut-6-jobs-amid-price-war-internal-memo-2023-02-01/

[CaminoRacer]

I usually see a Rivian Amazon delivery truck at least once a day. Today I drove past their local warehouse and there were HUNDREDS of them parked in a big lot, all charging. Pretty impressive. So much electricity, I'd be interested to see all the electrical installation for that. How many warehouses worth of power did they have to install?

[Soup DeVille]

I worked, briefly, for Rivian.

Between the time I was hired and the time I actually started, their CEO was fired and the proposed plant I was supposed to work in was cancelled.

I'm seeing the pickup trucks around town more often now- but also at the side of the road disabled, which isn't a good look.

[AutobahnSHO]

https://jalopnik.com/rivian-loses-33k-on-every-truck-it-sells-report-1850899055

[Morris Minor]

It's okay to lose money as you scale up to full production. You learn as you go, get better and speedier at churning out the product, and your costs per unit sold drop, moving you into profitability. That's the general idea anyway. Haha.

It really helps if the product has been designed with ease of manufacture & assembly built-in from the outset - lessens the pain & costs along the way. I think it's in this area that the startups often stumble.

[ChrisV]

From another general automotive forum I'm on:

"Just got home with mine. This thing rips. Drove it from KC home, about 180ish miles, and averaged 2mi/kW going 77mph in conserve mode.

Wife loves it, daughters love it, more legroom (all that matters with two car seats) in the second row than our 2019 Yukon it replaced. More storage behind the third row than the Yukon, and a front trunk the Yukon doesn't even have."

[r0tor]

So is 2 miles/KW good?  Last I checked, most EV cars are over 50% better than that.  50% more consumption means 50% more charging and 50% more headaches with charging.

I saw an Rivian truck towing a small airstream trailer a few months ago.  The thing was bouncing uncontrollably on the highway.  Definitely was not designed for basic truck duty.