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Rivian Vs Tesla

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Yes, charging network would be my biggest concern as this would be our family car.

Just trying to justify spending $87,000+ on a vehicle. That’s a lot of money for a car.
It certainly is, though the price I see for a base X with 7 seat option is $83,490. Certainly more than the $70K for an R1S “Explore” edition (which becomes even less costly with the federal tax credit).

With the base X you get an EPA of 371, an extensive service network in place, Auto Steer (you can’t appreciate how wonderful that is on long distance trips until you use it), and of course the Supercharger network. At this point I would not be comfortable relying on the Electrify America network for long distance travel. I hope it improves in the future, but my long term concern is that it will not be as reliable as I would like it to be. It is in Tesla’s self interest to ensure the Supercharger network is as problem free as possible because it is a significant driver of sales. Since Electrify America is not tied to any one manufacturer they may not be as responsive to complaints. In my opinion, all the commercial EV charging companies suffer from this problem to some degree.

Rivian reportedly will be building 41 service centers in the US and also offer mobile service. That sounds good and I hope that is all operational when the first vehicles are delivered in Jan 2022 but I suspect their service network will only be partially in place by then. Tesla also struggled with service in the early years, and even today it can be less than optimal due to a massive increase in the number of Teslas on the road.

I very much want Rivian to succeed. I can even imagine considering an R1T for a tow vehicle in the future, replacing my X. But I’m going to wait a few years and see how Rivians perform over time. And my biggest concern would be charging on long distance trips outside urban areas. As of now a Cybertruck would be my preference, but unfortunately my spouse is dead set against one. :(
Some good points above. Makes me think Tesla will lower the price of the X before next year when these are available.
I think that is quite possible. Elon has already cut the price of the S in response to Lucid Air pricing.
 
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I agree with your points.

We prefer to have bucket seats for the second row but unfortunately it’s $6,500 option and the second row doesn’t fold flat. However, Tesla has a lot more going for it as you mentioned.

I keep hoping that Tesla will come out with a more affordable midsize 3 row vehicle or lower the X price but probably wishful thinking. I can’t justify spending close to $90k when I could get a fully loaded Telluride (or something similar) for close to $40k less. Albeit, it’s not electric but cost does matter.
 
If Tesla makes Cyber SUV, it'll be game over for Rivian
I went to car show to see R1S in person
I was expecting to see more cargo room, but was very disappointed on what it offers for its size
Trunk bed is high and single "floor", which makes it less spacious than the X.
It makes up a bit with larger frunk, but still, i was expecting a lot more from such a big vehicle.
Service and charging is no match for probably many years.
Towing? I'd be very worried with pulling 4K+ trailer for more than 100 miles due to charging infrastructure
And i had zero issues towing huge boxy cargo trailer (5K+lb) for over 1300 miles from NY to FL.
Because i felt comfortable with superchargers spaced every 50-100mil max
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And i had zero issues towing huge boxy cargo trailer (5K+lb) for over 1300 miles from NY to FL.
Because i felt comfortable with superchargers spaced every 50-100mil max

how did you supercharge with the trailer?

I never see pull through spots in my area, you have to back up and you have to get very close to the charge port for the cable to reach.
 
Everyone has their own priorities. For me, it doesn't have to be a Tesla, but it does have to be electric.

right, being electric is almost a requirement for me at this point well. However, the only 3 row mid size SUV right now is the Model X and at $85k+ for the 6 seater is too expensive for me to justify. However, if my Tesla stock doubles Over the next year then maybe I will just have to get one.

The only question is how long I can put off needing to buy a 3 row vehicle. Technically it’s not a necessity but my wife really wants the extra seats for driving our kids friends. Hopefully I can put off the purchase long enough for a more affordable 3 row electric vehicle to become available.
 
right, being electric is almost a requirement for me at this point well. However, the only 3 row mid size SUV right now is the Model X and at $85k+ for the 6 seater is too expensive for me to justify. However, if my Tesla stock doubles Over the next year then maybe I will just have to get one.

The only question is how long I can put off needing to buy a 3 row vehicle. Technically it’s not a necessity but my wife really wants the extra seats for driving our kids friends. Hopefully I can put off the purchase long enough for a more affordable 3 row electric vehicle to become available.
The three-row Model Y is due in a few weeks and might work for you. It's definitely smaller but will also be significantly cheaper.
 
Yeah. The Y would be way too small. I still don’t see how they will squeeze a 3rd in. The Y is what I may end up getting as a second car, but too small for a family car.

We actually went to a 5-seat Model Y from a 6-seat MX. We have 3 kids, and since only one of them still requires a carseat it's doable. Tons of storage in the trunk, and one of the most surprising things we noticed was just how much leg room the 2nd row has.

This certainly won't work for everyone, but it's definitely usable for our family of 5.
 
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how did you supercharge with the trailer?

I never see pull through spots in my area, you have to back up and you have to get very close to the charge port for the cable to reach.
Unfortunately, with such huge weight in the back, I had to stop about 14-15 times. However, fortunately we never had to unhitch the trailer, not even once. We were lucky enough to arrive at the Supercharger with barely any people occupying it. In most cases I could just pull in and charge. In a couple of cases, I asked people nicely if they could take different stall to charge so I could go in. Also, a lot of Supercharger‘s have nose in stalls.
 
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I asked people nicely if they could take different stall to charge so I could go in. Also, a lot of Supercharger‘s have nose in stalls.

ahh. A lot of places I visit have no spots like that. And if they do, they are arranged like this, so you'd be blocking everyone with that setup.

I don't tow anything now, but I plan to get a cybertruck, so this will be an issue for me if they don't start to take towing in consideration. Especially if the CT sells well!

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how did you supercharge with the trailer?

I never see pull through spots in my area, you have to back up and you have to get very close to the charge port for the cable to reach.
I find it easy to unhitch, charge, and hitch up. Have done it probably a hundred times over the past almost 3 years I’ve owned my trailer. I can always find someplace near the Supercharger location to park my trailer.
 
Unfortunately, with such huge weight in the back, I had to stop about 14-15 times. However, fortunately we never had to unhitch the trailer, not even once. We were lucky enough to arrive at the Supercharger with barely any people occupying it. In most cases I could just pull in and charge. In a couple of cases, I asked people nicely if they could take different stall to charge so I could go in. Also, a lot of Supercharger‘s have nose in stalls.


Yikes!!! That’s a lot of stops. Had to make for an incredibly long trip.
 
It appears you towed that trailer without weight distribution bars, is that correct? That seems risky to me, as a WD hitch is recommended when the weight of the trailer is more than 50% of the weight of the tow vehicle.
No WD.
I don’t believe Tesla recommends one with bosal stock hitch setup
I kept the speed between 50-55 to be on a safe side. Trailer felt secure, no sway.
CT would definitely do better job with half the stops.
I just can’t stress about changing enough
Tesla has huge advantage
Here is another example why:
‘Why did it take nine hours to go 130 miles in our new electric Porsche?’
 
No WD.
I don’t believe Tesla recommends one with bosal stock hitch setup
That is correct; the stock hitch is a weight bearing not a weight distribution hitch. Since you were towing a load that exceeded the stock hitch specification, and that was about the same weight as your tow vehicle, I assumed you were using a different hitch that could accommodate weight distribution bars to enable you to tow safely.

I hope that the Cybertruck comes standard with a weight distribution hitch that can safely tow much heavier trailers than the X can handle.
 
While I disagree, I'd rather clown you through the Socratic method than be lazy with a downvote:

1.) When will a end user owner actually take delivery of one?
2.) How much will it cost?
3.) How will get delivered?
4.) Where do you get it serviced?
5.) Where do you charge it?

Sounds like you are ready to drop $100K payment in full and get one of these Rivians in time for Christmas or something.

Rivian pumping is way premature.
Not to mention its front end is beyond ugly.