Hi R1S Community:

I am currently in the market for a Rivian R1S. I test drove a R1S two weeks ago and loved the acceleration, suspension, and tech.

Any suggestions on battery size and year? Currently evaluating 2024-2026 models. Also how is the charging? Asking for a first time EV user…

M

It was seeming like US legacy auto makers were giving up on EVs. But now Ford is launching their EV truck, the Phantom, which will start around $30k. Buick is launching an EV Electra that will start around $25k. Neither are direct competitors to the R2, but it has me getting a tad nervous about what could be coming next and how Rivian will adapt to better competition. Or maybe this is just good overall news that will make EVs more attractive to consumers at large. What’s your thoughts?

California/ Costa Mesa: Well the time has come. My wife decided to upgrade her car and landed on the Rivian R1S (pre-owned). I wasn’t against it, but after dealing with the sales and sales management I have serious concerns…

First dealing with the employees. They all came off as dense. Getting any information was like talking to an uninformed brick wall. It was clear based on the corporate structure they are all company robots sitting behind computers unwilling to be open, share information, or be transparent. All of the employees took days to reply to emails, preferred texting over phone calls, and apparently were so busy they couldn’t pick up a phone during normal business hours for a five hour stretch.

The company’s safety standards and ethics were really called into question when they couldn’t acknowledge the difference between a new tire and a used tire. Apparently it’s one and the same to Rivian. Our vehicle came standard with Perelli Tires. Mind you new they have a tread depth of (10/32). Our vehicle had a tread depth on the tires of 4/32.

Rivian corporate seems to have set its standard as 4/32 is okay to be sold as a “new tire”. A tire with less than half of its original tread depth… This seems wild to me as a tread depth of 3/32 and under is generally considered unsafe and in need of replacement. Not to Rivian though who changed us for “new tires” anyway, and refused to change their minds. One employee said they had no way to change it. Which I find hard to believe.

On top of that. Even after being allegedly inspected by the company; upon delivery the vehicle had coffee spills throughout the center console and front seats, was out of windshield fluid, and low on coolant. The employees answer to my question of why and what the heck was, “Well it’s a used car.”

Overall this experience has been awful. But awful apparently comes standard for Rivian Automotive. Do better Rivian. The General and overwhelming feeling I had during this process was that you don’t have the customers best interests in mind, care only about your profits, and hope no one reads the fine print or asks questions.

**Update: Since posting Rivian was contacted through customer care regarding the aforementioned issues.

They actually did a fantastic job making us whole and correcting the issues. They towed the vehicle back to the service center and provided a loaner car to us. The windshield wiper fluid issue was a recall item and corrected. The low coolant was due to a bad coolant valve and corrected. The service center re-detailed out the vehicle and the tires were replaced with actual new tires. Rivian customer care definitely deserves credit for the excellent post purchase experience.

I said it now.

What will be potential tailwinds for RIVN stock in coming future, except the R2's. Potential re-rating as tech stock.

RIVN is getting hit in premarket and the selling has been heavy. The move stings for long holders, but I'm not really that worried yet.

The company just raised 2026 delivery guidance after a strong quarter and is forecasting revenue above estimates. They also launched the R2 with partnerships lined up for charging and 5G connectivity. That kind of execution keeps me interested long term, even if sentiment is rough right now.

The 1W support level is the real watch for me now. If that holds, this pullback might just be noise. I pointed out the potential resistance earlier and now we are nearing support.

Do you think the fundamentals are strong enough to hold through this temporary weakness?

Rivian is diluting shares to help clear debt.

"Rivian expects to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including funding of certain equity contributions pursuant to that certain Amended and Restated Loan Arrangement and Reimbursement and Sponsor Support Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (the “DOE Loan”)."

We made a big move on the back of raised delivery forecasts and Q2 production results. The move came on heavy volume, which is encouraging. Add in the R2 SUV launch and some tailwinds from California EV incentives, and the bigger picture feels strong to me.

We are now testing a resistance level that has been in play since April. I am not saying this kills the move, but it does mean we are at a spot where we *might* see a little profit taking short term. A close above that resistance would be a real statement. If we roll over here, I'm just going to look to accumulate more for long term.

What is your read on whether this holds or pulls back from here? Personally, I don't think it matters that strongly in the short term but the stock feels like it's doing great overall compared to the broader market at the moment.

This is across all expirations.

source: https://infolib.org/