Rivian R1S & R1T Delivery Date – When Can You Get a Rivian?

As each new social media post rolls out with another Rivian R1T and R1S delivered, those of us on the other side of the screen are left wondering: how long does it take to get a Rivian from reservation to your garage (or—even better—on a road trip)?

Delivery times for Rivians can be confusing, but in this article we’ll explain the what and why of Rivian’s vehicle delivery achievements and delays. Next, we’ll walk you through the current landscape of Rivian delivery dates and estimates. Finally, we cover the fastest way to get your hands on a Rivian of your own.

Why the Wait?

It’s important to remember that Rivian is still learning the ropes of production. Production in 2022 fell just shy of 25,000 units (24,337 units produced and 20,332 units produced), and the number of reservations they currently have in the queue is still upwards of 100,000. In 2023, Rivian expects to produce 50,000 units, though a large number of those may be the Rivian Van (EDV 700) instead of the R1T/R1S.

Unfortunately, Rivian is also experiencing the same shipping and manufacturing scarcity problems as the rest of the world, with an extra tight pinch in the all-important area of battery components and supplies. The result? Long wait times for Rivian’s trucks and SUVs with smaller pack sizes, and even longer waits for Rivians configured with Max battery packs.

To counter the supply chain problem, Rivian has been prioritizing certain configurations of their vehicles. They are also looking to economize wherever they can; as many critics (including Elon Musk) have noted, Rivian is currently losing money on each vehicle they produce. The company is at a critical juncture, and Rivian needs to navigate some difficult business decisions to move forward.

As a result, Rivian delivery times of the R1T and R1S are most heavily affected by these three factors:

1. Configuration (limiting supply chain difficulties)
2. Delivery location (keeping delivered vehicles close for full service)
3. Preorder date (maintaining a balance between original customer interest and higher profit margins from newer orders)

So how long does it take to get a Rivian? With the “why” out of the way, let’s take a look at the “when,” starting with Rivian’s truck, the R1T.

Rivian R1T Delivery Dates

From Rivian R1T owner posts on social media and sites like Reddit, we’re seeing completed R1T deliveries take as little as 30 days and as long as about 4 years and counting. Many original reservation holders are still waiting for their production number to come up.

We mentioned earlier that Rivian production is prioritizing certain features and builds. This has R1T reservation holders who want the Max battery pack, manual or absent tonneau, or Ocean Coast interior shuffled farther back in line. On the other hand, Quad-Motor builds with the Large battery pack have been reported delivered in less than two months.

When you reserve your Rivian, choosing a build that Rivian is currently prioritizing might get you an earlier Rivian truck delivery date. However, it’s important to note that since Rivian removed the ability to configure an R1T at the time of reservation, you won’t be able to ensure your Rivian is a priority build before your name comes up in the queue. This factor does make delivery time even more difficult to predict.

Note: beginning in March 2023, Rivian began offering access to the “R1 Shop” on their website. The R1 shop allows reservation holders can get access to a variety of pre-configured R1Ts based on the options that Rivian is currently prioritizing in production (the R1 Shop is not currently offered for the R1S, but that could change in the near future). Unlike the configuration listed on a reservation, these R1Ts are locked-in for price and have a delivery window of 1-4 months from confirmation.

Let’s walk through the current estimates for each R1T equipment package:

R1T Launch Delivery Estimates

Reservations on the R1T Launch Edition are full; you won’t be able to get a new one unless you’re a reservation holder. The projected R1T Launch delivery window is anywhere from today (5/9/2023) all the way through the third quarter of 2023 (or sometime in 2024 for those with a Max battery pack).

Delivery greatly depends on the configuration selected. Standard package R1T Launch builds with a Large battery pack and either the Black Mountain or Forest Edge interior have reportedly been delivered in the least amount of time. These configurations have been delivered regularly to pre-order customers since September 2021.

Configurations with an Ocean Coast Interior are also currently in production, but they didn’t begin delivery until late 2022. The Ocean Coast interior design actually changed last year from a light wood to a dark wood look, with Rivian claiming that the light-colored wood version was more difficult to source/produce.

The R1T Launch with a Max battery pack is not expected to start delivery until 2024. In fact, most Rivians with the Max pack have had their production timeline pushed back; production of the Max pack simply hasn’t started in earnest yet.

R1T Explore Delivery Estimates

The R1T Explore package was removed from Rivian’s R1T lineup last August (2022). Rivian cited a lack of interest and supply chain issues for this change. This left reservation holders with the option to change to an R1T Adventure reservation (for an addition $5,500) or to cancel entirely. Rivian seems to have no current plans to bring this option back.

R1T Adventure Delivery Estimates

Quad-motor builds of the R1T Adventure have been delivered in record time, with at least one delivered in less than 40 days from the date of reservation. The shortest projected time frame for the R1T Adventure delivery is within 2-3 months. However, this is only true if delivery is taken near a service center and the configuration is on the priority line (currently, this seems to include the Quad-Motor, Large battery pack, and Forest Edge or Black Mountain Interior).

The Dual-Motor version of the R1T Adventure may begin production in 2023, but isn’t expected for delivery until 2024. The longest R1T Adventure wait goes to the Dual-Motor R1T Adventure with Standard battery, which is projected to start delivery later in the summer of 2024.

Rivian R1S Delivery Dates

Since the R1T is priority #1 for Rivian’s consumer vehicle line, Rivian’s SUV delivery date has been pushed back repeatedly. Prior to August 2022, only a few R1S Launch Editions have been delivered, and those have been in the hands of Rivian employees and executives. For new reservations, most Rivian R1S will not deliver until late 2023 or early 2024. However, there are earlier reservation holders (here and there) that have received an R1S and deliveries for existing reservations are underway. In fact, we’ve already seen several Rivian R1S listings on Find My Electric. But, they are relatively few compared to the R1T (although they can certainly be found).

Likely, this means that R1S Launch reservation holders who want the Max battery pack, manual or absent tonneau, or Ocean Coast interior have been shuffled farther back in line. These configurations may be waiting until the second half of 2023 or later for delivery.

R1S Launch Delivery Estimates

As with the R1T Launch Edition, reservations for the R1S Launch Edition are full. The R1S Launch was originally offered for preorder back in 2018, with the target delivery of August 2021. Rivian’s SUV has been included in production as of 2022, but, as we already mentioned, R1S Launch deliveries have mainly been delivered to employees, but this is slowly changing; deliveries began late August/early September 2022 and are currently underway.

Most estimates placed the general start of the R1S Launch delivery in September or October of 2022, but the most recent update places many of the R1S Launch Edition deliveries in Q1 and Q2 of 2023, with some stretching out into 2024.

R1S Explore and R1S Adventure Delivery Estimates

The R1S Adventure has been delivering in small numbers starting in Q1 of 2023. R1S Adventure packages have been delivering at the same time as the R1S Launch Edition (sprinkling some higher dollar orders into the queue while Rivian increases production).

Again, we’d like to mention that since Rivian removed the ability to configure an R1S at the time of reservation, you won’t be able to ensure your R1S Adventure is a priority build before your name comes up in the queue. Choosing a build that Rivian is prioritizing might get you an R1S faster, but the reservation queue does make delivery time even more difficult to predict.

Sadly, the R1T Explore edition is no longer an option. Like the R1T Explore, the R1S Explore was removed from Rivian’s lineup back in August of 2022. Reservation holders for the Explore were required to change to the Adventure package or cancel their reservation (with a full refund).

Alternative to the Wait: Used Rivian Listings

The reality of directly ordering a Rivian is that delivery time can vary widely, from a few months to a few years. Coupled with the fact that Rivian prices will likely continue to increase, the uncertain wait can make purchasing a Rivian daunting.

The best way to avoid the wait and still get a Rivian of your own at a comparable price? Consider buying used! One upside of the long wait most reservation holders went through to get their Rivian is that some of them no longer want or need the one they received. You can beat the queue and get your hands on a Rivian in record time if you buy pre-owned. Plus, with prices for new Rivians only increasing, the current higher-than-MSRP price on used Rivians really isn’t as bad of a deal as it seems.

With production still limited, there are an equally limited number of used Rivians for sale, but we’ve seen Rivians added frequently to a variety of listing sites. That said, the average, cluttered car listing site can be hard to filter through for EVs and the Rivian features you need. Fortunately, Find My Electric’s listings are designed for exactly the kind of problem you face. We give you the tools you need to find the right Rivian quickly and efficiently.

The bottom line: if you don’t want to wait months to get your hands on a new-to-you Rivian, you don’t have to. Check out the full selection of used Rivians available right now on Find My Electric.