- Production will be paused at the Rivian factory in Illinois between April 5 and April 30.
- Retooling will dramatically improve efficiency at the site.
- No exact date has been provided for when the Rivian configurator will re-open.
Rivian will temporarily halt the acceptance of custom orders for the R1T and R1S over the next few months. As a result, prospective customers looking to acquire one of the EVs will need to select a vehicle from the existing inventory.
The electric startup recently emailed customers revealing that new orders will be paused until late summer. It revealed that it will spend much of the spring retooling its factory in Normal, Illinois, and will not be able to produce vehicles at this time.
Read: Refreshed Rivian R1 Reportedly Arriving In 2024 With New 1,000 HP+ Ascent Trim
It is unclear how many vehicles Rivian currently has in its inventory across the U.S. , but the news that its configurator will be paused will disappoint some customers. However, there’s always a chance that someone’s dream R1T or R1S will already be in the inventory and available for immediate delivery.
The company will suspend production at its factory from April 5 to April 30. This shutdown is aimed at retooling the site to reduce production costs significantly. Rivian also asserts that these changes will enhance the production rate at the facility by approximately 30%.
Rivian is thought to be readying a significant update for its R1 platform. The updated R1T and R1S could arrive this year and it is claimed that a new flagship version could join the range. Unnamed sources last year indicated this model will be badged the ‘Ascent’ and will boost the EV’s electric motors to deliver over 1,000 hp, giving it a significant advantage over the current flagship that’s capped at 835 hp.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Rivian filed a trademark application for the name ‘R1X’ with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This prompted speculation that an X-badged version of the R1T and/or R1S could serve as a rival to the most powerful Cybertruck variant, the CyberBeast.
