Rivian
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Type | Public |
| Industry | Electric vehicles |
| Official website | https://rivian.com/ |
Rivian is an American electric vehicle manufacturer founded in 2009 by Robert "RJ" Scaringe and headquartered in Irvine, California.
Consumer-impact summary[edit | edit source]
Unfortunately like many other car manufactures like BMW's heated seat subscription. Rivian has resorted to charging users $5,000 more for what the car can already do. As consumers purchasing any vehicle at any price expect to own what we buy. The business model of pay walling (selling part of what was already paid in full) is completely unacceptable.
Incidents[edit | edit source]
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Rivian category.
Paid battery unlocking (2025)[edit | edit source]
In February 2025, a Rivian software engineer posted a tweet announcing that owners of Rivian electric vehicles will be able to unlock the Performance Upgrade in a future OTA update for an additional cost.[1] In the replies to that tweet, the engineer also stated that battery pack upgrades were "next on the roadmap". Despite having already purchased the vehicle, and all of the unlockable features being pre-installed on all makes/models applicable for the upgrade, the consumer is still required to pay an additional $5,000 for the performance upgrade and an additional $6,000 for the battery pack upgrade.
The performance upgrade unlocks multiple features that increase the overall performance of the vehicle; such as increased torque, acceleration and horsepower. Along with 3 driving modes (sport, soft sand, and rally). The battery pack upgrade unlocks an increase in driving range up to 420 miles for the R1S model and 410 miles for the R1T model.
Products[edit | edit source]
Rivian prides itself on selling mainly SUV's & trucks with potential commercial vans in the future. The effected models are SUV's with the price point being around $75,900 - $83,900 without the upgrade according to Rivians Comparison. Asking for the consumer to pay an additional $5,000 (for performance it is already capable of I.E. software paywall); and $6,000 for the mileage it should have had in the first place.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Rossmann, Louis (2025-03-10). "Rivian's paid battery "unlock" - yes, I would download a car, and I'd pirate the sh out of it". YouTube.