In Rivian Stories' latest update on the R1T truck and R1S SUV, they discuss the return policy, the size of the key fob, and how R1T and R1S deliveries are also impacted by vehicle specification and location. 

Last week, Rivian announced a 7 day, 1,000 mile return policy. It's like Tesla's, but according to the video, Tesla's return policy only applies if you've never driven the Tesla you purchased. With Rivian, it doesn't matter if you've driven the vehicle or not. Legacy automakers don't offer a policy like that. 

The size of the carabiner key fob was also mentioned. I think the design is very unique and interesting. It's resonates with the brand's outdoor lifestyle. The Rivian reservations holders in the video are worried about the size, it appears large in the photos Rivian posted to its website. But one of the guys mentioned it's about the size of his Jeep Grand Cherokee's fob. So the size is likely fine. 

Most of the video was spent on the expected delivery dates. According to an email sent to reservation holders, Rivian delivery dates depend on preorder date, how the Rivian was configured (color and packages), and where delivery is taken. 

Rivian delivery email to customers

The email explains that the delivery schedule is synced with the delivery location's proximity to Rivian service centers, its mobile service fleet, and to Rivian charging stations. This makes sense in order to better serve initial customers since Rivian doesn't have a nationwide presence yet. 

The vehicle's configuration is another delivery factory. It's color, interior, and options will impact the delivery date. The color is the biggest factor because it will likely dictate which Rivians are produced first since they are doing it in similar groups. We can only guess which Rivian colors will hit production first. 

This was news to reservation holders who thought it was only based on preorder date. Those who preordered a Rivian very early might not be happy about this, but at the same time, those who preordered their Rivian late are happy about this. What probably upset some early reservation holders was the part of the email that says "We expect every Launch Edition preorder holder to meet their Guide by Thanksgiving." That probably didn't sit well with people thinking they would get their Rivian by this Summer. But it's hard to fault a startup that's doing this for the benefit of all reservation holders.

It makes sense for Rivian to schedule deliveries like this. If it was based solely on preorder date, production and deliveries would be slower. Doing it by similar configuration groupings will allow for faster production and more deliveries.  

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