How Rivian Reduced Costs in the R1S Gen 2 Interior Without Compromising Style

[@user-to2rf1rj5v]

Carl is such an interior nerd. I love it. These videos are great.

[@MunroLive]

Yes he is!

[@JT_771]

I do appreciate the level of detail and the explanations he puts in. Helps those of us who don't know the ins & outs of interior design.

[@holycrapchris]

I never really considered car interiors very much, but Carl just makes the subject so damn interesting.

[@MunroLive]

We agree!

[@1519Spring]

Agreed! Carl is one of my favorites.

[@patreekotime4578]

Glad to see they are removing some of the pointless costs out of the vehicles. Those gray injection molded parts that were painted almost the same color gray made me howl the first time you pointed them out. And besides removing cost, not having painted parts means these surfaces will wear better over time.

[@capslock9031]

Your video production has become quite sofisticated, compared to the humble beginnings. It's a great thing to witness. Also, Carl is always great!

[@andrewle5572]

FYI. The third row armrests with cubbies existed on earlier build Gen 2s, but has since been eliminated. It is now just armrests with 2 cupholders.

[@jbssfelix]

To add, the USB ports are still there, I believe. However, they are now in the cupholder so that the cubby could be eliminated.

[@mikedye7948]

@@jbssfelix That is correct. I have a recent (August 24) build which has no cubbies, but indeed there are USB ports in the cupholders.

[@lennyvalentin6485]

@@jbssfelix Ports in the cupholder...? How does that work, surely the connector isn't at the bottom of the cubby (so that any spillage makes its way into the port... Ugh.)

[@danielam3829]

That is really disappointing. Those cubbies with lids are so handy.

[@mannyman4103]

The wood grain the the back of the seat, where the USB C port is, was replaced with that aluminum-looking plastic material on the Gen1 vehicles as well. I have a 2022(Nov 2022 build) R1T and I have that same material in the back of the seat, just like in the Gen2 R1S. I guess only early-built R1 vehicles had that wood grain there.

[@MrRich2u]

I love his break downs on the interior. The edge work is something most people don't even think about as a consumer. Unfortunately, Rivian is losing almost 40k for every vehicle they sell. I don't know how they're going to cut that much out of the cost to build and even more to make a profit.

[@spacebound1969]

Do we know how much of that is capital expenditure that will decrease over time versus how much is simply overrun on the vehicle itself?

[@sumofty]

Love your breakdowns of interior. I wonder how pieces come together all the time.

[@ElectrifiedOutdoors]

Great video! The wood inlay has been gone for quite some time. They stopped adding that sometime before March of 2023.

[@joshbotelho1994]

As a consumer, one of my favorite things about the rivian is the amount of style that the seats have but the headrest side pieces are unnecessary. I originally thought they were speakers.

[@KrustyKlown]

Compared to a Tesla .. the Rivian interior is next level.

[@ruftime]

Yes, it should be nicer…..that vehicle costs Rivian, $38,000 more than they are selling it for😎

[@KrustyKlown]

@@ruftime and when Tesla was starting up.. they sold all their cars at a loss too for years. The fact that Tesla is profitable, while selling cars with crappy low feature interiors.. is not appealing to buyers. Just ignore Rivian... the high end interior of any legacy Pickup truck maker, blows away what Tesla is offering... and those legacy trucks are highly profitable. Bottom line is the same... Tesla interiors suck for the price of their vehicles.

[@truthseeker111]

Tesla is bottom of the mark in the entire auto industry. They are now getting smoked by the other automakers, their share of the EV market will only continue to decline.

[@tesla_tap]

@@KrustyKlown - Just depends on what you want. Some want whorehouse interior with fuzz everywhere, others love having hundreds of cryptic buttons everwhere. Tesla appeals to those that love a minimalist design without lots of details that serve no purpose. Others love those details (like the expensive caps on the ends of every headrest). Nothing wrong with that, but all those worthless details collect dirt, break, and look crappy after a few years. I'd rather pay for the most advanced technology that Tesla provides rather than useless and expensive headrest details.

[@marc-andreravioli1379]

How is seat comfort? I’ve heard the Rivian seats are inferior to Teslas. Any personal experience?

[@urgetodrive]

Very surprised no discussion about the removal of interior manual door handles and replacement with electronic buttons. Would be very interested to know the cost savings. Personally, I love the manual handles and glad I don't have an R1 with buttons to open the door.

[@dr.professordan126]

Pretty sure they're more expensive. When the Gen 2 was revealed there were a handful of KZbinrs that asked about this. Rivian wants them electronic for more software integration from what it sounds like. Dumb if you ask me.

[@peglor]

@@dr.professordan126 There are certain functions in a car that fundamentally shouldn't be changed to electronic actuators - the ability to still get out of the car when the electronics malfunction is absolutely one of them.

[@Rx100Vx]

Love the review and the Rivian Gen 2

[@ForTheBirbs]

Thank you,Carl. I really enjoy your Insights! Cheers!

[@sslazer]

I have one of the first Gen 2 R1S’s, my kids favorite thing is the third row cubbie spaces for their toys. I feel the R1S offers incredible value for the money, only issue was having to fix a few initial rattles and a horrible sound system which I promptly replaced.

[@rexradar9297]

Thank you for the detailed review of the vehical and components.

[@johnnyv5995]

Carl, absolutely LOVE your videos.

[@MunroLive]

Thanks

[@desertmodern7638]

In many luxury three-rows the luxury seems rather superficial, in part due to a lot of shared componentry with lesser models but also due to the obvious cost-cutting by the time the third row comes along. The headrest detail is worth it on impression alone, and the carryover to the third row even more so. This was an excellent buy-it-now sales piece. I want one of these before it becomes something less.

[@epcreative1983]

Love the intro!

[@MunroLive]

Thanks!

[@lyfandeth]

Thank you! I always wondered wtf those orange things on the headrests were. Knowimg that they serve no purpose at all, greatly releaves me.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🙋‍♂️THANKS CARL AND THE MUNRO TEAM FOR HELPING RIVIAN 🔋🔋🔋

[@douglasizzo]

Love Carl!

[@eddiegardner8232]

This a a very nice interior, but an expensive vehicle. I suppose the R2 will be a bit less fancy, in order to hit a more mainstream price point. You don't realize how complicated all these wraps, and joints and multiple trim pieces are, and thus the number of injection molds that have to be tooled to make them, until Carl points them out.

[@jake-ly]

I did see in recent versions (this week's delivery) they removed the alcantara headliner for something more traditional. To be honest I'd prefer that because the alcantara is hard to keep clean

[@manikanta6980]

Hey I have a Rivian their default leather dashboard. Is it possible to swap it out with the wooden dash panel you showed in the video?

[@antoinepageau8336]

Corey went to Lucid, is Carl going to Rivian. I hope not. I really enjoy your videos at Munro.

[@flapflapflap]

Excellent, thank you!

[@rapidcars1]

actually, the tailgate is not a costly option for that price point because Land Rover, which is in the same price point does it and BMW, which is in the same price point has done it so there are plenty of vehicles and I'm sure if you get some research all of the vehicles that have that are in the same price point as the Rivian r1s

[@jamesvandamme7786]

The motorized ones seem like something else to break, that is expensive for what you get.

[@krawieck]

it'd be nice if u linked to the teardown u mention in the begining in the description

[@deltajohnny]

Great analysis! 👏👏😍😍

[@dalex6641]

First time I listened I totally thought Carl said he’d store cocaine not tow chains in the hidden space 😂

[@freeaccess5905]

great video!!!!

[@MunroLive]

Thank you!!

[@thelifeaquatica]

For the headrests, would it be cheaper to have the bottom leather part just be yellow? This would provide the color accent but without any extra parts.

[@lifeaccordingtobri]

Rivian is making strides all around for sure. Good review. They totally stole that mini rear tailgate from BMW x5 if I remember.

[@ankitrawat111]

Great video

[@MunroLive]

Thanks!

[@flowerlandfilms]

I wasn't first but I have high self-esteem so I should be alright.

[@MunroLive]

Gotta be quicker next time!

[@EverettPalet]

i feel like the inconsistency in the wood kinda gives it more character

[@grizzlymartin1]

Was really odd the other day. I went to see Rivian at the showroom. Really interested in this vehicle. I grabbed the a pillar exterior to get myself inside the cab and the thing just about came off. And this was the new generation R1S. Strange.

[@dcmackintosh]

There's no handle there, but for smaller people, it would be nice if there was.

[@grizzlymartin1]

@@dcmackintosh that’s not the point. That plasticky piece just about fell off.

[@grizzlymartin1]

Honestly, I’ve never been impressed with the build quality of the Rivian . But their tech behind the vehicle’s “off-road” robustness for the things I enjoy lead the pack in my opinion. Specifically, the undercarriage clearance and drivetrain. So heavy duty so cool. So I can forgive plasticky stuff kind of being on the cheap side. But I want the center consul gone. For good. And I want the middle row seats (like the Kia EV9) easily taken out and put back in by the owner. I own a Kia EV nine now. It’s fantastic.

[@jamesengland7461]

YOU BREAK, YOU BUY!

[@grizzlymartin1]

@@jamesengland7461 yep!

[@fpartidafpartida]

I love the yellow accents in my R1S, don’t get rid of them.

[@DishNetworkDealerNEO]

The lower seat structure is designed beefier because it is an off roading vehicle and flips up when not in use to create more storage space.

[@DishNetworkDealerNEO]

Can the power close and power lift of the rear hatch back be accomplished with compressed air released into the lift tube and released through a vacuum dump valve and orfice under the body to reduce the hiss noise of venting the air?? I see this happening with stored air from an onboard compressor possibly to raise or lower tide height or for pressurizing the battery compartment or for tire filling purposes or other services. Control of preventing crushed people in it closing can be determined be monitoring the air pressure, and knowledge of if the lid has reached the closed position. If the pressure doesn’t drop in the normal profile, there is an obstruction contacting the hatch. Automotive manufacturers used to be very creative with the use of vacuum to work Air Conditioner damper door motors, even vacuum motors used for Windshield wipers, which are very lightweight, and fast. The same dan be said for air motors like are used in rotary autobody tools and Air ratchets of all sizes. EV manufacturers are particularly worried about weight and cost. Such motors and linear actuators are lightweight and cheap vs little toy motors and gearboxes. If used in electric doors locks, they can, as a default, using spring returns unlock the doors of a car that has lost power as the result of a crash, as the air bleeds away a bout 10 to 30 seconds after a crash when the emergency dump valve loses power after a crash! That would be a lot more electric than hidden levers and pull wire the occupants rarely know how to use in the event of an emergency or may be unconscious, preventing their use in the first place!

[@CamRbz]

This SUV Looks good in black

[@jamesvandamme7786]

It would look better in a color.

[@LarsDennert]

Same thing happens when an architect designs a beautiful house but doesn't take cost into consideration. You get a work of art but the bean counters need to intervene a bit. I love my r1s...

[@xjdisuehd]

Can I get Carl as my car interiors dude when buying a car?

[@Livlifetaistdeth]

It's built in Normal Illinois and I just want it to succeed.

[@Rx100Vx]

Normal, Illinois

[@Livlifetaistdeth]

@@Rx100Vx thanks for that my bad

[@pablopicaro7649]

A Normal expectation

[@didierpuzenat7280]

I don't understand why carmakers always see cars are apartments on wheels. For example Tesla could make a version of the model 3 RWD with the material of a Dacia Duster, it would result in a car of the price of the so called "model 2" without having to developed a new car and build new production lines. And by limiting the max speed, Tesla could use narrower cheaper tires, less expansive breaks, etc. And they could remove the powered rear hatch, remove some speakers, etc.

[@deltajohnny]

@didierpuzenat7280 Great comment, and I think the same 👏👏👏

[@peglor]

I wouldn't like to see them go full Dacia, because Dacias are Renaults with all the safety gear removed (Compare the Euro NCAP results of the Duster to the equivalent Renault), but what most consumers buy tends towards the minimum viable product that still meets their needs. Though automotive specifically does fight this since bicycles are the real minimum viable product for many trips people make and badge snobbery is absolutely a thing based on the number of poverty spec Audis on the roads that cost significantly more than well specced Skodas running identical mechanical parts, but this attitude is changing.

[@deltajohnny]

​@@peglor they could remove some luxury items, or "decontent" it, but leaving the safety gear, and it would be a great option for those seeking a more affordable Tesla 😉😉

[@lennyvalentin6485]

I like Rivian as a brand, their vehicles are great, as a company they're bold, and they're smart, and I really do wish them great success. That said - their design language, particularly when it comes to interiors, is very very Murrican, and I'm not sure how well it would do on international markets. Everything looks chonky, and busy. There's a lot of lines and details, and a lot of different materials and textures. There's Rivian branding EVERYWHERE. I mean... You already know what vehicle you're sitting in, right? Do you really need a Rivian logo in the back of your seat?! lol Sometimes less is more, you know? A simpler, cleaner interior could look more stylish, and you'd save money too. :)

[@zodiacfml]

through this video I realized Rivian does not care making much more money from the R1 series. The series appears to be meant as a learning and development product in low volume like the Model S/X. The MX door wings is like the R1T tonneau cover in complexity and cost. Personally, the R1S exceeded the X in better value.

[@macadamiamin]

Someone needs to get to that smoke detector (please post take apart video when they do the 9V)

[@grizzlymartin1]

My plan is to buy the vehicle and then have the center console removed by the service department. But I learned that that is the only way to start the car. Crazy. So many wasted opportunities in this vehicle with this company. Eliminating the middle row seats and the center console should be a trim option.

[@robertbowman9108]

Man I'm with you, how much do I gotta pay to lose the center console and be able to stretch my feet

[@grizzlymartin1]

@@robertbowman9108 totally 👍 💯 imagine it’s raining outside and you wanna stay inside the car and make a cuppa coffee or have lunch or change your babies diaper or something like that. It’s my damn cabin. Give me the the freaking trim I want. I paid for it. Kia has removable middle row seats. And the car cost more. Other words they don’t spend more to give you more. They actually get to charge more. Because it’s a higher price trim for the same product. What the fuck Rivian? 🤣

[@marcusnichols5595]

Amazing how 10c / 5g might make a difference.

[@jimoliver7617]

Hey Carl, Great presentation! Wow just look at all the Plastics. I can recommend a special Plastic Structural Material , that could save $$$. When the funding I need comes in; ON Green will attempt to steel you from Sandy Munro🎉😂.

[@Olson2BW]

If I had a choice of two vehicles. One with the wood trim and one with a CLEAN trim. And also on that vehicle they didn't have these STUPID yellow and chrome inserts on the sides of the headrests and STUPID coat hooks and USB ports on the upper back of the seats, I would pick the vehicle WITHOUT those details because to ME, that would mean they didn't know how to spend their money WISELY when building a car for ME. I do NOT want to be smacking my head on that coat hook/USB port if the vehicle was in accident. Wait, nobody thought of that? Well they SHOULD have. Put the coat hanger above the window on the side of the car OR since anything you hang there would be in the way of the person, move it in the ceiling just inside the door. Yes, I GET IT, that they are trying to keep the thing(s) that are hanging out of the way so they want to put it on the back of the seat. I'm just saying that I would NOT buy a car with that like that. I would NOT. I HATE HATE HATE that look if I were a passenger in that back seat if I had to see that either directly in my focus or in the side of my vision. I feel that Rivian's steering wheel and seats are FAR FAR FAAAAARRRRR too busy for me. I'm not saying it needs to be simple to the point that it is cheap. I'd rather have something STYLISH, and no, those seats are NOT styling but are ugly like someone that doesn't know what font they want to use in a document so they start throwing about a fonts into a document and distract you with the ugliness that is all those conflicting fonts. I LOVE the concept of an electric truck. I feel that as long as charging speeds are fast enough and range is long enough (250 miles of USABLE range is a MINIMUM for me. MINIMUM. MINIMUM! To be safe, that means that they probably need close to 235 miles of range in a vehicle's EPA rating to get a USABLE MINIMUM of ACTUAL 250 miles of range. I'm Norwegian-American and I like quality and simplicity which is the opposite of cheap and too busy. I would pair MORE for less. Less busy. More quality components that didn't suck up the money that was spent designing all of these ugly pieces that distract from a quality high end vehicle.

[@deltajohnny]

Grest comment! 👏👏

[@JRP3]

Headrest trim and USB ports seem like a lot of waste. USB ports in the back of the center console make more sense.

[@ch4.hayabusa]

If you're going to do it... do it with wood and metal, make it a statement piece, a tour de force. Now it's just another wasteful bit of plastic.

[@mannydabest16]

Anyone know the exact dollar amount that they could save making the adjustments listed above ? %? Maybe another 10% ?

[@MunroLive]

You can buy our Rivian R1T report where we costed the whole vehicle! Leandesign.com

[@privettoli]

I'd be disappointed if they "simplified" the design of the 3rd row even more.

[@danielam3829]

He is spot on about the change in seating surfaces. In my current G1 R1S I cannot tell it’s synthetic leather. In his video, the seat surface material looks a lot shinier, cheaper.

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

Rivian light? A quicker way to get into the green zone. Time to go electric! RIP for the RAM.

[@rapidcars1]

You know a lot of these components that you're pointing out are made by automotive suppliers, not by Rivian

[@MunroLive]

We know.

[@deltajohnny]

But Rivian specifies them and pays the extra cost?

[@Derpy1969]

Remember that Rivian isn’t gross margin positive yet. They predict the END of 2024. Operating margin positive doesn’t come until sometime in 2025. This is still a money losing truck. But a fine truck it is.

[@timepstein274]

Am wondering if Cory has any inputs into these efficiency gains from his vast experience at Munro, or whether he joined Rivian too late for any contributions to this model

[@Rx100Vx]

Cory joined lucid not Rivian

[@MunroLive]

Cory is at Lucid.

[@kevinkev1421]

@@Rx100Vx I wondered what Cory was up to ! Thank you.

[@Rockall57]

When will he wake up and move to Rivian..what a waste at L....​@@MunroLive

[@codefeenix]

Without Compromising Style like the CyberStuck

[@nguyep4]

Except the Cybertruck is outsold this uncompromising truck and that will be more so as the year go by. Oh, CT is profitable at the end of this year. Obviously you don't know what means.

[@sarkaranish]

@@nguyep4 The CT might be profitable by the end of the year, just like Rivian is planning on as well.

[@pablopicaro7649]

Too Luxurieous for me, I just want to get around and haul equipment and tools.

[@jamesvandamme7786]

Corollary: too expensive

[@peglor]

Sadly the product you want isn't being made any more unless you count Kei trucks from Japan, which a lot of states are trying to ban or have already banned. Trucks in the US have very much become something rich people who want to cosplay at being working class drive rather than vehicles bought to be worked hard every day. The small beds and load capacities for most crew cab trucks just make it clearer that work trucks aren't profitable enough for US manufacturers to bother with anymore. Remember when you didn't need to be well over 6 feet tall to easily reach over the sides of a truck bed to get at the things stored there.

[@davidrowewtl6811]

You want a bus, buy a bus. You want a truck, buy a truck. You want a luxury wafter, buy a saloon. Etc etc etc I just don't get this type of vegicle

[@jamesvandamme7786]

Soccer moms with too much money.

[@adjust.clinic]

This is the exact kind of vehicle I’m looking for. Space for the family. Efficient enough for a commute. Off road for adventures. Big enough for a business vehicle. And tons of power.

[@jasons7044]

My neighbor has a Mustang for the weekend. A Honda Fit to commute. A Chevy 1500 to pull his camper. Wife has a Subaru outlander for the family car. Rivian does all that and more. At the push of a button it becomes a off road Rally truck that wins competitions. Push button again and it's a 3 second beast that beats sports cars that cost a quarter million dollars off the line. Push button again you could go rock crawling or drift over sand dunes. Push button again and pick up supplies at Home Depot or take the kids to soccer practice.

[@notsecure]

Yet the price keeps going up!

[@jamesvandamme7786]

So does the probability of them staying in business.

[@BrandonMeyer1641]

Cool, but when are we getting more cybertruck?

[@brennanspark]

I was hoping Sandy would be here to share his own thoughts.

[@MunroLive]

Next time.

[@peglor]

I find exactly the opposite, Sandy's blatant shilling for Tesla products has ruined my opinion of him as an honest reviewer of anything, but the videos made by everyone else on the channel are still excellent.

[@DishNetworkDealerNEO]

And they can stop painting both the seat pieces in the R1T and R1S!

[@chriauc2976]

Are the rear wheel still falling off ? Saw one waiting to get towed at mT baker WA this summer what a shame for the owner Definitely not ready to leave pavement

[@adjust.clinic]

They should hire you to point out that wheels might fall off. You have an astute observation.

[@DishNetworkDealerNEO]

So a computer trained arm couldn’t be working that paint brush and folding that material edge? No one needs to he betting high.

[@chriauc2976]

Looks good interior better then Tesla Are the rear wheel still falling off ? Saw one waiting to get towed at mT baker WA this summer what a shame for the owner Definitely not ready to leave pavement

[@Rockall57]

Rivian will survive..😂

[@jasons7044]

Drive by an Amazon warehouse that uses EDVs in the morning and you will have your answer

[@phxees]

Rivian needs to focus on getting their safety score back up. IiHS lists them as a “Top Safety Pick”, but they also detail major things which need to be addressed to get them to “Top Safety Pick Plus”, which is where they should be.

[@monkeysezbegood]

Zero people.give a crap about the head rest chrome... Waste of money

[@hkningning166]

👎 Rivian=USD11.71ㄧ（IPO)USD78=一USD66.29 =ㄧ84.9% =Professional Liar. United States Securities and Exchange Commission = Dereliction of duty. 20/September/2024 !

[@nullgator8073]

So busy and over designed and a lot of the stitching looks really bad and uneven

[@ranig2848]

Rivian is bleeding to death. Now that VW is in trouble (likely massive layoffs and closing plants in Europe) it’s doubtful if it will come to its rescue. Without it, they might it be able to productize and produce the R2 into a profitable vehicle and are seriously gambling the future of the company. It seems very likely that it will eventually go bankrupt and maybe if they’re lucky someone (Amazon?) would buy them…

[@jimdetry9420]

What's the point of gray wood? It doesn't even look like wood. If you want gray, why not just use plastic. If you want wood why not make it the color of acctual wood? I have some kind of wood (or maybe fake wood) in my Model Y. I think it looks out of place. I'd rather have plastic.

[@jamesvandamme7786]

My first car (1059 Dodge) had a flat dashboard which I covered with mahogany plywood and gave it a lovely stain. It looked fantastic against the rest of the interior which was black and white.

[@jimdetry9420]

@@jamesvandamme7786 What kind of wood is gray except, maybe, old dead driftwood?

[@adjust.clinic]

The furniture in your house probably has wood that is stained so it has a different color. Likely, it might even be black or grey.

[@epcreative1983]

First! 💪

[@MunroLive]

Yes you are!

[@hybridstoatdragon]

Im second​@@MunroLive

[@jree93]

pretty lame video

[@MunroLive]

Thanks!

[@WANDERER0070]

3:38 min real wood inlay ! What for ? Keep the panel simple to keep cost down. ❤

[@ch4.hayabusa]

10:00 Looks like unnecessary CYA. With all those welds it's a different seat, specially in court... might as well just make your own seat and get better lawyers.

[@DishNetworkDealerNEO]

And they can stop painting both the seat pieces in the R1T and R1S!