Rivian builds the battery-electric R1T pickup and R1S SUVs for consumers. It also has a deal with Amazon.com Inc., one of its biggest shareholders, to build 100,000 EV delivery vans by the end of this decade.
“The safety of our customers will always be our top priority, and we are committed to fixing this issue on any affected vehicles as quickly as possible,” a Rivian spokesperson said in a statement. “We will make any necessary adjustments free of charge at one of our service centers.”
Most customers will be able to get their vehicles fixed within minutes, Scaringe said in the letter, by tightening the fastener to a higher torque tolerance. A small percentage of vehicles may need to have parts replaced.
Rivian was seen as the hottest new EV startup to challenge incumbent Tesla Inc., after a monster initial public offering in November and big-name Wall Street backers and strategic investors like Ford Motor Co. However, production challenges have sent the shares down this year, though its reaffirmation of a goal of building 25,000 EVs this year helped trim losses.