[Auto] Rivian announces warranty info, equals or betters Tesla in critical areas.

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Full warranty information is out for the Rivian R1T and R1S. This wouldn’t be news for most cars, but since Rivian is a brand new car company and its vehicles are electric, there’s reason for some comparing and contrasting.

Starting with the basics, the full bumper-to-bumper warranty is good for a very normal 5-year/60,000-mile term. That’s consistent with many new cars today, but we’ll point out that Tesla’s similar warranty is only a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty.

The one you’re likely most interested in is the battery pack warranty. Rivian says that “all components inside the high-voltage battery” are warrantied for 8 years or 175,000 miles. Additionally, Rivian says the coverage includes retaining a usable battery capacity of 70% or more in the same amount of time or miles. If your Rivian battery doesn’t make it, the company will replace it. Tesla will also give you 8 years of coverage for the same battery retention, but the number of miles varies. You get as many as 150,000 miles with the Model S or Model X, and as little as 100,000 miles with the Model 3 Standard Range. All other Model 3 and Model Y versions offer 120,000 miles. 

 

 

Rivian also includes a longer warranty for drivetrain components that is good for 8 years or 175,000 miles. By contrast, Tesla’s drivetrain component warranty is good for the same amount as the models’ respective battery retention warranties were good for (all listed in the paragraph above).

Lastly, there’s a perforation warranty that covers the aluminum body panels for eight years/unlimited miles.

If you purchase Rivian’s wall charger, it comes with a five-year warranty. You’re allowed to transfer the vehicle warranty to a new owner, but Rivian says you should contact its customer service department to determine what is transferable at sale. 

As for potential instances of having your warranty voided, Rivian says that could happen “due to improper maintenance, service or repair.” The company says it doesn’t require all service to be done at a Rivian-authorized repair facility, but doesn’t offer any promises with its warranty if you pursue that path. If you want to get into the nitty gritty, Rivian says it will have more details on warranty limitations at a later date.