Automakers That Claim Owners Don't Use Ev Frunks Are Probably Lying Or Just Make Bad Frunks, Says Rivian Ceo Rj Scaringe

Rivian

Despite what acold excessively galore weird nerds look to believe, Tesla didn't really invent nan beforehand trunk. That said, since electrical vehicles don't person engines taking up abstraction anywhere, they're fundamentally cleanable for a frunk. Except, if you inquire a batch of different automakers, EV owners don't usage their frunks very often, which is why galore electrical vehicles don't see thing different than a mini abstraction for storing a complaint cablegram aliases half a container of groceries — and immoderate EVs person nary frunk astatine all. According to Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, nan automakers that declare their customers don't usage their frunks are astir apt lying, because Rivian owners usage their frunks each nan time. 

During a caller roundtable pinch different journalists astatine nan motorboat arena for the quad-motor R1, I asked Scaringe whether Rivian's frunks get utilized capable to support them astir successful nan future, since different automakers don't look to beryllium convinced. "It's, like, wildly used. It's ace used," Scaringe responded. From there, he continued, saying:

I guess, if you person a car that doesn't person a beforehand trunk, past you don't person information to show you that nan beforehand trunk gets used. But if you were to look astatine personification information — and we person a ton of it astir what group are doing — nan very past point you would return retired of nan car would beryllium nan beforehand trunk, based upon our not our, I mean, this is simply a information group of immoderate it is, of 130,000 R1 customers, but it's heavy used. In fact, connected R1S, nan beforehand trunk gets utilized much than nan rear liftgate.

So why do immoderate automakers opportunity their investigation shows customers don't emotion nan beforehand trunk, but Rivian owners reportedly usage it each nan time? According to Scaringe, they're either lying aliases they delivered a bad frunk experience:

I deliberation 2 things could beryllium happening, 1 is they whitethorn not beryllium telling nan truth, which is simply a convenient connection to opportunity group don't request it, but nan reality is, they conscionable couldn't package it in, aliases nan architecture of nan conveyance didn't let for truthful I wouldn't. I wouldn't disregard that arsenic a very apt logic for not being location aliases a logic for them, saying that?

But nan different point is, if you person a bad beforehand trunk experience, which could beryllium some [that] its very small, aliases you don't person cinching, meaning you person to push, for illustration if you've had a rear-engine car for illustration a Porsche, it's ever very weird to push down successful nan hood. You do it, and you tin consciousness nan hood front a small spot each clip you do it, and nan full acquisition makes you consciousness like, "I don't want to do that." And successful R1, it powers up [and] powers down, truthful it's very different. In R2, it doesn't powerfulness down, but it cinches. You conscionable get it adjacent enough, and it pulls it in. But not having to push connected a Class A surface, we think, is simply a large deal.

And moreover with, like, I've owned aggregate Teslas, I'd opportunity it's 1 of nan things that deterred maine from utilizing nan beforehand trunk connected my Model Y, that I ne'er went to dent nan hood, pushing them. But nan information for america has been very compelling.

Rivian

According to Scaringe, nan frunk isn't nan only innovative retention action that Rivian owners usage often. R1T buyers usage their cogwheel tunnels almost arsenic overmuch arsenic they usage their frunks:

The different 1 that gets utilized a lot, now it doesn't beryllium successful nan R1S, is nan cogwheel passageway gets utilized a ton. We had a presumption that group would commencement to alteration their behaviour to usage this large space, but there's for illustration nary precedent astatine all. Like, will group usage this conduit you put done nan broadside of nan car? But it's go very actively used, and because it's truthful comfortable getting dirty, you tin put, like, gym cogwheel aliases a snowboard aliases bedewed stuff. It's nan 2nd most-used retention successful nan car.

That said, not each retention spot gets utilized frequently, pinch Scaringe telling us, "The 1 that doesn't get utilized successful nan R1T is there's under-seat rear retention that astir group don't moreover cognize exists. So, yeah, that 1 doesn't usage a lot." 

So location you go, different automakers. If your customers don't for illustration your beforehand trunk, effort giving it a amended design. Apparently, that helps a lot. Or conscionable admit you sacrificed a bully frunk for packaging reasons. And possibly see adding a cogwheel tunnel, too.