With manufacturing of its first buyer automobiles scheduled to start in about seven months, Rivian is shifting rapidly to ascertain it elements and repair operations. The corporate additionally has taken its first steps towards constructing a nationwide community of physique retailers to deal with accident repairs.

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe instructed Automotive Information that the corporate plans to have a completely operational service community prepared earlier than most clients take supply of their battery-electric R1T pickups and R1S SUVs.

Prospects, he stated, can have two choices for repairs that can’t be carried out by over-the-air software program updates: They’ll go to a brick-and-mortar service middle or schedule cell service at their houses and companies. That plan carefully mimics Tesla’s technique.

In a wide-ranging interview with Automotive Information Writer Jason Stein on the “Every day Drive” podcast, Scaringe for the primary time addressed how Rivian will provide service for its automobiles with no conventional dealership community.

Rivian additionally final week opened a course of for unbiased physique retailers to use to develop into members of the Licensed Rivian Restore Community. Auto-body commerce publication Repairer Pushed Information reported that Rivian plans to promote structural restore elements and high-voltage electrical restore parts solely to members of the community. To start out the analysis course of, Rivian is asking unbiased retailers to fill out an online questionnaire.

It isn’t clear whether or not franchised new-vehicle dealerships that function physique retailers can apply. Some dealerships — resembling Ford, Jaguar and Audi — which have expertise engaged on aluminum-bodied automobiles could be a great match for Rivian as a result of they’ve the particular instruments and educated physique technicians.

By the point the primary R1T electrical vans are delivered to clients in June, Rivian can have service facilities open in main markets and be working a fleet of cell service models that may perform most repairs at houses and companies, Scaringe stated.

“We’re launching numerous service facilities all through the U.S., actually within the subsequent 9 months, 41 service facilities. Along with these service facilities, we’re constructing a really sturdy community of cell service [providers] that may come to you, your enterprise or your own home,” Scaringe stated.

As a result of electrical automobiles have solely a small fraction of the shifting elements utilized in automobiles powered by gasoline and diesel engines, upkeep necessities for EVs normally encompass little greater than wheel alignments, tire rotations and alternative of standard put on elements, resembling burned-out lightbulbs and worn-out wiper blades.

“What we deeply imagine is {that a} important majority of service operations mandatory on a car will be accomplished remotely, will be accomplished with our cell service community, which from a buyer’s perspective simplifies issues dramatically. They not have to consider dropping their automobiles off. Service simply occurs when clients are at their home or at their workplace,” Scaringe stated.

The corporate additionally will service Amazon’s electrical supply vans alongside the R1T and R1S. Amazon has ordered 100,000 electrical vans from the startup automaker.

Mentioned Scaringe: “The Amazon program truly offers a extremely very helpful and significant service-demand pool. One of many challenges of launching a service community for an organization that does not have a fleet or a parking lot simply but is that on day considered one of 12 months one, it’s good to have service provide, however you do not but actually have service demand. What’s vital from a service-network perspective is that you simply want that capability on the availability facet. The Amazon program will ramp that up in a short time, and the service infrastructure — each cell and bodily — helps not solely the Rivian automobiles but additionally the Amazon fleet.”

Rivian is on monitor to start out retail gross sales of its truck and SUV within the second quarter of 2021. Its plant in Regular, Ailing., is constructing automobiles now which are getting used to check the corporate’s manufacturing system, practice staff and rack up real-world take a look at miles.

Talking from the plant Scaringe stated, “We’re constructing a complete digital commerce platform that enables automobiles to be transacted on, permits a Rivian-based insurance coverage platform to be launched, homes our financing platform, but additionally, very importantly, homes every part in and round service.”