Small Change, Big Effect
Sometimes automakers tweak their cars’ features and creature comforts; most of the time, it’s to improve something that will better benefit buyers and customers. Rarely do we see an automotive brand downgrade one of its main features to the point that owners and future buyers notice.
Rivian’s attempt to update its ventilated seat feature has prompted backlash from its current and future customers. It has apparently gotten to a point where the updated feature is deterring future buyers of its R2 SUV.
Rivian
Revised Seat Ventilation
Apparently, Rivian quietly updated its seat ventilation feature in the R2. The changes mean the seat ventilation no longer circulates and pumps air out of the backrest; instead, it focuses all vented air out of the seat base only. The news of the update first popped up on the forums and was reported by the RivianTrackr Blog.
According to the reports, the Rivian community has “exploded” in anger over the new update. The backlash and outrage are so intense that some customers have canceled their orders and are also threatening to file credit card chargebacks on non-refundable order fees. You’d think that a brand that has properly cultivated and built up its fanbase would have its defenders, but no, even the fans are angry about it. Most would-be buyers were fooled into buying a car that wasn’t what they test-drove and that made them choose the R2 in the first place.
Rivian
Lack Of Transparency
Other potential buyers were turned off by Rivian’s lack of transparency about removing the seat-back coolers. In a statement to InsideEVs, Rivian said that the excessive cabin noise from the old system was the main reason. “R2 ventilated seats are designed to deliver active airflow through the seat cushion, where occupants retain the most heat,” the spokesperson said. “Because the seat back ventilation generated excessive cabin noise, we streamlined the system. R2 seat heating is unchanged.”
Another thing that hasn’t been made clear yet is how the system will be streamlined for previous R2 buyers who bought the car with the back coolers. Rivian hasn’t said whether a software update will remove that from earlier R2s as well.
Rivian
