Rivian Withdraws 34 Thousand Electric Vans Due To Security Belt Pretensary Issues

JAKARTA Rivian recalled nearly 35,000 electric vehicles sold in the United States due to potential problems in the driver's seat belt pretentionary cable. However, this recall does not include R1S SUVs or R1T pickup trucks.

Citing InsideEVs, Thursday, December 4, the entire affected vehicle population is an electric commercial van owned by the company, with a total of 34,824 units. This information is stated in the document submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

This problem occurs because the seat belt potential on the driver's side has the potential to be damaged due to repeated abuse. Rivian explained that damage is usually caused by the driver who sits on the seat belt while the belt is still attached.

The majority of Rivian's commercial vans are part of Amazon's shipping fleet, so these behaviors are considered easy to occur, although not legal. Delivery drivers often have to go in and out of vehicles dozens of times in one shift, so they are likely to keep the belt attached in order to move faster, while at the same time disabling seat belt warning sounds.

To overcome this problem, Rivian will examine the construction of seat belts in the affected van and replace it if necessary.

In addition, the company has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update that allows the system to detect misuse of seat belts automatically, in order to minimize the risk of damage to these components.

Rivian stated that he was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this problem.

For information, Rivian's commercial vans will start production in 2021 as part of an agreement with Amazon. Rivian is committed to shipping 100,000 electric delivery vehicles by 2030, and more than 20,000 units have been handed over to the e-commerce giant.

The exclusivity agreement between the two companies expires in 2023, after Rivian announced that any US business can now buy its electric van, although the delivery target is maintained.

To date, Rivian Electric Delivery Van (EDV) or commercial van Rivian (RCV) has continued to show strong performance, driven by partnerships with Amazon. Last year, Rivian battery-powered commercial vehicles sold the most compared to its competitors, and data from Cox Automotive shows similar trends likely to continue this year.