Toronto, Ontario — The first Rivian RT1 electric pickup trucks have been appearing on the driveways of some early-adopting EV enthusiasts over the past months and some discerning owners have been quick to criticize the brand for delivering trucks with an “orange peel” finish to its paint.
For those who may not know, orange peel is the term generally used to describe the texture of paint that has not dried evenly on a vehicle, leaving it with a bumpy and sometimes coarse finish.
YouTube automotive influencer, Average Car Guy posted a video to his channel in early April where he did a walkaround of his new RT1, showing off unevenly applied paint on nearly every panel of the truck.
He reiterated several times throughout the video that the defect is technically no big deal, when it comes to the truck’s performance, and many commenters shared that they might feel similarly if it was a $40,000 truck—not an $90,000 luxury electric truck.
Later on in the video, Average Car Guy also pointed out some small gaps in the truck’s panels, such as in the case of the charging port door, that while largely superficial, reflect poorly on the up-and-coming EV brand’s quality control.
He also claims that a small coin-sized dent on the truck’s hood was also likely caused at some point during delivery.
Average Car Guy’s full video on the Rivian RT1’s paint can be found here.
