The startup has signed a new data licensing agreement with Mitchell International.
Rivian has announced it's inked a deal with Mitchell International, a San Diego-based company specializing in helping vehicle owners simplify and expedite the collision repair and claims process. Why is this such a big deal? Because accidents happen and R1T and R1S owners understandably want their post-crash vehicles repaired properly as soon as possible.
Servicing vehicles is a massive undertaking, something that Tesla has struggled with. There have been reports of Tesla owners waiting months for their vehicles to be repaired due to a lack of service centers and certified technicians. Even filing claims with insurance providers have proven complex.
Rivian is the first EV manufacturer to provide customers with a third-party agreement like this.
The companies' agreement works like this: insurers and collision repairers can use Mitchell Cloud Estimating and Mitchell Cloud Estimating TruckMax to prepare damage appraisals and access repair procedures for Rivian's full line-up of passenger and commercial vehicles, including its EDV delivery van.
"Rivian is committed to supporting our passionate, adventurous owners and customers throughout the vehicle lifecycle. Unfortunately, this may occasionally include a collision event," said Rivian's Manager of Collision Data and Industry Relations, Brandon Chittenden. "We are eager to make Rivian's data available in Mitchell's collision estimating database. This is a crucial step in helping insurance carriers and repairers restore our vehicles to pre-accident integrity and get our customers back on their adventures quickly."
The timing of this licensing agreement is very good as Rivian continues to increase production. Since its founding in 2021, Rivian has built over 34,0000 vehicles and counting. This year alone over 9,000 EVs have rolled off its assembly line in Normal, Illinois.
The process of repairing and maintaining EVs is similar to ICE vehicles but it's not completely identical, and Rivian is keenly aware of this.
"Bringing in Mitchell makes sense as EV adoption rates continue to increase, which has reinforced the need for accurate data on the latest vehicles along with a technology platform built for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and their unique design differences," said Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell's Auto Physical Damage division.
Put more simply, this expanded EV coverage, thanks to a cloud-based estimating platform, is specifically designed to provide more accurate and efficient EV damage appraisals.
Mitchell says it has authored data for 168 mild hybrid, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric vehicles, representing over 3,500 unique vehicle configurations. Time will tell whether this agreement will make things easier for Rivian owners post-collision but it's certainly a step in the right direction.
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