Rivian Error Or Stupid-Operator Error?

 Some "rightist" news outlets push the propaganda envelope, too.  Here Breitbart (and Business Insider), wishing to expose Rivian's problems, sorta glosses over the Stupid Operator part.

...In an interview with Insider, Merrill explains that he was initially overjoyed with his new R1S, saying: “I was in a honeymoon phase. It’s an incredible car, and it handles unlike anything I’ve ever driven.” However, when the car got stuck in 2.5 feet of snow, his love affair with the truck promptly ended. Merrill commented on his expectations, stating: “I had seen all the Rivian marketing campaigns with the cars just eating through the snow, so it was kind of like, man, this is disappointing.”...

You drove into THIRTY INCHES of SNOW?  What kind of moron are you?  

The next part is mostly on Rivian--but not entirely.

When the Rivian truck became stuck in the snow, a safety feature immobilized the vehicle. The vehicle displayed a critical error and indicated it would have to be taken to a service center. Merrill later suggested that a straightforward reset might have fixed the problem, but Rivian’s customer service did not mention that option during his initial call.

Apparently the guy--who thought he was Sgt Preston of the Yukon--was attempting to 'rock' the SUV out of the snow when 'he accidentally triggered a safety feature that got it stuck between "park" and "drive".  Rivian's customer service never mentioned "reset"--but neither did Merrill.  Apparently the vehicle's artificial intelligence logarithm bricked the car.

That was costly.

The vehicle had to be loaded onto a flatbed truck and transported to a service center located hundreds of miles away from the incident. The bill to transport the electric truck totaled $2,100, a smack in the face for Merrill, who had just taken possession of the truck in the few days preceding the incident.

Another feature of these hum-dinger Green Goddess sleds made by itsy-bitsy companies is exactly that:  if you need factory service, you're a long ways away from it, almost no matter where you are.

Was it Stupid-Operator?  Or Rivian?

You decide.