Strange things have been happening to totaled Rivians lately. On social networks, Rivian owners are reporting that their old electric vehicle is back online. But not locally. These vehicles end up in a faraway, war-torn region: the Ukraine.
No, these Rivians are not being turned into military vehicles or homemade weapons, as was the case with a Toyota Mirai. Instead, they are being repaired and put back on the road thanks to a surprising network that sends damaged electric vehicles abroad.
A second life for damaged vehicles
On Facebook and Reddit, several recent posts question the whereabouts of these old vehicles. In the comments, a Ukrainian user shared a link to Auto.ria.com, a classifieds site that offers R1Ts and R1Ss for sale in Ukraine. These vehicles are not regular pre-owned models - Rivians are not yet sold in Ukraine. Rather, they arrive through the same channels that carry many used electric cars - particularly those that have suffered accidents - out of North America.
In November 2023, Wired reported that the export of wrecked electric vehicles from the U.S. and Canada had become common practice. The complexity of EVs, the high cost of repairs, the lack of qualified technicians and the potential risks associated with battery repairs lead insurers to declare them unrecoverable at a disproportionate rate after an accident. Many scrap dealers are unwilling to take totaled cars, as demand for their parts is low and batteries are dangerous to handle.
Ingenious, but potentially unsafe repairs abroad
In regions such as the Ukraine, skilled workers manage to repair damaged EVs that North Americans dare not touch. They import parts from China or other countries, or combine the still-functioning parts of two wrecked vehicles. That practice, known as “cut-and-shut” in some places, can make the vehicle extremely dangerous in the event of an accident. Which hasn’t stopped some Ukrainians are taking the risk.
With reduced taxes on imported used electric vehicles, relatively high availability of charging stations and soaring fuel prices since the Russian invasion, imported EVs have become an economical option for many Ukrainian motorists. One witness even joked in Wired that gasoline-powered vehicles are now luxury goods, reversing the dynamic seen in Western countries.
Sometimes, excessively damaged electric vehicles are imported solely for their batteries, which can be used to power smaller vehicles, such as electric scooters, or even drones to help the war effort.
Rivians: an exception to the rule?
Rivians, however, seem a little too luxurious for military use. They are also unlikely candidates for the front line due to their high cost. On the other hand, it seems that the Tesla Cybertruck could be deployed by Russia with a machine gun on the roof. This would be an ironic way of discovering that the Cybertruck may not be as bulletproof as Elon Musk claims.
Totaled electric vehicles, such as Rivians, find new life in Ukraine, where they are repaired and put back on the road thanks to ingenious import networks. Although this practice raises safety issues, it meets a growing need in a country at war, where transport options must adapt to new economic and energy realities.
Original content from auto123.
