Chris Apfelstadt told the publication that while he'd expected the repair wouldn't be cheap, it was a "shocking number."
The incident, which occurred February in Columbus, Ohio, was at first believed to be somewhat minor, according to the Times report, which said the other driver's insurance offered to pay about $1,600. But, after the electric car was taken to a repair shop that was certified to work with Rivian products the cost jumped to $42,000, the publication said.
The repair cost over half the starting price of the vehicle. One of the primary reasons for the high price was that the accident affected a panel that reaches from the back of the vehicle all the way to the front roof pillars of the truck and fixing the panel required service workers to remove the ceiling and front windshield, the Times said.
The publication also attributed the cost to the lack of repair shops for the Rivian R1T and the expense of fixing EVs that rely on more high-tech parts. Like Tesla, Rivian does not use dealers. The company has certified about 200 repair shops in North America and Apfelstadt only had three to choose from in Ohio, according to the Times. The company also only has about 34 of its own service centers.