Guide to Rivian EVs: Models, Cost, Availability, and Range
Channeling an outdoorsy, environmentalist image, this startup automaker builds terrain-tackling EVs.
Rivian
Article QuickTakes:
What Is Rivian?
This EV startup endeavors to build off-road-capable vehicles that cater to environmentally conscious adventurers. MIT grad RJ Scaringe started it in 2009, first as Mainstream Motors, then Avera, and finally Rivian. The company grew steadily in the early teens and eventually purchased a Mitsubishi plant in Illinois, where it would build its first electric vehicles: the R1T pickup and R1S SUV. It unveiled these models in 2018 and received big investments from Ford and Amazon in 2019, both of which were looking to leverage Rivian’s skateboard battery platform for their own means.
The company became the first automaker to bring an electric pickup truck to market, beginning R1T deliveries in September, 2021. This—along with the announcement of the Rivian Adventure Network—no doubt raised investor confidence and contributed to the brand’s blockbuster IPO under the ticker symbols RIVN two months later, when it raised nearly $12 billion in profit on the first day. But then supply chain issues caused delays and the stock to drop. The brand is struggling to fulfill the more than 70,000 preorders it has received for the R1T and R1S. The company recently raised vehicle prices to account for the higher costs of production, but backlash and a sea of canceled reservations caused it to backpedal and honor the original price for those who had placed preorders.
Rivian
What Kind of Cars Does Rivian Build?
Rivian currently sells two models, the R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV. (It also has started testing its electric delivery vans, which Rivian will build for major stakeholder Amazon.) Its consumer vehicles are ready to tackle the wild with up to 14.9 inches of ground clearance, a maximum water-fording depth of more than 43 inches, and at least 260 miles of range. The R1T can tow up to 11,000 pounds, and the R1S, 7,700. Plus, the outdoor crowd will surely appreciate the R1T’s innovative gear tunnel—a compartment between the cabin and bed where you can store things like dirty boots or the $6,750 factory camp kitchen.
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How Much Does a Rivian Cost?
If you reserved your Rivian before the March 1 price hike, then your quad-motor R1T or R1S should cost about $69,000 or $71,000, respectively, before options. Place an order today and you’ll need to shell out at least $12,425 more for the same pickup and $14,925 more for the SUV. Rivian recently announced dual-motor base models with a smaller battery pack, which will start around $69,000 for the R1T and $74,000 for the R1S, but those won’t reach customers until 2024.
For reference, the Ford F-150 Lightning and upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV—both of which are larger than the R1T—start under $42,000. The GMC Hummer EV, though, tops six figures in its three-motor configuration. Meanwhile, the primary R1S fighter is the $122,000 Tesla Model X. Fortunately, both Rivian models are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500.
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When Will I Be Able to Buy a Rivian Electric Vehicle?
Rivian is fulfilling orders for the R1T and ramping up production for the R1S. Place an order today and you probably won’t receive your EV before 2024.
How Many Vehicles Has Rivian Sold?
By the end of the first quarter, Rivian had produced about 3,500 vehicles and delivered approximately 2,000. The company expects to produce 25,000 units in 2022 and is currently working through an order list around 80,000 reservations long.
