Good news! Rivian has made all the much-awaited updates to its online configurator. The R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV can now be ordered in dual- or quad-motor specifications. The cheapest vehicle you can buy costs much less than the updated EV tax credit threshold, but there's little to no chance you might order one. Here's why.
It has been quite some time since Rivian confused everybody with its pricing policy and vehicle options. The startup promised to fix everything in this regard, and it finally did. However, it might be too late for most people who considered getting one of their EVs.
At the time of writing, the most budget-friendly new Rivian an American can order is the R1T. The zero-tailpipe emission pickup truck costs $73,000 before taxes and fees. There's no haggling involved, so at the most, you should spend a grand total of $81,000 (tax and destination included) if you live in a state like California.
Keep in mind that the updated EV tax credit applies to the MSRP, which does not include other costs associated with buying a plug-in vehicle. Starting next year, the federal incentive can also be applied at the point of sale, but critical mineral and battery components requirements change too. That may disqualify some EVs from getting the full $7,500.
For $73,000, you get a Rivian R1T with the Adventure Package that includes useful things like the on-board air compressor, vegan leather seats that are heated and ventilated, a heated steering wheel, Chilewich floor mats, and recycled microfiber headliner.
Performance-wise, the budget-friendly all-electric pickup truck has two motors (one for each axle) that help the vehicle go from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The powertrain is artificially limited to 533 hp, representing 10 hp more than the pre-facelifted BMW X5 xDrive50i (G05). That's enough power for most pickup truck-related activities.
But the two motors are capable of 665 hp. If you want your R1T to have 132 hp extra, you must pay $5,000 for the Performance Dual-Motor version.
Also included in the $73,000 price tag is the "Standard" 270-mile battery pack. Adding 80 miles more to the estimated range costs $6,000.
The LA silver paint is also crammed into the abovementioned price tag, as are the 21-inch wheels and the Black Mountain interior.
Photo: Rivian
The $73,000 Rivian R1T, however, exists just to offer customers a base spec option. Most people won't pick the smaller battery pack because… Well, trucks equipped with it won't be delivered anytime soon. The young automaker plans to hand over these R1Ts to customers who want the cheapest energy storage unit available in July 2024 – one full year from now.
However, deliveries of the dual-motor vehicles with "Max Pack" batteries are scheduled to begin next month.
Last year, before the EV maker decided to raise prices for everyone overnight and backtracked shortly after, an entry-level Rivian R1T had a starting price of $67,500. That was for the Explore trim, which did not include the Meridian sound system, ventilated seats, yellow interior accents, better floor mats, passenger lumbar support, or a heated steering wheel.
Today, the Meridian sound system has been replaced by an in-house solution.
Lastly, despite all these changes, it's good for Rivian that it has finally figured out pricing. Customers will enjoy not being confused by emails asking them for more money.
But we can't help and wonder - will the promising startup follow Ford's and Tesla's lead in dropping current prices?
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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