Rivian Will Give You a Discount to Trade In a Gas Vehicle for a New R1 Model

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Rivian sells two compelling EVs that have garnered a good deal of happy customers, but they’re far from affordable. At around $70,000 to start, the brand’s R1T pickup and R1S SUV are out of reach for most buyers, even after the $3,750 federal tax credits for some models. The automaker is taking steps – small ones, to be fair – to make its vehicles more affordable, though, knocking up to $5,000 off some configurations. Oh, and you’ll have to trade in a gas vehicle to get the price cut.


Buyers who take delivery of a new Rivian before June 30 can get up to $3,000 off the R1T Standard + Pack, $4,000 off the R1T Large Pack, $5,000 off the R1T Max Pack, and $1,000 off the R1S Large Pack. Those sound like generous discounts, at least until you consider that the R1T Max Pack’s price tag easily crests the $100,000 mark.


Of course, discounts don’t usually come without terms attached, and Rivian is no exception. Any configurations not listed in that list are not eligible for discounts, and the vehicles must be bought or leased through the automaker’s online shop. You’ll still have to plop down a $1,000 non-refundable deposit to buy one, and the discounts are applied at the point of sale on the site.


Finally, only a handful of gas vehicles are eligible for the trade-in offer. The list includes:

·     Audi Q5, Q7, and Q8 from 2018 or after

·     BMW X3, X5, and X7 from 2018 or after

·     Ford F-150, Explorer, Expedition, and Bronco from 2018 or after

·     Jeep Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, and Gladiator from 2018 or after

·     Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander, and 4Runner from 2018 or after


Note that those vehicles are in direct competition with models Rivian sells, so the automaker clearly wants to draw traffic away from its ICE rivals. That said, it’s unclear how much the automaker will give you for your trade-in, so it would be wise to shop around a bit before signing for a new Rivian.


[Image: Rivian]


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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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  • Del Varner "... would eventually become hydrogen-powered, removing the fossil fuel element from the equation," And pray tell how is the hydrogen going to be generated?
  • Paul Alexander No plans currently, going to enjoy not having to drive around all weekend for once. Maybe play some basketball.
  • JMII I got an early jump on things by doing some fishing on the west cost of FL last weekend. I purposely stay off the water on holiday weekends due the idiot level being off the charts. So we will head over to the SIL's place for a dip in the pool, plus watch the Monaco GP and the Indy 500. Always a great weekend for any racing fan due to those two events.
  • JMII Next year my wife will go the EV route, we are considering a used Genesis GV60. My brother already did (he has a Model Y) and his kids, who just turned 16, got a EV as their first vehicle (a Bolt). My wife is already looking forward to never stopping to pump gas again.The EV will take over daily driving duties, around town shopping, meeting up with family/friends locally. That kind of travel represents 90% of our trips. For other 10% of the time when when distances are more 200 miles we have two ICE vehicles to choose from.I'll be curious what kind of install cost getting a Level 2 charger will be. However like any home improvements the cost will be recouped when I sell.
  • MaintenanceCosts Needs a reupholstered interior and some paint work before it could even possibly be worth this much. And any 380SL owner is occasionally going to think: "I shoulda bought a 560SL."
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