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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  • MKizzy Sedans in general may make a comeback but only as BEVs and only if customers prioritize driving range over cargo flexibility. I think the moribund 2 and 3 door coupe and hatchback body styles also have a chance for a revival, even if they're in some oddly raised form, driven by falling birth rates and Gen Z/Alpha rejection of the CUVs they were ferried in as kids. Until then, the best case scenario for the ICE sedan market is it stabilizing as a few healthy-selling models much as the minivan market had done. Else, sedans will follow station wagons to become a boutique product sold only by a few luxury nameplates to affluent empty nesters or high earning households seeking second vehicles.
  • MRF 95 T-Bird Platfor Ms, be they for EVs or ICEs being flexible enough for different types of vehicles it’s not difficult for manufacturers to build sedans, as well coupes, convertibles and wagons as part of their product line.
  • Tassos There isn’t enough ivory and wood in this generation. EVERYONE KNOW STATUS WAS DETERMINED BY HOW MUCH WOOD THE INTERIOR OF CADILLAC HAS.
  • Rover Sig Sedans/coupes fill an important role. They can range in size, price, and gas mileage so as to be ideal for many buyers. The market is still there to justify the production, although small SUVs and crossovers dominate the market. There is even room for the station wagon (I think of the Outback as a station wagon, although a lot of you call it a SUV). External factors, like the retreat from EVs and the potential for increased gas prices, make sedans an important sector - not just a niche. Besides, they generally handle better than SUVs, don't they?
  • Bd2 Sonota and K5 are each an absolute unit in the segment. High ATPs tell the story of money to be made in sedans.
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