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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  • Marcus36 In other words...."WE have no idea what we are doing"
  • Donald This is what happens when you make your wife CFO. This is all the result of accounting problems. And could’ve been avoided with a reserve of liquidy.
  • Rochester When I was young, a number of girls I dated wanted to own a Jeep. I didn't understand (and don't like them myself), but it was certainly something. So good for Jeep leaning into that.
  • 3SpeedAutomatic Elon took his eye off the ball while pre-occupied with "X" (formerly Twitter). Now, Tesla is coming around and biting him on the arse!!In the car business, you need to keep you finger on the pulse. Momentum will only carry you so far. If in doubt, think Lordstown and Fisker. He thinks technology will solve his problems. However, Telsa has moved from premier product to commodity with other manufacturers entering his exclusive domain. Time for Elon to fly back to Tesla HQ and come up with a long term plan. 🚗🚗🚗
  • Irvingklaws Anymore seems I want a color that is not black, white, red, or some shade of silver/gray. Though I coveted them when I was younger, I also seem to have developed an aversion to all-black interiors. I have a deep negative reaction to any vehicle identifying as "triple black". Don't even get me started on black wheels...I'm not the only one. We're looking to replace my wife's silver CX-5 and one of her few non-negotiable prerequisites is that it be "a color" not in the aforementioned list. It's looking like a Cascade Green Forester with a light gray interior is in her future.
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