- Rivian has mentioned that its first official retail location to showcase its EVs will open in Chicago’s Fulton Market District.
- It is said that Rivian intends to open up to 10 “retail experiences” across the U.S. by the end of 2021.
- Currently, Rivian’s vehicles are only available on pre-order, but a retail outlet will give people the chance to have a good look at the EVs first hand.
A new report by Automotive News claims that Rivian is looking to open as many as 10 retail locations in the U.S. for its upcoming R1T and the R1S electric vehicles. It goes on to say that the first of these outlets, otherwise known as “retail experiences“, will open in Chicago. It’s unclear as to how different these locations will be from a regular auto shop or Tesla outlets around the U.S., though we expect to get a better idea over the weeks to come.
The report doesn’t provide the full list of cities where Rivian will bring its retail experiences, though the company’s Senior Director of Customer Experience, explained why the first of these outlets will open in Chicago, IL.
“As we prepare to deliver our first vehicles this summer, we’re working to establish physical locations where people can experience Rivian in person. With a high concentration of Rivian pre-order customers, Chicago is a key location for us, and Fulton Market is a vibrant neighborhood and a great fit. Our vehicles are Illinois-built and we’re looking forward to sharing them with this community.”
Rivian is already in the process of launching the R1T electric pickup truck by June 2021, while the R1S electric SUV is expected to follow at around the same time. The company’s plans were shaken up to a certain degree due to the stay at home orders and other closures across the U.S. last year. However, the company started taking online pre-orders of its EVs late last year.
More recently, Rivian’s major partnership with Amazon started taking shape as the Rivian-made electric delivery vans made their way to the streets of Los Angeles for the first time. It’s clear that Rivian will have more competition in the U.S. by the end of 2021 given the number of high-caliber EVs hitting the markets later this year.
Via: InsideEVs