Rivian Discontinues Base Model for R1S, R1T

Rivian became an household overnight when it beat everyone to the punch to have the first all-electric pickup truck on sale. Not only that, but Rivian's all-electric vehicles have innovative design elements and high-tech powertrains that you won't find on any other vehicle on the market. When Rivian appeared on the scene, its vehicles stood out for a few reasons, with pricing being one of them. After Rivian's major price increase in March, the automaker caught a lot of ire from the Internet. And now, Rivian is back with another increase that is sure to anger consumers.

Rivian's EVs Become More Expensive

As The Verge reports, Rivian has canceled the entry-level versions of both the R1S and R1T. The move effectively raises the price for both EVs by a large figure. The outlet found out about the price increase on an online forum for Rivian owners called the Rivian Owners Forum. For shoppers looking to purchase a Rivian, the discontinuation of the Explore trims result in a higher price tag. 

The Rivian R1T used to start at $68,575 (including destination), while the R1S used to cost $73,575. With the cancellation of the Explore trim, the R1T now starts at $74,075 and the R1S is priced at $79,575. These figures are for the available Adventure trim. This is a large price increase, especially for consumers that were looking to purchase a Rivian in the near future. 

In light of the price increase, Rivian is giving existing customers a few options to choose from. The first one is to upgrade their current order for an Explore trim up to an Adventure trim. The second choice is to cancel the order. Canceling an order will result in a customer getting a refund on the deposit. Both of these choices aren't great and will certainly anger shoppers. 

Reservation Holders Have A Few Choices

As the outlet points out, one customer on the forum stated that they were "totally enraged and let down at the same time" when they got an email from Rivian explaining that upgrading to the Adventure trim would add roughly $8,000 to the vehicle's price tag. The Verge spoke with Rivian spokesperson Tanya Miller who stated that the decision to discontinue the Explore trim was to be able to "deliver as many vehicles as possible." Miller claims that "focusing on the Adventure trim package" allows the automaker to "streamline" its supply chain and manufacture more vehicles. 

This sounds like a terrible thing for shoppers and especially reservation holders, but Rivian states that "only a small percentage of customers" had an existing reservation for the Explore trim. So, in their eyes, this change won't affect a lot of people. 

This is the second price increase for Rivian's vehicles this year. The first one took place in March and saw the brand raise prices by $12,000.