Rivian plans to discontinue the entry trims of the R1S SUV and R1T pickup this year, the startup said on Tuesday.
"Dual Standard is ending," Rivian said in a marketing email. "We have changes coming to our vehicle line up later this year, take advantage of lease offers on Dual Standard while you can."
A Rivian spokesperson confirmed the change in an email to InsideEVs, saying that "We're refining our R1 vehicle lineup later this year and with that will be sunsetting the R1 Dual Standard." He added that the company will share more details "later on."
Rivian did not say when it planned to stop selling R1 Dual Standard models or give a reason for the change.
It may be because Rivian doesn't sell enough Standard models to justify the extra complexity in its manufacturing and supply chains. In an interview on the InsideEVs Plugged-In Podcast last year, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe said the company doesn't sell very many base models in general.
"It's an interesting dynamic. We sell very, very few of the base spec of any of the things we build," Scaringe said. "Even if you come in for the base spec, you end up spending a little bit more."
The average selling price for an R1, he said, was around $90,000, "meaning customers end up buying a higher spec."
R1 Dual Standard models have a pair of motors and the automaker's smallest battery option. The Dual Standard R1T is currently Rivian's lowest-priced vehicle, with a starting price of $72,990 before fees and options. The next model up, the R1T Dual, costs $79,990.
The R1S Dual Standard costs $76,990. Leveling up to the R1S Dual costs $83,990. Both entry models have an EPA-estimated range of 270 miles. Upgrading to the Large pack in the Dual models bumps EPA range to a much healthier 329 miles.
So the entry price for Rivian's R1 series will increase by $7,000, absent any other changes to the lineup. Of course, the barrier of entry into the Rivian brand more broadly will drop considerably soon. The R2, the company's first mass-market model, launches in the second quarter.
According to Tuesday's email blast, current Dual Standard lease offers are valid for buyers who are approved by March 19 and take delivery by March 31. The R1S and R1T Dual Standard start at $749 per month for a 36 month lease, with $5,644 due at signing.
Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
[Updated March 10 6 pm ET with additional context and previous interview comments from Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe
Updated March 11 1:13 pm ET with confirmation from a Rivian spokesperson after the second paragraph]
