As the electric vehicle market continues to evolve, one thing has remained constant: Tesla’s commanding lead, even as it faces recent setbacks. That dominance, according to Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, has less to do with brand loyalty and more to do with the lack of compelling alternatives, especially for buyers looking in the sub-$50,000 range.

But that may be about to change. Rivian’s upcoming R2 and R3 models are expected to come in below that price point, and with more automakers entering the space, consumers could soon have some real competition to consider

Rivian, much like Tesla in its early days, has taken the approach of launching with higher-end vehicles before branching into more affordable territory. In a recent interview with Fox Business, Scaringe emphasized that increasing consumer choice is key to growing EV adoption. More options, he said, will help drive the industry forward and increase EVs’ share of overall vehicle sales.

Read: Rivian Stacks Discounts Like Pancakes To Steal Tesla Owners After Q1 Sales Crash

“If you’re looking at buying an electric vehicle for under $50,000 today, there’s really very, very few highly compelling choices,” Scaringe said. “And for that reason, you’ve seen Tesla with very significant market share for a long time now, over 50% of the market share, and that’s actually a reflection of limited grade choices. And so what we need to see to go from 8% to 15 to 20 to eventually 100% of vehicle sales being electric, a lot of choice.”

More Models, More Buyers

Scaringe also noted that “choice” doesn’t just mean more brands offering EVs. It includes variety in styling, form factor, feature sets, and design. The broader and more diverse the lineup across the industry, the more likely consumers are to find something that fits their needs – and to leave internal combustion behind.

The Rivian CEO’s comments reflect a growing belief in the industry that EVs need to meet buyers where they are. While early adopters were often willing to pay a premium or compromise on certain features, mainstream customers are looking for affordability, practicality, and familiarity. Rivian’s push into sub-$50K territory could help shift that balance and bring more first-time EV buyers into the fold.

Tariff Troubles

The conversation with Fox also turned to trade policy, where Scaringe discussed the impact of tariffs introduced during the Trump administration. Although Rivian builds its vehicles in the United States, including motors, software, batteries, and electronics, it still depends on a complex international supply chain.

“One of the things with automotive is the supply chain is so complex, where we have hundreds of suppliers providing parts from, say, a headlight or a tow hook or tires or the structure under the skin here that are coming from not only a set of suppliers that supply to us, but those suppliers have suppliers, and then in turn, those suppliers have suppliers, so there’s tier two, tier three,” he said. “So in our case, it is a mix. Given the new environment from a tariff point of view, we’re working really hard to see what we can change, but they’re difficult to change.”

While Rivian may be less exposed than some of its competitors to US tariffs, it isn’t completely insulated. Scaringe also raised concerns about trade restrictions on rare earth elements, especially those processed in China. Though rare earths are mined in many regions, China controls a large share of the refining process, creating a chokepoint in the EV supply chain.

“When we think about the tariffs, of course the 25% auto tariff hits everybody,” Rivian’s boss added. “We do rely on a supply chain that across its tiers has a number of components that come from other countries and then, importantly, the trade restrictions and what we’re seeing in terms of rare earth metals out of China, that’s a real challenge for electric vehicles.” 

Rivian’s not exactly cruising into 2025. The EV startup reported a rough first quarter, with sales down 36% year-over-year and only 8,640 new vehicles delivered. That’s a hard hit by any measure. But if you’re in the market for a Rivian, the silver lining is this: getting behind the wheel of an R1T or R1S has just become significantly more affordable thanks to several new incentives.

Between April 1 and April 30, Rivian is offering what it calls an ‘Electric Refresh’ offer to anyone who trades in a BEV, hybrid, or ICE vehicle from any automaker. This offer is valued at $3,000, cutting a significant chunk off the starting price of both the R1T and R1S. For Canadian customers, the discount bumps up to CA$4,300 upon trade-in.

Read: If You Thought Tesla’s Q1 Was Bad Rivian’s Was Worse

This isn’t the only deal Rivian is offering. In a direct play for Tesla’s customer base, the company is also offering an additional $3,000 incentive to current Tesla owners and lessees. As reported by Rivian Trackr, these two deals can be stacked, bringing the savings up to $6,000. US shoppers who choose to lease a new R1T or R1S will also get a $7,500 EV lease credit, bringing potential savings up to a generous $13,500.

Stacking Deals, But Know the Fine Print

While this deal may sound too good to pass up, it’s worth remembering that dealers will generally lowball you with a trade-in valuation. More often than not, you’ll be able to sell your car privately for more than Rivian will offer at trade-in. However, trade-ins are valuable for those who aren’t comfortable or have the time selling a car themselves, and are certainly a more stress-free way of changing cars.

Until the smaller R2 and R3 models hit the market, the Rivian R1T and R1S remain out of the price range of many shoppers, even with these discounts. The entry-level R1T Dual Standard starts from $69,900, and the range tops out at $99,900 for the R1T Tri version. The Rivian R1S SUV is a little bit pricier, kicking off from $75,900 for the Dual Standard and topping out at $105,900 for the R1S Tri. Quad-motor versions of the R1T and R1S are also just around the corner, but prices have yet to be confirmed.

With the Rivian R1S starting at $75,900 in the United States, it’s safe to say no one expected it to rival the volume of more affordable, everyday EVs. But in January, the R1S managed to secure a surprisingly impressive spot as the fifth-best-selling new EV in the country, placing it alongside some pretty elite company.

Rivian itself does not release monthly sales figures, but according to data from Cox Automotive, the only EVs to outsell the R1S were the Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Honda Prologue. While exact sales figures for these models weren’t revealed, the data shows that Rivian moved more than 4,000 vehicles in February.

Review: The 2025 Rivian R1S Is An Imperfect But Promising Look At The Future

It comes as no shock that Tesla continues to dominate the EV market, but its grip is loosening ever so slightly. In February, overall Tesla sales fell by 10%, largely due to a steep 32.5% drop in Cybertruck deliveries and 17.5% fewer Model 3s sold. Even the best-selling Model Y saw a modest dip of 3.1%. It’s clear that the company’s previous growth spurt may be slowing down, but they’re still in the driver’s seat.

Looking at the US market more broadly, new EV sales declined slightly in February with 95,692 total sales. This was a 5.9% fall from January 2025 but up 10.5% from February last year. Similarly, used EV sales dropped 4.7% from January, but soared 34.2% from February 2024 to 24,875 units, representing 1.7% of all used cars sold. The market share of new EVs sold fell slightly to 7.7%.

When it comes to the used EV market, Tesla continues to reign supreme, accounting for a dominant 39.9% of all used EV sales last month, although its sales dipped by 9.2% compared to January.

On average, new and used EVs continue to sell for more than their internal combustion engine counterparts. However, this is mainly due to the wider price range of ICE vehicles, which pulls their average transaction price down. EVs, by contrast, tend to be more expensive from the start, leading to a higher average.

More: These Are The Cars With The Highest And Lowest Depreciation After 5 Years

In February, the average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV was $55,273, reflecting a 3.7% increase from the previous year and notably higher than the ATP of a new ICE vehicle, which sat at $47,555. Used EVs aren’t much of a bargain either, with the average ATP for a used EV at $38,057, significantly more than the $33,134 ATP for a used ICE vehicle.

Rivian has teamed up with camping gear brand iKamper to offer a new rugged tent designed for the R1T truck and R1S SUV. Considering both of these vehicles are made with adventure-loving drivers in mind, it makes sense that Rivian would offer such a product directly through their Gear Shop.

The tent, known as the Skycamp Mini, weighs 137 lbs (61.8 kg) and has been designed to be mounted to roof racks on either the R1T or R1S, or to sit over the bed of the R1T. iKamper’s tent is housed within a hardshell and folds out into position in just a minute. According to the company, the aerodynamic design of the shell does not hinder the driving range of the two Rivian models.

Read: Level Up Your Rivian R1T With This Rooftop Camper And Topper

Other Rivian touches present include blacked-out hardware and Rivian branding. It’s constructed using breathable PFAS-free fabric, sleeps 1 or 2 people, and is suitable for year-round use, regardless of the season. It also comes standard with a self-inflating mattress and locking crossbar brackets compatible with Rivian’s Adventure Key set.

The Price Tag

Here’s where things get a bit tricky. iKamper already sells a nearly identical version of the Skycamp Mini, just without Rivian’s branding, for $3,895. But the Rivian-branded version—because, apparently, the logo makes it worth more—comes in at $4,595. Sure, some might think it’s worth the premium for the exclusive Rivian flair, but for many, that’s a tough pill to swallow.

This isn’t the only rooftop tent Rivian offers. For the past couple of years, it’s been selling a $2,800 two-person tent for the R1S created in partnership with Yakima. However, unlike the iKamper option, this one does not have a hardshell case, or a self-inflating mattress.

If you’re planning to turn your R1 into a full-on mobile base camp, you’ll also need to shell out another $1,400 for the Travel Kitchen, which Rivian also sells. This setup includes two cooktops powered by a 1500W system that runs off a 120V outlet. It folds away for storage, and it’s part of the expanding Adventure Gear lineup.

The first-ever R1S police cruiser has officially made its debut in the United States, and it’s headed straight to Palo Alto, home to Rivian’s sprawling facility. The electric SUV was unveiled at a recent event at Rivian’s headquarters, where local Mayor Ed Lauing took a moment to shower the company with praise.

Interestingly, this charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County is also home to Tesla’s new global engineering HQ, which has been operating there since 2023. Yet, for some reason, Elon Musk’s brand didn’t quite make the cut.

Read: 2025 Rivian R1S And R1T Combine Tired Looks With New Tech And More Power

Unlike the louder, garish designs you might expect from a police cruiser, the R1S keeps it understated. Most of the exterior is decked out in gloss black, while the front doors get a clean white trim. The department’s badge makes a neat appearance on the sides, adding just enough flair to remind everyone this is a police vehicle—not a luxury SUV on a road trip.

The R1S Cruiser Still Needs a Few Tweaks

For now, the R1S doesn’t have the customary red and blue roof light bar—it just didn’t arrive in time for the event. There’s also talk of a push bar being added, as well as other custom equipment for the cabin. Rivian’s engineers are reportedly working closely with the city to get the SUV ready for active duty.

Palo Alto’s Captain James Reifschneider spoke to Palo Alto Online, noting that the R1S offers significantly more cabin space than the Ford Explorers and Jeep Durangos currently used by the department.

While giving his State of the City presentation, Palo Alto Major Ed Lauing praised Rivian and his plans for the area.

More: California Cops Speak Out Against Tesla Police Cars, Call Them Unfit For Duty

“The electric car was created years before Rivian first shipped their EV, but Rivian wanted to be the best EV in the future, not the first EV of the past,” he said. “That sounds a lot like Palo Alto to me because Palo Alto is a great place to live and work and shop and play and go to school and that isn’t enough. We’re always looking to be more innovative going forward and to make our place in Palo Alto even better.”

Other Police EVs

Palo Alto is far from the only city jumping on the EV police cruiser bandwagon. Several agencies in California have started adding electric vehicles to their fleets, but the transition hasn’t been without its challenges.

The South Pasadena Police Department has replaced its entire fleet with Tesla Model 3s and Model Ys, but some departments have complained about the lack of space offered by these two Tesla models. The Rivian R1S is much larger, but it’s also much more expensive, starting at $75,900 in base guise before any expensive upgrades are made.

There’s no word on whether police in Palo Alto plan to add more Rivian models to their fleet.

Opening image via Rivian Forums