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.

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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

Rivian is making good on a promise it told Carscoops about several months ago. During a fireside chat in California, the company hinted that unlockable features were on the way. Now, we know that the first of those features, which is extra power, is coming in the 2025.06 update. Later this year, owners of the Large+ battery pack will also get the option to unlock extra range.

More Power for a Price

First and foremost, Rivian says these unlockable features will only be available to second-gen R1 owners. Right now, buyers of these newer EVs can add the Performance Pack to their Dual Motor trim for a cool $5,000. It includes a bump from 533 horsepower (397 kW) and 610 lb-ft (826 Nm) of torque to 665 horsepower (495 kW) and 829 lb-ft (1122 Nm) of torque. Furthermore, it adds two new drive modes, Sport and Soft Sand, to the mix.

Read: EV Crash Claims Jump 38%, And Repairs Are Pricier Than Ever

The automaker will soon make this addition the first available unlock with version 2025.06 of its software. It doesn’t say how much the upgrade will cost within the ecosystem, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see Rivian offer multiple options including a one-time fee, a subscription, or even a trial period of the software.

More Range on the Horizon

That’s likely the same situation buyers who chose the Large+ Battery Pack will face later this year. In a post to his personal X account, Wassym Bensaid said the extra range will be the next unlockable feature after the Performance Pack upgrade is live. Rivian’s Large+ battery pack is the same as its Max pack but software-limited for less range.

Per your feedback, Dual Performance upgrade for your Rivian will be available through OTA.

Coming soon with the 2025.06 update. And you can use Rivian Rewards, too! pic.twitter.com/f3C6xO9Bdp

— Wassym Bensaid (@WassymBensaid) February 28, 2025

Next on the roadmap! 😉

— Wassym Bensaid (@WassymBensaid) March 1, 2025

A Growing Trend in the Industry

Rivian isn’t the first automaker to experiment with paid software unlocks. Tesla and Mercedes have already rolled out similar models, allowing customers to pay for performance boosts or additional features that are technically already built into the car.

In theory, such unlocks allow automakers to streamline production. Building one vehicle with two settings can be cheaper than two separate types. At the same time, some believe that if the car is capable of something, it should be available to the end buyer no matter what.

Where do you stand on the debate? Let us know in the comments.