Rivian To Open 10 Showrooms In 2021, The First One In Chicago

The EV upstart doesn’t want you to refer to them as showroom, but a ‘ retail experiences ‘ instead.

By: Andrei Nedelea

Feb 5, 2021 at 10:32am ET

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Even though all Rivian vehicle pre-orders so far have been made online, that doesn’t mean the manufacturer doesn’t want a more mainstream way to sell them too. It wants to open no fewer than 10 showrooms this year, thus expanding its presence outside of the world wide web, giving potential customers a place to experience its products first hand.

Rivian won’t simply call these locations it plans to open ‘ showrooms.’ According to Automotive News, the manufacturer sees them more as ‘ retail experiences,’ hinting that they won’t necessarily be traditional. We don’t know exactly how they will deviate from the norm, so we’ll have to wait and see what the company has in store.

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The very first Rivian showroom will be opened in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood. If you’re wondering why this was the first choice, Tony Caravano, Rivian’s senior director of customer experience, explained in a statement that

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 set to deliver its very first vehicles in June of this year. First to reach customers will be the R1T pickup; the R1S SUV is scheduled to start being delivered a bit later, in August. Check out our detailed articles about the pricing structure and available options if you're thinking about ordering a Rivian R1S or R1T.