Rivian Receives Regulatory Approval To Deliver In All 50 States

While the approval applies to all 50 states, that may not mean what some people think it means.

By: Steven Loveday

Sep 16, 2021 at 10:51am ET

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As we previously reported, the first production Rivian R1T fully electric pickup truck rolled off the automaker's assembly line in Normal, IL this week, followed by a long line of other production electric trucks. The leading R1T was officially the first Rivian vehicle that would find its way into a private owner's driveway, followed by about 100 more deliveries before the end of September.

Not long after the news became public, Rivian made it clear that its vehicles are officially, fully certified by federal regulators. This means the electric trucks can be delivered in all 50 states. As Automotive News reports, Rivian is now ramping up production, as expected. A Rivian spokesperson shared in an email:

“Rivian vehicles are fully certified by NHTSA, EPA and CARB, and are ready for sale in all 50 states."

Rivian is officially also the first company to bring an all-electric pickup truck to market. Moreover, it beat the Tesla Cybertruck and the Ford F-150 Lightning, which is a major accomplishment. This is especially true since Rivian worked under the radar for years, spent a great deal of time designing and preparing its R1T pickup, and delayed deliveries a few times the summer.

Gallery: Rivian R1T

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Rivian has already raised over $10 billion from prominent investors, such as companies like Amazon and Ford. Next, it aims to go public via a traditional IPO – rather than a SPAC, which rivals are using to go public more quickly, though the SPAC option hasn't worked out so well for some startups. Rivian will seek a valuation of some $80 billion.

Some folks have taken to social media to ask why Rivian can sell its vehicles in all 50 states while Tesla cannot. However, this is likely a misunderstanding. As far as we understand, Tesla, just like other automakers, has federal approval to sell its vehicles nationwide, though this doesn't mean individual states can't make their own rules to stifle Rivian as they have Tesla, and it has already been happening.