[JimmyEV]

Automotive News is reporting that Rivian is considering a subscription service for its vehicles.

They spoke with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, and he said "“We talk about inflection points, and this is one that allows us to interact in different ways with the customer.” “You may use one solution to get to and from the office during the week. But on the weekend, you may want a subscription program.”

This could be a viable option for Rivian as other car companies are starting to do the same. Would you consider signing up for a Rivian subscription instead of buying a R1T or R1S? Depending on the price I think I would.

 

[JimmyEV]

Here's E for Electric's take on Rivian offering a subscription service.

 

[eHauler]

R1S's enrolled into a car sharing service and/or rental service like Hertz would be nice as well.

 

[EyeOnRivian]

Alex from E for Electric is a youtube influencer, not a journalist, and as such usually has a lot hearsay and conjecture. In this case, it's not his fault as Rivian has virtually provided no information about their subscription model. RJ has mentioned a subscription model over a year ago in August during a Bloomberg interview. We basically know no more now than when he mentioned it last year.

go to 3:40 time mark.

"Would you consider signing up for a Rivian subscription instead of buying a R1T or R1S? "

Since I tend to keep my vehicles until they almost die, I would probably not use the subscription model as most are usually beneficial for those who change vehicles more frequently. On the other hand, I would consider it depending on how they structure the subscription model(s), e.g. what would be the minimum term, cancellation fees, change/upgrade vehicle fees, etc. The reason I might consider this plan is because these are introductory EVs that could be problematic. And even if they're not, I'm sure upgrades will come along that can't be done OTA but instead only available with a new model. So making an assumption I'll really like my Rivian EV, perhaps I'll only keep it a few years (ala subscription model) and replace it down the road with a newer/better Rivian model that I'll keep (buy?) for the long term. Again, it all depends on how they structure the subscription models.

 

[R99]

I'm with @EyeOnRivian, I'd consider the subscription service but I would have to look at all the details first. I imagine a subscription service is one of the key reasons Rivian partnered with Cox Automotive.

At the very least, a subscription service would be a good way to get people that are on the fence about EVs behind the wheel of one without spending over $70,000.

 

[St00k]

I don't love the subscription model. Why not just lease.

Or better yet... just buy it.

I see the subscription service for features as being interesting. Although I could see a case where it could really change the value of a resale vehicle. Essentially if the vehicle has a long time left on its subscription services it could be worth a lot more.