Rivian Discounts Leased To Take Electric Amidst Ford’s F-150 EV Retreat
Buyers can save $5,000 on the lease of a new Rivian R1T electric pickup truck or R1S SUV as the Irving, Calif.-based plug-in automaker takes advantage of changes in the electric pickup market segment.
Rivian said in a post on its website that car buyers can get $5,000 toward a down payment on “new 2026 R1S and R1T Dual vehicles with a larger or Max battery and Performance Upgrade when you receive an approved lease offer by March 3 and take delivery by March 31.”
The deal comes as one of Rivian’s biggest rivals in the electrification segment, Ford, has announced plans to switch its F-150 Lightning pickup from an all-electric vehicle to a hybrid vehicle known as an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV).
It also comes as Rivian tries to push itself to grow into a mainstream EV maker by introducing a new $45,000 plug-in SUV.
How many R1Ts does Rivian sell?
Rivian has sold 7,416 R1T electric vans by 2025, according to Cox Automotive. That number is down 33.1% compared to the 11,085 units the Rivian sold in 2024. By comparison, Ford sold 27,307 F-150 Lightning electric vans last year, while General Motors sold 11,275 Chevrolet Silverados.
Here’s how some popular models in the electric pickup segment sold last year:
- Tesla Cybertruck: 20,237
- GMC Hummer EV: 15,788
What is an EREV vehicle?
An EREV is a plug-in hybrid vehicle with a gasoline engine; these motors are used only as a power source for a larger battery intended to provide extended range. It differs from most hybrids in that both the gasoline engine and the battery are used to power the vehicle at various times during the vehicle’s operation.
EREVs were developed to help address consumer concerns about the battery range of fully electric vehicles and the fact that many hybrid vehicles still use gasoline engines that cause air pollution. Concerns about EV battery life have become so frequent that they have been called “multiple concerns.”
According to a survey released in January by the advocacy group EVs for All America, 20% of the 600 potential EV buyers in 2025 said their biggest concern about plug-in models is the reliability of charging networks.
Why is Ford switching the lightning F-150 from an EV to a hybrid?
Ford said in a December 2025 news release that it was switching the F-150 Lighting from an all-electric power train to an EREV format because it “will offer the best of both worlds: the seamless, fast power of an electric power train and the freedom of a limited range supported by a generator of more than 700 miles.”
“Unlike a traditional hybrid, the F-150 Lightning EREV is driven 100 percent by electric motors,” said the Dearborn, Michigan-based company. “This ensures that owners get the pure EV driving experience they love – including acceleration and quiet operation – while eliminating the need to stop and charge during long-distance towing.”
Rivian said in a 2024 press release announcing their second-generation R1 cars that the R1T will be offered with “Tri-Motor and Quad-Motor.” The company said the “1,025-horsepower Quad-Motor R1T delivers 0-60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds and 1,198lb ft of torque when using Launch Mode.”
Will Ford customers consider Rivian’s electric van?
Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry information at Cox Automotive, said in a statement to USA TODAY that Ford’s move to make the F-150 Lightning an EREV will likely not open the door to more electric van sales for Rivian.
“EV trucks represent only 6.8% of total EV sales in 2025 and the segment contracted to 12.9% in the same year,” he said. “This is a category that struggles to measure. Ford’s decision reflects that fact.” Valdez Streaty added that “the buyer overlap does not exist” between Rivian and Ford. “Lightning sells in the traditional trucking states — Michigan, Texas, Florida,” he said. “R1T sells to foreign markets and offshore markets – Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Hawaii. These are very different buyers with different motivations.” Valdez Streaty said “Ford’s move to the EREV is an acknowledgment that converting the traditional truck buyer to a full BEV is a difficult task.” “Traditional truck buyers are not Rivian’s customers,” he said. “Rivian’s customer was already committed to electricity.”
This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Rivian discounts electric van rentals during Ford’s F-150 EV retreat
Reporting by Keith Laing, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
