Lucas Bell 
Early last month, Rivian announced their plans to open 10 showrooms across the country as the EV automaker prepares for the launch of the R1T pickup and R1S SUV. The first of these showrooms was slated to open in Chicago’s trendy Fulton Market, with further plans to open a second location in affluent Laguna Beach, California. Thanks to a new report from Bloomberg Quint, there’s a bit of new information about the next showroom slated to open. More specifically, the California-based electric vehicle automaker has signed a lease for a new location in the woke and wealthy Williamsburg neighborhood of New York City. Plus, there’s news to share about a new amenity service simply called Rivian Guides.
Like the other two Rivian showrooms, this Williamsburg location is found right in the heart of a trendy, high-dollar neighborhood. The 12,000 square-foot space is located at 360 Wythe Ave, and will act as a place where NYC residents can come explore these new electric vehicles. Of course Rivian chose this location because they want to embed themselves within the affluent community that surrounds it. That isn’t a huge surprise however, as Rivian has made no quarrels about the fact that they are interested in capturing young buyers who have quite a bit of coin to burn. Unlike say the upcoming electric Ford F-150, the Rivian R1T is being billed as a premium product, not as a “truck person’s” pickup.
Further hinting at the luxury-oriented goals of the brand, Rivian has just announced a new service that they will be offering their buyers. Known as Rivian Guides, these employees will act as customer concierges for buyers on an individual basis. According to the video by CEO RJ Scaringe, customers will be paired with a Rivian Guide who will work directly with you for the span of your ownership. This means customers won’t be bounced around between departments, or have to deal with someone who isn’t familiar with your personal situation.
“The Rivian Guides program makes sure that every one of you has an individual, a person you can call or email and ask any questions and provide any feedback, you can go to for anything Rivian,” said Scaringe in the video. “These guys have spent a ton of time getting to know the product, getting to know the company. They’re passionate, energetic and can’t wait to spend time with you as you go through your entire ownership process.”
Rivian customers will be paired with their designated Guides in about six weeks time once their training program has wrapped up. These folks will then reach out to customers to finalize the ordering process. It’s a neat idea, and certainly one that feels upscale. Combine this with the new highfalutin Rivian showrooms, and the automaker is clearly defining their ideal place in the market.
