Rivian was certified by Transport Canada to sell vehicles north of the border, opening the startup’s international expansion. In a letter to customers, Rivian announced that the first vehicles would get to customers in British Columbia this year, with more regions to be added from next year.
The letter Rivian sent to reservation holders in Canada does not offer a specific date, but “this year” is pretty specific, considering there are only three months left of 2022. As expected, the first region to benefit is British Columbia, considering previous rumors about the service center opening in Vancouver. Rivian promised the rest of Canada would follow “starting next year,” according to Drive Tesla.
About that service center in Vancouver, Rivian confirmed that it is now up and running. The company is also building new service facilities in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. The service centers, named “Customer Engagement Center” at Rivian, will offer demo drives, conduct deliveries, and install accessories, besides regular vehicle service. They are instrumental to Rivian’s ability to start delivering vehicles. For now, only the Vancouver center is in operation, with other provinces planned for next year.
Rivian also promised to expand promotional activities throughout Canada, besides offering demo drives to potential customers. These would include viewing events, with the first one scheduled in the Vancouver area “toward the end of October or early November.” This would allow prospective buyers to see the Rivian R1T and R1S in person.
Transport Canada granted Rivian the operating permit on September 29, following a bit of a drama. The authority asked for more documents from the U.S. EV maker, and it was enough for many news outlets to report that Rivian’s application was rejected. But, as the EV maker clarified, it was just a matter of feeding the right papers into the bureaucratic machine. This means that Rivian can now stick with initial plans to deliver the first vehicles in Canada by the end of 2022.
About that service center in Vancouver, Rivian confirmed that it is now up and running. The company is also building new service facilities in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. The service centers, named “Customer Engagement Center” at Rivian, will offer demo drives, conduct deliveries, and install accessories, besides regular vehicle service. They are instrumental to Rivian’s ability to start delivering vehicles. For now, only the Vancouver center is in operation, with other provinces planned for next year.
Rivian also promised to expand promotional activities throughout Canada, besides offering demo drives to potential customers. These would include viewing events, with the first one scheduled in the Vancouver area “toward the end of October or early November.” This would allow prospective buyers to see the Rivian R1T and R1S in person.
Transport Canada granted Rivian the operating permit on September 29, following a bit of a drama. The authority asked for more documents from the U.S. EV maker, and it was enough for many news outlets to report that Rivian’s application was rejected. But, as the EV maker clarified, it was just a matter of feeding the right papers into the bureaucratic machine. This means that Rivian can now stick with initial plans to deliver the first vehicles in Canada by the end of 2022.