El innovador del vehículo eléctrico, Rivian Automotiveestá cambiando de marcha y adoptando un enfoque único para vender su excedente de Camionetas eléctricas R1T. En un movimiento audaz, la empresa invita a los compradores potenciales a visitar el aparcamiento de su fábrica en Normal, Illinois, para una experiencia de compra en persona.

Tras iniciar la producción a finales de 2021, Rivian quickly transitioned from having extended waitlists to an excess inventory of some versions of the R1T. The company’s decision to host a one-day sales event where customers can “shop in person” deviates from its predominantly online sales model, wherein vehicles are typically built to order and then delivered to the customers.

At the event, buyers will have the opportunity to browse through numerous pickup trucks parked in a lot, which Rivian has christened as the “Rivian Dealership.” If a truck piques a customer’s interest, they can buy it and take it home on the same day, a move that’s a rarity in the automotive business.

The challenge facing Rivian, however, lies in keeping up with sales as it lags behind production. In contrast to its more established rivals that have extensive networks of franchise dealerships, Rivian has chosen to sell directly to consumers. “Rivian doesn’t have that lever to pull. It is up to them to sort out that inventory,” comments Jessica Caldwell, an auto analyst at car-shopping website Edmunds.

Although Rivian has showrooms for customers to see and test drive vehicles, these stores don’t maintain inventories of trucks and SUVs for immediate purchase. The company attributes its excess inventory to last-minute order changes and a buildup of its most in-demand vehicle configurations.

A medida que se intensifica la competencia en el sector de los vehículos eléctricos, Rivian ha informado de menores tiempos de espera para algunos clientes. Aun así, las matriculaciones mensuales del camión R1T han disminuido, mientras que las del SUV R1S han aumentado en gran medida.

Rivian’s CEO, RJ Scaringe, has said that long wait times are the main reason for order cancellations, and they are working to increase SUV production at the expense of trucks.

Mientras la startup de vehículos eléctricos trata de revolucionar las ventas con su experimento de venta física, se enfrenta simultáneamente a la presión de aumentar los ingresos y reducir las pérdidas trimestrales en medio de unas reservas de efectivo cada vez menores.

With an increasingly competitive market and dealerships restocking, the demand isn’t gone, but companies like Rivian need to work harder to woo customers. As Stephanie Brinley, the principal auto analyst at S&P Global Mobility supuestamente puts it, “You do have to sell vehicles, believe it or not.”