Rivian, the EV startup, has announced that Chicago will be the second of its planned 10 retail locations. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, the Windy City site is on W. Randolph Street in the Fulton Market neighborhood. It joins Laguna Beach, California, on the list of showroom sites the brand intends to open in 2021.
The retail locations offer customers chance to check out the Rivian R1T electric pickup and R1S electric SUV in person. They won’t be dealerships, however, since Rivian is planning to sell directly to customers, with deliveries slated to begin this summer, with the R1T due out in June and the R1S coming in August. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe previously announced that the company plans to set up 41 service locations, which together with mobile service and over-the-air updates will handle maintenance and repairs for owners of the R1T and the R1S as well as for Rivian’s Amazon delivery van.
