CA Gov. Selects Rivian as Official Vehicle, Rivian Delivers 453 EVs to Caltrans

On New Year’s Day, January 1, 2026, Seth Parks, Sr. Manager of Fleet Sales for Rivian, announced that Rivian delivered 138 R1S SUVs and 315 R1T pickups (453 Rivian EVs) to Caltrans, (the California Department of Transportation).

Parks said: “In June of 2025, Caltrans placed an order for 138 R1S SUVs and 315 R1T pickups. Yesterday, Rivian fulfilled the last of 453 units, all upfitted and delivered in just 200 days. We are proud to serve Caltrans and the State of California. Thank you to Caltrans and to the dozens of Rivian employees who made this order and delivery happen!”

In October, Riviantrackr.com reported that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has reportedly placed an order for more than 600 Rivian R1 electric vehicles (EVs), marking one of the largest public-sector purchases in Rivian’s history.

Early reports indicated the order includes a combination of R1T pickup trucks and R1S SUVs intended for statewide operations and regional field assignments. Approximately 450 vehicles were said to be confirmed at the time, with additional deliveries expected to bring the total above 600 units.

The purchase is believed to be funded through California’s state budget, which earmarks hundreds of millions of dollars for replacing aging, gas-powered fleet vehicles with zero-emission alternatives. As such, the acquisition is likely supported by taxpayer funding and aligns with California’s broader mandate to transition many light-duty state fleet vehicles.

For Rivian, the order represents a meaningful validation from one of the largest state agencies in the country. Beyond its high-profile Amazon delivery van program, the Caltrans deployment underscores the R1 platform’s growing credibility as a capable, durable solution for government fleets that require performance, range, and off-road capability in demanding operational environments.

CA Gov. Gavin Newsom Selected Tesla Rival Rivian as New Official Vehicle in May 2025

In May 2025, CBS news reported California Governor Gavin Newsom chose a new official state vehicle: a black, all-electric Rivian SUV. Rivian is a California-based electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Irvine, though its vehicles are produced in Illinois.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the Dignitary Protection Section recently purchased two Rivian vehicles, replacing the governor’s previous vehicle, a Chevrolet Suburban.

The timing of the purchase follows heightened scrutiny of Tesla after Tesla CEO Elon Musk contributed roughly $250 million to the current President’s campaign and played a prominent role in advancing federal cost-cutting efforts through DOGE. During the first quarter of this year, Tesla’s share of new EV registrations in California fell by nearly 12%, according to the California New Car Dealers Association.

Ethan Elkind, the director of the UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, told CBS News: “Well, it feels like it’s a bit of a slap in the face at Tesla,” Elkind said. “I mean, I think at this point it would be hard to imagine the governor politically getting into a Tesla, given just how toxic Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has become to so many Democratic voters in the state.”

EVinfo.net’s Take: Fantastic Choices by Gov. Newsom, Caltrans, and Our Home State of California

Once again, I could not be more proud of my beautiful, forward-thinking home state of California, leading the nation in EV adoption. California’s EV adoption surged in 2025, hitting a record 29.1% market share for Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) in Q3.

In December 2025, EVinfo.net reported on Gov. Newsom’s press release, showing how EVs and renewable energy are contributing to the strong California economy. Pollution is down, and the economy is up. Greenhouse gas emissions in California are down 21% since 2000 — even as the state’s GDP increased 81% in that same time period, all while becoming the world’s fourth largest economy.

EVinfo.net recommends Rivian Vehicles, and we are very impressed with CEO RJ Scaringe and the entire Rivian team.

In May 2025, EVinfo.net released news that Rivian’s video about the harmful effects of global human-caused climate change, “Our Only Home,” won three gold awards and two silver awards at the Telly awards.

In November 2024, EVinfo.net was proud to release a story about the compelling and informative video. Robert Joseph “RJ” Scaringe, the founder and CEO of Rivian, created a timely video discussing the urgent threat of global climate change, and the vital role electric vehicles (EVs) play in combating it. As both an engineer and entrepreneur, Scaringe brings scientific insight and a deep passion for innovation to this critical conversation.

EVinfo.net spoke with Marina Hoffmann, Communications, Leadership Team at Rivian about the video in May 2025.

Hoffmann said: “Rivian put out an amazing piece of content “Our Only Home” last year, narrated by Rivian founder & CEO RJ Scaringe. This week, the Telly Awards gave it 3 golds and 2 silvers across multiple categories. It’s a beautifully crafted work which is on point for the brand while also stretching it forward. It’s my favorite. We’re lucky to have a creative team in house who has their finger on the pulse of the brand and can encapsulate RJ’s vision into a beautiful piece of content.” 

Hoffmann continued: “Big high fives to Nicholas Maher, Nathan Heleine, James Henry, Abby Matousek, Ian Ward, Clinton Kyle Hollister, Julia R. for making it happen. This team does a phenomenal job of capturing the essence of Rivian, and I am honored to work with them and see them in action. Bravo!”