The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is reportedly expanding its electric vehicle fleet with the purchase of 450 Rivian vehicles, though the agency has not yet issued an official statement.
Speculation began after photos surfaced online showing Rivian R1T pickups carrying Caltrans’ orange stripe. A member of Rivian Forums wrote that he spotted one of the vehicles at the company’s West Sacramento Center, where staff allegedly confirmed the purchase. Additional images posted on Reddit showed Rivian trucks on a carrier and others being prepared for service in Los Angeles.
While confirmed details remain limited, the reported order includes both the R1T pickup and R1S SUV. If verified, the acquisition would follow Caltrans’ 2022 purchase of nearly 400 Tesla Model 3 sedans, which the agency said offered strong safety, range and cost benefits for taxpayers.
Caltrans, which manages nearly 400,000 lane-miles of roadway in California, has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning its fleet to zero-emission vehicles. Funding for the program comes from the state budget, which dedicates hundreds of millions of dollars to replacing combustion-powered vehicles and expanding charging infrastructure.
Source: Drive Tesla