Caltrans Spent $100 Million on Rivian EVs

Source: ABC10 ↗

California’s Department of Transportation spent $106 million on 983 Rivian electric vehicles under a state contract, while initially declining to answer questions about why Rivian was selected, how many units are deployed and what work they will perform.

After ABC10 aired the story on October 8, 2026, Caltrans responded the same night. “Caltrans maintains a large fleet of vehicles that crews rely on every day to keep California’s highways safe and operational, including chain control, emergency response, construction, and highway maintenance,” a Caltrans spokesperson said in a written statement. “The vehicles were selected because they are best suited for the specialized and often dangerous work of Caltrans crews throughout the state — and provided the state with the best value based on specialized equipment required, long term costs, and fuel efficiency. The vehicles are purchased through the Department of General Services and were selected as part of a competitive bidding process.”

Of the 983 vehicles purchased to date, 453 are currently in service and 530 remain in delivery. The contract with Rivian runs from February 2025 through February 2028, according to a copy available online.

Contract records show California bought four Rivian models. The R1S Dual Standard is priced at $77,635; the R1T Dual Large at $80,610; the R1T Dual Max at $87,610; and the R1S Dual Max at $91,635. The Department of General Services confirmed Rivian offered a price 2% below sticker at the time of the bid. Rivian separately confirmed to ABC10 that the discount amounts to about $1,700 per vehicle.

Chris Micheli, a legislative analyst of state contracts, said the scale of the purchase warrants scrutiny. “If you procure a $100 million worth of products or a service, you would expect the state to get a discount,” Micheli said, according to ABC10. “You want to ensure that the state of California is getting the best deal possible,”

State agencies purchasing vehicles are limited to a list of state-approved manufacturers. That list includes Rivian alongside lower-priced options, including Hyundai, Kia, Dodge and Jeep. Kristi Armstrong, with Caltrans’ Division of Equipment, said at an unrelated event that the agency’s goal is to field the greenest fleet in the country. “It’s been Caltrans’ goal to be the greenest fleet in the nation. And we are well on our way from a government standpoint,” Armstrong said.

The vehicle purchases align with executive orders issued by Governor Gavin Newsom requiring an end to the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger vehicles by 2035 and requiring medium- and heavy-duty trucks to be zero-emission by 2045 where feasible.

Caltrans is not the only state agency with Rivian contracts. The Department of General Services confirmed contracts also cover the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Conservation and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among others.