California’s Department of Transportation — known as ‘Caltrans’ — is reportedly adding hundreds of Rivian vehicles to its fleet.
The report comes a few months after California Governor Gavin Newsom was seen using a Rivian R1S SUV as his official state vehicle, replacing his Chevrolet Suburban.
According to new images shared by user ‘Joules Burn’ on one of the brand’s main forums, a R1T pick-up was spotted at the West Sacramento Center, branded with the fluorescent orange stripe and ‘Caltrans’ indicator.
“I was getting a tire balance at the West Sacramento Center and noticed this R1T,” the user wrote.
“They then mentioned that Caltrans bought 450 Rivians,” ‘Joules Burn’ added.
However — as of Tuesday — neither the Irvine-based EV maker nor Caltrans has announced a purchase agreement.
Late last month, Reddit user ‘Gemmisa’ had shared an image of several R1 vehicles being transported, where again the orange stripe could already be seen.
Several users noted that it could be the indicator for Caltrans vehicles, as “they already have a bunch of [Chevrolet] Silverado EVs and [Ford] Lightnings around here, all white with that same orange stripe.”
According to the Caltrans’ website, “through a combination of regulation compliance, state purchasing policies, and innovative demonstrations,” the authority has “implemented renewable diesel, battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles” in their fleet.
In March, the Palo Alto Police Department (PD) announced its partnership with Rivian, as part of the ongoing efforts to integrate more environmentally friendly vehicles into their fleet.
The PD received its first patrol-ready Rivian R1S for testing last month. It was assigned to a patrol supervisor for 12-hour shifts.
By then, and according to CBS News, the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Dignitary Protection Section had also purchased two Rivian vehicles.
The Dignitary Protection Section operates from LA and Sacramento and protects state constitutional officers, such as the Governor and the First Lady, among others.
Both CHP and the Caltrans operate in Californian highways. However, they are different agencies and do not relate to each other.
Rivian currently has 14 showrooms in California and 30 across the United States, with the latest one having opened in Palo Alto in August.
While Irvine is Rivian‘s main home, where its headquarters are based, Palo Alto comes second, with major operations in autonomy, AI, software and hardware based there.
Other offices in the US include Carson, Wittmann, Plymouth and Normal, where its EV plant is located.
Despite its activity in the West Coast, the company is preparing to open a new East Coast headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of its broader investment in the state — where it will also establish a new plant.
The new office will open later this year and expand further in 2026 alongside construction progress at the Georgia factory, planned to take approximately three years to build.
