Rivian unveiled a new purple exterior color called Borealis for its R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck on Wednesday, expanding its palette as the electric vehicle maker seeks to increase demand following the September expiration of federal tax incentives.
The EV maker did not disclose pricing for the limited-edition color, which the company began teasing in mid-November with an image of an R1T against Alaska’s Northern Lights.
Orders are set to open later on Tuesday at 12 p.m. Eastern Time.
“Introducing our newest color: Borealis. Ethereal, entrancing and available for a limited time on R1S and R1T. Explore more at the link in bio. Drops at 12pm today,” Rivian wrote on X.
Here’s the video shared on Wednesday.
The marketing campaign culminated Tuesday with a six-second video showing a purple aurora borealis over a silhouetted SUV.
Product Strategy
The launch adds a seventh available color to Rivian‘s current R1 lineup, which includes LA Silver, Glacier White, Forest Green, El Cap Granite, Midnight, Rivian Blue, and Storm Blue. Launch Green remains available exclusively on Quad-Motor variants.
Rivian reduced its color palette when introducing 2026 model year vehicles last July, discontinuing Limestone and Red Canyon.
The company reversed course on Red Canyon a month later, announcing it would return for 2026. Compass Yellow was permanently discontinued.
A purple second-generation R1S was spotted in California nearly a year ago, indicating the color has been under development for an extended period.
Sales Recovery
The new color arrives as Rivian‘s US sales show signs of recovery following the federal EV tax credit’s September 30 expiration.
The company sold 4,500 vehicles in November, up 14.1% from October’s 3,944 units and 24.1% higher than the 3,625 vehicles sold in November 2024, according to data published Tuesday by Motor Intelligence.
The sequential and year-over-year gains suggest Rivian has begun recovering from the tax credit’s removal, which disrupted sales across the electric vehicle sector in October.
However, November’s figures remain below the company’s monthly averages earlier in 2024, when the $7,500 federal incentive remained available for qualifying buyers.
