Rivian opening showroom at Bethesda Row

Automaker Rivian plans to open a Rivian Space showroom at Bethesda Row. It will be in the recently-vacated Nike space at 7117 Arlington Road, at the corner with Bethesda Avenue. Construction is expected to begin this fall. The company, which produces electric pickup trucks and SUVs, will soon open a similar showroom at the CityCenterDC development in downtown Washington, D.C. Rivian has slowly been playing catch-up to Tesla in Montgomery County, where it briefly operated a drop-off facility in Rockville before opening a service center in Gaithersburg.

What is a Rivian Space? It's an "experiential" showroom where you can look at, and sit in, Rivian models on display. You can also see displays of mechanical components, interior cabin materials, and paint swatches. Many have a boutique gift shop area selling Rivian merchandise and vehicle accessories. Like similar Tesla showrooms, staff will not be making sales pitches, but can answer your questions about the vehicles. Test drives can also be arranged.

Of course, the Rivian and Tesla showroom models are only partly the result of corporate targeting of the EV demographic. Strict rules protecting the current auto dealership business model in the United States prevent such companies from making direct-to-consumer sales at showrooms in many states. These restrictions are starting to loosen in some states, by allowing test drives, for example. Rivian is now challenging laws in multiple states, after winning the right to make direct showroom sales in Washington state.