Asian households account for nearly a third of all new Tesla sales in the United States, far ahead of Rivian
June 6, 2025 at 13:52
- According to a new study, 13.7% of Rivian’s sales are to Asian households in the US.
- Rivian could be wise to offer more premium options and features like the German brands.
Rivian was supposed to be the new-age automaker that could finally go toe-to-toe with Tesla. However, while Tesla sold nearly 1.8 million vehicles last year, Rivian managed around 50,000, barely enough to register as a rounding error on Tesla’s sales report. To have any shot at closing that canyon, Rivian needs to get its more affordable R2 and R3 models on the road quickly. But price isn’t the only hurdle.
A Demographic Rivian Can’t Ignore
According to a recent study by S&P Global, Rivian also needs to do a better job connecting with Asian-American buyers in the United States. Through the first quarter of this year, Asian households accounted for approximately 7.2 percent of total new car registrations, but for Tesla, this figure rises to a remarkable 27.2 percent . They also accounted for 12.7 percent of all EV sales, excluding Rivian and Tesla.
That’s a clear pattern. Asian-Americans are buying EVs in significant numbers, and a large share of them are choosing Tesla.
Read: Rivian’s Secret Stockpile Could Be Its Key To Defeating Tariffs
However, according to S&P Global, just 13.7 percent of Rivian’s sales go to Asian households. One possible explanation is that one of Rivian’s only two models currently on sale is a pickup truck. Data shows that Asian buyers account for just 2.3 percent of all full-size pickup sales in the U.S.
Even among those who are shopping for electric pickups, Rivian still comes up short. The Tesla Cybertruck, polarizing as it is, seems to be faring better with this demographic. About 24 percent of Cybertruck sales are to Asian buyers, compared to just 8 percent for the Rivian R1T. So it’s not just about the body style. Tesla’s appeal clearly extends deeper.
Can It Be Done?
Brand perception might be playing a major role here. Asian-American buyers seem to gravitate toward brands with a strong premium or tech-forward image. Just look at the numbers: 28.3 percent of Mercedes EQS SUV sales and 25.5 percent of BMW iX sales go to Asian households. Tesla is in that same league, with Asian buyers making up a full 33 percent of Model X sales.
For Rivian to break through, it’s not enough to be different or electric, as it needs to be desirable in the same way these established brands are. That means competing not just on specs, but on image.
The smaller R2 and R3 will also prove to be extremely important for Rivian’s expansion ambitions in the country, as they’ll appeal to a broader range of buyers. However, Rivian will need to be careful to ensure they remain well-equipped and feel premium, or else they may alienate one of their most important group of customers.
