Rivian

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rivian Automotive LLC
TypePrivate (LLC)
IndustryAutomotive and Energy Storage
Founded2009; 12 years ago (2009)
FounderRobert "RJ" Scaringe
Headquarters
Irvine, California
,
United States
Number of locations
7[1]
Key people
  • RJ Scaringe CEO
  • Jiten Behl
  • Claire McDonough[2] CFO
  • Rod Copes COO[3]
  • Laura Schwab [4]
  • Nick Kalayjian EVP of Engineering[5]
ProductsSemi-autonomous and electric vehicles, batteries
Number of employees
7000+ (May 2021[6])
Websitewww.rivian.com

Rivian is an American electric vehicle automaker and automotive technology company founded in 2009. Rivian is building an electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) and pickup truck on a skateboard platform that can support future vehicles or be adapted by other companies. These vehicles are designed for both on-road and off-road driving. An electric van is also being built, and all three vehicles are slated to be delivered to customers in 2021.[7][8] The company plans to build an exclusive charging network in the United States.

Rivian is based in Irvine, California, with its manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois, and other facilities in Plymouth, Michigan; Palo Alto, California; Carson, California; Vancouver, British Columbia, and Woking, England.[1]

History[]

The company was founded in 2009[9][10] by CEO .[11] After being renamed from Mainstream Motors to Avera Automotive and finally Rivian Automotive,[12][9][10][13][14] the company began focusing on autonomous[9] electric vehicles in 2011.[11][15] Rivian received a large investment and grew significantly in 2015, opening research facilities in Michigan and the Bay Area.[16] Relocating headquarters to Livonia, Michigan, to be closer to key suppliers,[17] Rivian began working exclusively on electric autonomous vehicles, specifically building an "entire ecosystem" of related products.[9] It also began gearing its prototypes towards the "ride-sharing and driverless car markets."[18]

Before pivoting to trucks and SUVs, their first model was intended to be a sports car. The R1 (originally mononymously named Avera) was a mid-engine hybrid coupé with 2+2 seating for the US market, designed by design director Peter Stevens. It used a new modular capsule construction for the body and easily swappable body panels. Production was predicted to start around late 2013 to early 2014, with a potential diesel hybrid version and a racing version called the R1 GT for a Brazilian one-make series. A 4-door sedan and crossover on the platform were also cited as possibilities.[19][20] A hatchback-like prototype was also previewed in 2011, it is unclear of the relation with the R1.[21]

In May 2018, Rivian stated that they had dubbed the upcoming truck with the working name A1T and their SUV with the working name A1C.[22] In November 2018, the truck and SUV were renamed named the R1T and R1S, respectively.[23]

A 2011 prototype from Rivian, introduced by Scaringe

It was reported in September 2016 that Rivian was negotiating to buy a manufacturing plant formerly owned by Mitsubishi Motors in Normal, Illinois.[24][10] In January 2017, Rivian acquired the plant[24][16] and its manufacturing contents for $16 million,[25][10] with the plant to become Rivian's primary North American manufacturing facility.[9] Rivian's acquisition of a near production-ready facility instead of building a new factory[16] has been likened to Tesla's acquisition of the NUMMI plant in California.[25][10] The company received a $1 million grant and a five-year tax abatement from Normal contingent on meeting employment targets and investing $40.5 million over five years.[9] Rivian also received $49.5 million in tax credits from the state government;[25] these credits are also contingent upon meeting employment targets and investing at least $175 million into the site by 2024.[10]

Rivian employed around 100 people at the end of 2016,[18][17] and that number grew to 160 by August 2017.[17] Sumitomo Corporation made a "strategic investment" in Rivian in December 2017,[11][26][27] and Rivian reported that its alpha prototypes were complete and undergoing testing.[26] Also that month, Rivian revealed its first two products: an electric five-passenger pickup truck and an electric seven-passenger SUV,[27][11][15] provisionally named the A1T and A1C respectively.[28] With both vehicles unveiled at the LA Auto Show in November 2018,[15][22] production is scheduled to begin in 2020[11] with the truck to launch first.[27] Both vehicles were described as ready for rough terrain and semi-autonomous, and the company outlined a plan for its next generation of models to be fully autonomous.[22]

Rivian had 250 employees at the start of 2018.[11] In May 2018, Rivian received $200 million in debt financing from Standard Chartered Bank,[15] bringing total raised funds to upwards of $450 million.[27] Other investors at the time included Abdul Latif Jameel.[15][29] As of February 2019, Rivian employed 750 people[30] across facilities in Michigan, Illinois, California, and the United Kingdom. Around 50 of those employees were in Normal, putting Rivian ahead of its local job-creation targets.[31][11] In November 2020, Rivian employed 3,000+ persons.[32]

In February 2019, Amazon announced it would be leading an investment round of $700 million into Rivian. The round included participation from existing shareholders as well.[33] In April 2019, Ford Motor Company invested $500 million.[34] As of June 2019 the company employed over 1,000 people.[35] As a result of the fallout surrounding the 2020 Covid-19 health crisis, Ford terminated the Rivian contract.[36] While the manufacturer will be shifting production to their Lincoln Motors team, they are also maintaining the relationship with Rivian.

In September 2019, Cox Automotive invested $350 million into Rivian, bringing the total raised in 2019 to $1.5 billion. Rivian remains independent, but Cox Automotive plans to add a representative to Rivian's board as part of the investment.[37]

Later that month, Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian, as part of its plan to convert its delivery fleet to 100% renewable energy by 2030.[38]

Rivian raised capital of US$2.85 billion during 2019, through four major investments, including a US$500 million investment by Ford in April,[34] which "plans to use the Rivian Skateboard for a new battery electric vehicle," and US$1.3 billion investment round led by T Rowe Price announced in December to get the R1T truck and R1S SUV into production by late 2020.[39] In January 2021, Rivian raised $2.65 billion in another investment round led by T Rowe Price.[40]

In late 2020, Rivian planned to begin shipments of the R1T in June 2021.[32] The June 2021 date was slipped to August. By August, vehicle shipments were delayed again, in part due to the global shortage of chips.[41]

In August 2021, Rivian filed for an initial public offering, seeking a valuation as high as US$80 billion.[42]

Products[]

Electric vehicles[]

R1T pickup at the 2018 LA Auto Show
R1S SUV at the 2018 LA Auto Show

In 2018, the upcoming truck and SUV were eventually named the R1T and R1S, respectively.[23] Designed to be capable off-road, both models have 14 in (360 mm) of ground clearance.[22] The truck was claimed in early testing to be able to sprint from 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in under 3 seconds, wade through 3 ft 7 in (1.1 m) of water and climb a 45 degree incline.[22] The truck has a motor near each of the four wheels, and like some competitors, each wheel can be controlled interdependently.[43] According to Engadget, "the most expensive models will reach around 450 miles [720 km] on a charge and feature the 800HP [600 kW; 810 PS] electric motor Scaringe said would beat Italian supercars."[22] Rivian has said it is designing the vehicles to facilitate "car-sharing" with their autonomous features.[26] In addition, Rivian has announced the intention to produce and electric delivery van in three different sizes, capable of carrying 500, 700, or 900 cubic feet of packages.[44] All three would share their basic electrical and network architecture, ECUs, and battery packs with the Rivian R1 models.[45]

Chassis and batteries[]

Because of a shared electric chassis, the R1T and R1S designs were aiming to have 91% shared components as of 2018.[22] The chassis includes braking, suspension, and cooling systems with a battery in the center.[46] Rivian's relatively-flat, low-center-of-gravity chassis is a typical electric vehicle skateboard, which enables straightforward customization for various body types that might be placed above it.[39][46] Rivian intends to license its electric chassis to other manufacturers as a design base for machinery such as cars and other components.[28][47]

EV charging[]

In March 2021, Rivian announced ambitious plans to develop a network of public charging stations by 2023. Similar to competitor Tesla, they will offer a combination of fast chargers and slower destination chargers, and will also sell home chargers.[48] The target is for 600 Rivian-only Adventure Network sites with 3,500 DC fast chargers[clarification needed] at high-traffic locations; 200 kW will be the initial charging speed, with an eventual target of 300 kW.[49]

The company is also planning 10,000 destination chargers (Level 2, 11.5 kW) — called Rivian Waypoints — at retail, lodging, dining businesses, as well as parks and other locations; Waypoint chargers will be available to all EVs with a J1772 connector.[50] Starting July 2021, Rivian will install, at no cost to the government, two Rivian Waypoint chargers at up to 50 Colorado State Parks and state recreation areas.[51][52][53][needs update]

Facilities[]

As of 2020, the company had four primary locations. Its headquarters in Irvine, California,[54] is dedicated to vehicle engineering, and design, propulsion and battery system development, and commercial functions. A facility in Plymouth, Michigan, focuses on vehicle engineering, prototyping, supply chain, and accounting, while a facility in Palo Alto, California, develops self-driving technology and data.[5][11] The 2.6-million-square-foot (240,000 m2) factory in Normal, Illinois,[10][9][54] manufactures[5] vehicle components such as battery packs.[15] The Normal plant has a paint shop, robotics, stamping machines, and other production equipment,[25][10] such as injection molding.[54] The company has additional office locations in Carson, California, and the United Kingdom designated for electric power conversion and advanced engineering, respectively.[1]

Sales[]

Amazon[]

Delivery of vehicles to Amazon was announced in 2019 with plans to begin in 2021.[55] Amazon expects to have 10,000 electric vans in operation by 2022, but is not slated to take delivery of the entire 100,000 Rivian vans the contract calls for until 2030.[56]

A 150-mile (240 km) prototype for the Amazon electric delivery van was tested on public roads in early 2021, beginning in Los Angeles,[57] adding Denver by April 2021,[58] with plans to test in 16 US cities in different climate zones. Amazon expects to have 10,000 of the electric delivery vans on the road by the end of 2022.[58]

Finances[]

In 2021 Bloomberg estimated the company's value at nearly $28 billion.[8]

Collaborations[]

On 20 December 2018, professional rock climber Alex Honnold announced his partnership with Rivian as a brand partner and collaborator.[59][60] During a live stream on 15 June 2019, Rivian announced plans to collaborate with the Honnold Foundation and nonprofit Casa Pueblo on a solar project aiming to establish a microgrid in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, a city that was severely affected by Hurricane Maria in 2017.[61][62][63] Rivian plans to repurpose used battery packs from its development vehicles into stationary energy storage units.[62][63] The microgrid is intended to grant residents access to electricity for core business and will be used daily to mitigate the high cost of energy in Puerto Rico, which is twice the U.S. national average.[62] The project is expected to launch in 2020.[62]

In 2019, Rivian partnered with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman to provide the first ever production pickups (VIN 000001 and 000002) for use as logistics vehicles and camera cars for Long Way Up. They also set up 240 level 2 and 3 charging stations, at 140 locations, along the route from Tierra del Fuego to Los Angeles.[64]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Careers – Rivian". rivian.com.
  2. ^ Truett, Richard (18 January 2021). "Rivian Hires Industry Outsider as Next CFO". Auto News. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  3. ^ Wayland, Michael (10 July 2020). "Rivian raises $2.5 billion in aggressive plan to beat Tesla and Nikola with the first all-electric pickup". CNBC. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  4. ^ Hamanaka, Kari (2 December 2020). "Laura Schwab Jumps to Rivian". Orange County Business Journal. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Rivian". www.rivian.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Rivian delays first electric pickup deliveries to September".
  7. ^ "Rivian Delays First Launch Vehicles Until September, Pledges Better Communication With Customers". WGLT. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Will Irvine-based Rivian be the 'Tesla of trucks?'". Orange County Register. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Bundle, Matt (5 August 2017). "Rivian quietly brings former Mitsubishi plant back to life". PJ Journal Star. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Prenzler, Christian (6 January 2017). "Mysterious electric vehicle startup, Rivian Automotive closes deal on massive manufacturing facility in Illinois". teslarati.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Denham, Ryan (9 January 2018). "Searching for Clues Into Rivian's Electric Vehicle Future". WGLT. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  12. ^ Schwartz, Nelson D. (2 July 2019). "Meet the Man Quietly Building the Tesla of Trucks, With Jeff Bezos Aboard". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021. Mr. Scaringe founded Mainstream Motors, the business that would later become Rivian, in 2009.
  13. ^ "Avera Motors of Rockledge becomes Rivian Automotive". Florida Today. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  14. ^ "End Of Shuttle Program Leaves Thousands Jobless". NPR.org. National Public Radio. 11 July 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "This startup is building self-driving trucks and SUVs for futuristic off-road adventures". The Verge. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c Lambert, Fred (9 January 2017). "An electric vehicle startup comes out of stealth mode and buys shuttered Mitsubishi plant in Illinois". Electrek. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c Prenzler, Christian (9 August 2017). "Diving into EV-Startup Rivian's complex history and their clear vision forward". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Reed, Robert (15 December 2016). "Who is the mysterious auto startup that wants to bring jobs back to a shuttered Mitsubishi plant in Normal?". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  19. ^ "Rivian". www.peterstevensdesign.co.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  20. ^ Howard, Mark (31 October 2011). "Economic Engine?". Florida Trend. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  21. ^ Edelstein, Stephen (10 February 2020). "Get a glimpse inside Rivian—and what it was developing before electric trucks". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Inside the automotive startup taking EVs off-road". Engadget. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b "Rivian releases debut video of R1T Electric Adventure Vehicle™". Rivian. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b "Rivian bids on shuttered Mitsubishi plant in Illinois". 9 December 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017 – via www.reuters.com.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Ayre, James (25 March 2017). "Rivian Automotive (Stealth EV Startup) Granted $49.5 Million In Tax Credits From Illinois, Governor Announces". cleantechnica.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b c Denham, Ryan. "Investor Joins Rivian As Electric Automaker Staffs Up". www.wglt.org. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Prenzler, Christian (12 December 2017). "Rivian Reveals Strategic Investor and First Vehicles". AdaptBN. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b Buedel, Matt. "Rivian in Normal plans November debut for electric off-road vehicles". Journal Star. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  29. ^ Prenzler, Christian (23 May 2018). "Rivian Announces 'Half a Billion' in Funding, Including $200M in Debt from London-based Bank". AdaptBN. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  30. ^ Ferris, Robert; Eisenstein, Paul A. (15 February 2019). "Rivian announces $700 million investment round led by Amazon". CNBC.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  31. ^ Prenzler, Christian (29 June 2018). "Editorial: The Perfect Storm is Creating a Promising Future for Rivian". AdaptBN. AdaptLocal Media, LLC. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b Channick, Robert (12 November 2020). "Rivian to deliver $75,000 Illinois-built electric truck in June, complete with 300-mile range and vegan leather seats". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  33. ^ Boudette, Neal E. (15 February 2019). "Amazon Invests in Rivian, a Tesla Rival in Electric Vehicles". Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b Lienert, Paul; Ajmera, Ankit (24 April 2019). "Ford Motor puts $500 million into electric pickup producer Rivian". Reuters. US. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  35. ^ "Rivian demonstrates battery second-life capabilities in Honnold Foundation partnership". Rivian.com (Press release). 13 June 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  36. ^ Kirsten, Korosec (28 April 2020). "Ford cancels Lincoln electric vehicle program with Rivian". TechCrunch. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  37. ^ Lambert, Fred (10 September 2019). "Electric pickup maker Rivian can't stop raising money, adds $350 million from Cox Automotive". Electrek.co. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  38. ^ "Amazon is purchasing 100,000 Rivian Electric Vans". CNBC.com. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  39. ^ Jump up to: a b "Electric-Truck Maker Rivian Raises $1.3 Billion in New Funding". Bloomberg News. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  40. ^ Foldy, Ben (19 January 2021). "Electric-Truck Maker Rivian Raises $2.65 Billion Ahead of First Vehicle Launch". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  41. ^ "Rivian delays deliveries of R1T, R1S electric vehicles again". TechCrunch. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  42. ^ Heilweil, Rebecca (30 August 2021). "Amazon's favorite electric vehicle company is going public at a very tricky time". Vox Media. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  43. ^ "Rivian patents another maneuverability trick enabled by quad-motor layout". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  44. ^ "Amazon's Rivian Prime Electric Delivery Van: 12 Things to Know". MotorTrend. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  45. ^ "Amazon's Rivian Prime Electric Delivery Van: 12 Things to Know". MotorTrend. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  46. ^ Jump up to: a b Denham, Ryan. "Rivian Reveals 'Skateboard' Chassis At Michigan Conference". WGLT.org. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  47. ^ "Pininfarina's PF1 super-SUV to use Rivian tech". Autocar India. 7 December 2018. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  48. ^ Lambert, Fred (18 March 2021). "Rivian reveals impressive map of over 600 planned fast-charging stations and wall charger". Electrek. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  49. ^ Lambert, Fred (18 March 2021). "Rivian reveals impressive map of over 600 planned fast-charging stations and wall charger". Electrek. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  50. ^ "Charging your Rivian – Rivian Stories". Exposure. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  51. ^ Webb, Dennis (21 March 2021). "CPW panel OKs moving forward on deal to put EV chargers in parks". The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  52. ^ "Panel OKs agreement to install electric vehicle chargers in Colorado state parks". The Denver Post. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  53. ^ "All state parks in Colorado will get electric vehicle charging stations in deal with EV maker Rivian". The Colorado Sun. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  54. ^ Jump up to: a b c Marcus, Frank (19 June 2018). "2020 Rivian Pickup and SUV First Look: Elec-Trucks". MotorTrend. US. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  55. ^ Channick, Robert (19 September 2019). "'We have a new automaker, for real': Rivian to build 100,000 electric vans for Amazon at its Illinois factory, starting in 2021". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  56. ^ "Rivian Electric Commercial Van Will Soon Deliver Your Amazon Packages". MotorTrend. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  57. ^ Alvarez, Simon (3 February 2021). "Rivian's Amazon electric delivery vans deployed for road testing in Los Angeles". teslarati.com.
  58. ^ Jump up to: a b Chuang, Tamarra (27 April 2021). "Amazon's first electric vans started delivering packages in the Denver area this week". Colorado Sun. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  59. ^ Dorr, Bryon (21 December 2018). "Alex Honnold Picks Up a Cutting-Edge Collab From the Future: Rivian". GearJunkie. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  60. ^ "Meet Alex Honnold". Rivian. US. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  61. ^ "Adventurous Forever: RJ Scaringe and Alex Honnold in conversation with Rich Roll". Rivian. 15 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  62. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Korosec, Kirsten (14 June 2019). "Rivian and 'Free Solo' star Alex Honnold team up to build solar microgrid with used EV batteries". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  63. ^ Jump up to: a b Ferris, Dacia (17 June 2019). "Rivian's RJ Scaringe talks on-site farming plans for employees, battery storage solutions". Teslarati. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  64. ^ Baldwin, Roberto (8 August 2020). "Rivian R1T Electric Pickups Take 13,000-Mile Road Trip for TV". Car and Driver. Retrieved 19 October 2020.

External links[]

Media related to Rivian Automotive at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from ""