4 Things You Didn’t Know About Rivian
Reading Time: 3 minutesHere are a few more things you should know about the company that beat Tesla’s Cybertruck with its awesome R1T.
Rivian is an EV maker famous for its R1 line of electric trucks. This includes the R1T pickup truck and the R1S SUV. Both of these are amazing vehicles, and Rivian is planning on releasing more models in the future.
It might seem like Rivian popped out of the blue, but the company does have an interesting history. It also has business deals with Amazon to build eco-friendly electric delivery vans for the online giant.
Rivian is definitely a very intriguing company full of surprises. So, here are four things you probably didn’t know about this Tesla challenger.
1. Who Owns Rivian Motors?
Rivian was originally the dream of MIT graduate Robert Scaringe. He was a car enthusiast but faced the dilemma of how much pollution cars contribute to the environment.
After tinkering with a sportscar prototype, his company decided to go the electric SUV route. Rivian was born out of this idea of a clean future where automobiles don’t have to be massive sources of emissions.
Rivian is a publicly traded company, and most of the big ‘owners’ are either institutional investors or enormous companies like Ford and Amazon. Furthermore, Rivian isn’t only partly owned by Amazon; they also do business with Amazon, specifically providing transport vehicles for the company.
Robert Scaringe may not be the sole owner of Rivian, but he is still behind the helm of the company he envisioned as its CEO.
2. Rivian Builds an Electric SUV and Pickup Truck
Rivian isn’t the most famous carmaker in the world, but it’s definitely created a loyal fanbase due to its excellent electric vehicles. The current Rivian lineup includes the R1T electric pickup truck that some say is better than the Tesla Cybertruck and the Tesla Model X rivaling R1S SUV.
Amazingly, these vehicles are Rivian’s first go at the electric vehicle market, and they’ve put out products that shame most other EV manufacturers. The R1T is one of the most capable off-roaders ever, and the R1S is just as capable but with room for the entire family.
These current vehicles are Rivian’s bread and butter, but they need to come out with smaller, more economical cars to survive. If Rivian can bring a volume-seller to market, the EV manufacturer will surely sell out in no time. Rivian’s products are next-level, so it will be interesting to see how quickly Rivian can bring a more affordable option to the market.
3. Rivian Builds EV Delivery Vans for Amazon
Rivian builds one of the coolest electric delivery vans for Amazon, and the company has secured a contract to produce 100,000 of these electrified delivery vehicles.
Rivian will need to ramp up production big time to deliver these electric vans soon. According to a Car and Driver report, Rivian has delivered more than 1000 EV vans to Amazon. Clearly, Rivian has a long way to go to meet its final goal, but patience is key with new carmakers.
The good news is that Amazon isn’t a typical Rivian customer; they actually partly own Rivian as well. So, in a way, Amazon is building its own vans. It hasn’t been an easy time for Rivian, though, especially with all the supply chain shortages, as well as the pandemic.
But the new automaker has stuck around and delivered excellent vehicles, so hopefully, the future holds success for Rivian.
4. Rivian Is Planning to Build the R2 Series of Vehicles by 2026
Rivian is expected by many to launch a more affordable line of vehicles by 2026. They will be based on a platform called the R2. The R1 series is what we currently see with the R1S SUV and the R1T electric truck. This platform is immensely capable, and the price also reflects the insane abilities of the R1 series.
If Rivian can create a more affordable line of SUVs and perhaps a small pickup truck, the company will truly be in business. The compact SUV market is highly profitable, so it makes sense if Rivian decides to enter this space.
The Next Few Years Are Vital For Rivian’s Survival
It’s super important that Rivian make all the right moves at this crucial time. Otherwise, it might be in a bit of trouble as a newbie automaker. Hopefully, the company will be able to make a profit soon because its potential is massive.