Rivian is an electric vehicle manufacturer known for its R1 series of electric trucks. This includes the R1T pickup and R1S SUV. Both cars are excellent, and Rivian is planning to release more models in the future.
It may seem like Rivian popped up, but the company does have an interesting history. It also has a commercial deal with Amazon to build eco-friendly electric delivery vans for the web 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 is a car enthusiast but is faced with the dilemma of how polluting cars do to the environment.
After tinkering with a sports car prototype, his company decided to go the electric SUV route. Rivian was born out of the idea of a clean future, where cars don’t have to be a source of emissions.
Rivian is a public company, and most of the big “bosses” are either institutional investors or big companies like Ford and Amazon. In addition, Rivian is not only a partial shareholder in Amazon; They also do business with Amazon, specifically providing transportation vehicles for the company.
Robert Scaringe may not be the sole owner of Rivian, but he still runs the company he envisions as CEO.
2. Rivian makes electric SUVs and pickups
Rivian isn’t the most famous automaker in the world, but it has definitely created a loyal fan base thanks to its excellent electric cars. The current Rivian lineup includes the R1T electric pickup, which some say is better than the Tesla Cybertruck and Tesla Model X rival R1S SUV.
Surprisingly, these vehicles are Rivian’s first foray into the EV market, and they’ve launched products that put most other EV manufacturers to shame. The R1T is one of the most capable dirt bikes ever made, and the R1S has the same capabilities but offers space for the whole family.
These current vehicles are Rivian’s livelihood, but they need to launch smaller, more economical cars to survive. If Rivian can bring its mass-sold products to market, the electric car maker is sure to sell out in a short period of time. Rivian’s products are sub-level, so it will be interesting to see how quickly Rivian can bring a more economical option to the market.
3. Rivian builds electric delivery vans for Amazon
Rivian has built one of the coolest electric delivery vans for Amazon, and the company has secured a contract to produce 100,000 of these electric delivery vans.
Rivian needs to ramp up production significantly to deliver these electric vans as soon as possible. According to Car and Driver, Rivian has delivered more than 1,000 electric vans to Amazon. Obviously, Rivian still has a long way to go to achieve its ultimate goal, but patience is key for the new automaker.
The good news is that Amazon isn’t your typical Rivian customer; They actually partially own Rivian as well. So, in a way, Amazon is building its own vans. For Rivian, though, the time hasn’t been easy, especially with supply chain shortages and the pandemic.
But the new automaker has always stuck with and delivered great vehicles, so it is hopeful that Rivian’s future will be successful.
4. Rivian plans to build the R2 series of cars by 2026
Many expect Rivian to launch a more affordable car line by 2026. They will be based on a platform called R2. The R1 series is what we see so far as the R1S SUV and R1T electric truck. This platform has the tremendous capacity, and the price also reflects the crazy capabilities of the R1 series.
If Rivian can create a more affordable SUV line, and perhaps a small pickup, the company will truly become a business. The compact SUV market is highly profitable, so it makes sense if Rivian decides to enter the space.
The next few years will be crucial for Rivian’s survival
At this critical time, it is super important that Rivian makes all the right moves. Otherwise, as a novice automaker, it may have some trouble. Hopefully, the company will be profitable as soon as possible, as its potential is huge.
