Rivian is an innovative American electric vehicle automaker and technology company. Founded in 2009, Rivian is based in Irvine, California with locations and facilities throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
With electric and semi-autonomous designs, Rivian is looking to transform the future of vehicles around the world.
Because Rivian is working for the vehicles of tomorrow, they are a company to have on your radar. If you are interested in learning more about this company, keep reading.
In this article, we tell you key statistics and facts to know about Rivian owner, prices, locations, production, sales, and models.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
1. Rivian is founded by Robert “RJ” Scaringe.
Who is the owner of Rivian? After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, Robert “RJ” Scaringe founded Rivian Automotive. The company was originally named Mainstream Motors, but the name changed to Avera Automotive.
The current name stuck in 2011 when the company decided to focus on autonomous electric vehicles.
2. Scaringe’s initial investments were from the state of Florida.
Scaringe’s initial investments for Avera Automotive came from the state of Florida. Florida invested in the company so that Avera could bring more jobs to the state, but this never happened.
3. The switch to electric autonomous vehicles put Rivian on the map.
Although Rivian made some success at the beginning of its history, most of its investments and popularity grew in 2015 after the company made the switch to electric autonomous vehicles.
In that year, Rivian opened facilities in Michigan and Bay Area to be closer to key suppliers.
4. Rivian acquired a plant in Illinois for $16 million.
In 2016, rumors started spreading about the possibility of Rivian negotiating to buy Mitsubishi Motors’ previously owned plant in Normal, Illinois.
The next year, the rumors were confirmed when Rivian acquired the plant for $16 million.
5. The plant acquisition got Rivian a lot of grants and investments.
Even though the price for the plant was a hefty one, Rivian received a lot of grants and investments because of it.
For example, they received a $1,000,000 grant with a 5-year tax abatement from the city, so long as they met employment targets and invested over $40.5 million over five years.
Rivian also received tax credits worth $49.5 million from the state of Illinois. In order to receive these credits, the site had to meet employment targets and invest $175 million by 2024.
6. Rivian has steadily hired employed since then.
| Year | Reported Number of Employees |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 100 |
| 2017 | 160 |
| 2018 | 250 |
| 2019 | 1000+ |
| 2020 | 3000+ |
| 2021 | Not yet reported |
Since the grants and investments were contingent on meeting working requirements, Rivian has steadily hired more employees since then.
Starting in 2016, Rivian employed around 100 people. By August of the following year, 60 additional people were added on board. By the beginning of 2018, the company had a total of 250 employees.
The biggest jump in employment happened in 2019. In that year, the company reported a total of over 1000 employees.
By 2020, Rivian employment jumped again. In last year alone, there were over 3000 people employed by the company.
7. Some of Rivian’s investors view Rivian as a “strategic investment.”
Given the fact that Rivian has been able to multiply its employment numbers over the years, it’s not shocking to find out that investors are very pleased with the company.
In fact, the Sumitomo Corporation, one of the world’s largest trading companies, described their investment in Rivian as a “strategic investment” in 2017.
8. Rivian Production
Even though the company was founded in 2009, its first products were not unveiled until 2017. In that year, Rivian reported that the alpha prototypes were undergoing testing and completion.
The same month, the company revealed the electric five-passenger pickup truck and seven-passenger SUV.
These two electric vehicles were Rivian’s first products. The electric pickup truck was originally named the A1T, whereas the electric SUV was named the A1C.
These vehicles were not unveiled until November of the next year at the LA Auto Show.
9. But the vehicles were not scheduled for production until 2020.
Even though the Rivian vehicles made their debut in 2018, production was not scheduled until two years later in 2020.
Of the two vehicles, the truck was first to launch, though the company went ahead by planning outlines for next-generation models, which the company hopes to be fully autonomous.
10. The vehicle names changed in 2018.
| Rivian Truck | Rivian SUV | |
|---|---|---|
| Original Name | A1T | A1C |
| Current Name | R1T | R1S |
| Passengers | 5 passenger | 7 passenger |
| Off-Road Capabilities | Yes | Yes |
| Ground Clearance | 14 inches | 14 inches |
| Autonomy Level | Level 3 | Level 3 |
Although Rivian named their first two products A1T and A1C, the product names were changed in 2018.
The electric pickup truck was renamed R1T, and the SUV was renamed R1S. These names were changed before their debut at the LA Auto Show.
11. Rivian Models
Both the R1T and R1S are designed for off-road capabilities. Both models include 14-inch ground clearance.
Early on in testing, the truck was noted for its quick capabilities. It was able to go from zero to 60 mph in under 3 seconds.
Not to mention, it was able to wade through 1.1 meters of water, as well as climb a slope with a 45-degree incline.
12. Both vehicles are Level 3 autonomous.
In addition to the impressive power and speed, both of these vehicles are Level 3 autonomous. Level 3 autonomous is often classified as “eyes off.”
This means that the driver can turn their eyes away instead of driving. However, the driver still needs to have enough attention that they can act in the case of an emergency.
13. These vehicles supposedly have the power to beat out supercars.
According to Engadget, Rivian’s most expensive models will be able to make around 450 miles with a single charge, as well as feature an 800 horsepower electric motor.
Scaringe notes that this power would allow the vehicles to beat out classic Italian supercars.
14. The vehicles are designed for car-sharing.
Because of the autonomous features and numerous components of Rivian vehicles, Scaringe claims that they are perfect for car sharing, that is cars that have the ability to be rented out for short periods of time.
Because Scaringe once the vehicles to be used for carsharing purposes, it was a goal that the R1T and R1S designs would have 91% shared components by 2018.
This shared chassis included suspension, braking, and cooling systems.
15. The chassis of these vehicles are different from others.
Rivian has a unique chassis that is very flat and has a low center of gravity, which is why they have named it the skateboard.
This sort of base chassis makes it more suited for customization for the body types placed above it. Currently, Rivian anticipates licensing this electric chassis to other manufacturers as well.
16. The vehicles come with three battery pack options.
Both of the models come with three battery pack options, including 150 kWh, 135 kWh, and 180 kWh. The increase in power results in an increase in the vehicle’s range.
The base pack can take the vehicle around 230 miles, whereas the top pack offers over 400 miles.
17. The R1T has a compact yet powerful bed.
Truck lovers will love the R1T bed. The bed is smaller than traditional truck beds, but it has an astounding 11,000 lbs. towing capacity.
18. More investors came on board in 2018 and 2019.
After debuting their electric cars, more investors came on board in 2018 in 2019. Abdul Latif Jameel and Cox Automotive were two leading investors at the time.
Cox Automotive invested $350 million. On top of that, Standard Chartered Bank offered $200 million in debt financing to Rivian.
By the time Cox automotive joined on board, Rivian had raised a total of $1.5 billion.
19. In 2019, Rivian opened facilities outside of the US.
Because of the received financial help in 2018 and 2019, Rivian opened its first non-US site in the United Kingdom.
By this year, Rivian head exceeded its local job creation targets.
20. Amazon is Rivian’s biggest investor.
In 2019, Amazon announced that it would be investing around $700 million in Rivian. This round included existing shareholder participation too.
This large investment round makes Amazon Rivian’s biggest investor.
21. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos visited Rivian locations.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos himself even visited the Plymouth, Michigan Rivian headquarters, where he met with Scaringe.
22. Ford was an investor but terminated the contract in 2020.
In 2019, Ford was even an investor. The company invested $500 million and employed over 1000 people by June of that year.
Because of the COVID-19 crisis the next year, Ford terminated its contract with Rivian.
Even though the contract is terminated, both companies claim that they are maintaining their professional relationship.
23. Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans.
Even though Rivian lost its contract with Ford, Amazon remains a strong believer in the company. In 2019, Amazon ordered 100,000 Rivian electric delivery vans.
The vans are to be used as part of Amazon’s goal to have a delivery fleet energized by 100% renewable energy by 2030.
The Amazon electric fleet began testing in 2021. By next year, Amazon expects to have around 10,000 of these vans in operation.
It won’t be until 2030 that Amazon estimates to use 100,000 Rivian vans for contract calls.
24. Testing for the Rivian delivery vans began this year.
Earlier this year, the Amazon electric delivery van was tested on public roads. These vans tested are 150-mile prototypes.
They began in Los Angeles, but they were added to Denver in April 2021 as well. There are plans to test out these vans in 16 other U.S. cities that all belong to different climate zones.
25. Rivian capital exploded during 2019.
Because 2019 was such a successful year for Rivian, their capital exploded. By this year, the capital was $2.85 billion because of the four major investments, including the one made by Ford Motor Company.
Another major investment was made by T Rowe Price as well.
26. T Rowe Price has remained a leading investor.
T Rowe Price was not only a great investor in 2019. In 2021, Rivian raised $2.65 billion with an investment round led by T Rowe Price.
27. Rivian wants to create a public charging station network.
One of Rivian’s most ambitious plans involves their EV charging station. By 2023, the company wants to develop an entire network of these public charging stations.
This plan was announced in March of 2021. Their goal is to have 600 network sites suited for Rivian-only vehicles with 3500 DC fast charging chargers at high traffic locations.
Additionally, Rivian wants to build 10,000 destination chargers that they will call Rivian Waypoints. These will be located at retail locations, lodging, businesses, parks, and other destination locations.
28. The Rivian EV charging network is similar to Tesla.
Although Rivian’s plan is very ambitious, it’s not the only one of its kind. In many ways, the Rivian EV charging network is comparable to Tesla. They intend to offer both fast and slow destination chargers, as well as home options.
29. Rivian is already planning to improve charging speeds.
Currently, the charging speed is 200 kilowatts, but the target goal is 300 kilowatts or more.
30. The Rivian chargers will be available to all EVs with a connector.
Even though Rivian EV chargers are specifically made for Rivian vehicles, the Waypoint Chargers will be suited for all-electric vehicles with the use of the J1772 connector.
31. Rivian is installing chargers at many Colorado Parks in July 2021.
Starting in July of 2021, Rivian plans to install two Rivian Waypoint Chargers at no more than 50 Colorado state parks and other state recreation areas. This installation will be at no cost to the government either.
32. Rivian locations.
As of last year, Rivian had four primary locations. It is headquartered in Irvine, California. At this location, they focus on vehicle engineering, design, system development, and commercial functions.
Their second major facility is in Plymouth, Michigan, which focuses on vehicle engineering, supply chain, prototyping, and accounting.
The third major facility is in Palo Alto, California. This facility is dedicated to self-driving technology and related data.
Finally, the beforementioned location in Normal, Illinois is the fourth major facility. It primarily manufacturers vehicle components.
This plant also focuses on painting, robotics, stamping, and other equipment needed for production.
33. Rock climber Alex Honnold is a brand partner and collaborator.
On December 20th, 2018, Alex Honnold, a professional rock climber, announced that he would become a brand partner and collaborator with Rivian.
34. Rivian is collaborating on solar projects.
After the partnership with Alex Honnold, Rivian announced that they are collaborating with the Honnold Foundation and Casa Pueblo to work on a solar project.
The aim of this project is to establish a more sustainable microgrid in Puerto Rico after it was severely affected in 2017 by Hurricane Maria.
35. Rivian also partners with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman.
In 2019, they partnered with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman, providing the first production pickups to be used as logistic vehicles and camera cars for the television series Long Way Up.
36. The company is privately held.
Even though Rivian has been around for many years, it is only recently becoming a more mainstream company. That is largely because Rivian is privately held, meaning that it was largely unknown by Wall Street.
37. Rivian is NOT partnered with Tesla.
Because Rivian and Tesla both compete in the same market, many people make the mistake of believing Tesla and Rivian are either the same company or partnered with one another. This is not true. Instead, they are competitors.
38. Tesla has more affordable models…
| Model 3 | Model S | Model X | Model Y | R1T | R1S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | Tesla | Tesla | Tesla | Rivian | Rivian |
| ~ $39,690 | ~ $69,429 | ~ $79,990 | ~ $39,990 | ~ $75,00 | ~ $77,500 |
Tesla and Rivian are comparable in many ways, but Tesla has more affordable options. Currently, the most affordable Tesla electric vehicle is the Model Y, which costs around $40,000.
In comparison, Rivian vehicles start at around $67,000.
39. Rivian prices are similar to Tesla’s first models.
Even though the current Tesla models are more affordable than Rivian, the prices for Tesla’s first models are nearly identical to Rivian’s first models.
Given that Rivian has only put out two vehicles, we predict that prices will go down on certain models. For example, they may make the move Tesla made by creating EV vehicles that are more suited to the regular buyer.
40. Rivian outdistances Tesla.
Despite the fact that Tesla beats out Rivian in terms of prices, Rivian appears that it will go further than most Tesla models.
41. The name is inspired by Scaringe’s time in Florida.
The name Rivian is inspired by Scaringe’s time in Florida on the Indian River. The first part of the word, “Riv-” is inspired by the word “river,” whereas the second part of the word “-ian” is inspired by the word “Indian.”
42. The vehicles were hid using Ford F-150 bodies.
Unlike many other vehicles, the Rivian models did not have any spy photos. That’s because the key components were hidden underneath Ford F-150 bodies during the testing process.
43. Rivian’s original idea was an EV coupe.
However, the company quickly decided to change towards trucks and SUVs because of their growing popularity.
44. Scaringe used to work on classic cars.
Scaringe has always been a car enthusiast. He loved to work on and restore classic cars. His first restored car was the Volkswagen Corrado VR6.
45. Rivian prefers more conservative marketing tactics.
Another way that Rivian is different from Tesla is that they prefer more conservative marketing tactics. Not only that, but their production plans are more conservative as well.
Whereas Tesla built over 250,000 cars in 2018, Rivian is only expecting to make between 20,000 and 40,000 during its first year of production.
References
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