Online retail giant Amazon has led a $700 million (£544m) round of investment in American electric car start-up Rivian.
The fledgling manufacturer has attracted big interest since its public debut at the 2018 Los Angeles motor show. Today's round, which includes investment from existing shareholders, brings the total raised by the company to around $1.15 billion (£894.5m).
According to sources speaking to Bloomberg, Rivian is currently in discussions with General Motors (GM) to secure further investment. If a deal is secured, it's understood that GM would be listed as minority shareholder and Rivian would be valued at between $1bn and $2bn (£778m and £1.56bn). It will remain an independent company.
Rivian is aiming to bring the first electric pick-up truck to market. It only announced itself to the world last year despite having been developing and producing electric platforms since 2009.
Rivian R1S SUV and R1T pick-up aim to shake up the 4x4 market
Rivian is hoping to have the kind of impact Tesla has made in shaking up the established automotive set and believes it has found a niche with the creation of go-anywhere electric vehicles.
The R1T pick-up and R1S seven-seat SUV, the first and second in a series of models eventually planned, are built on a bespoke electric ‘skateboard’ chassis that is modular and can be used on all different types and sizes of vehicles. The initial pair are closely related, the chief difference being a slightly shorter wheelbase in the R1S. The R1S is 5040mm long, making it Range Rover-sized, while the 5465mm-long R1T is marginally longer than the Mercedes-Benz X-Class.
In both cars, the lithium ion battery pack is mounted in the floor. The R1T is good for a 230-mile range in its standard 105kWh capacity, a 300-mile range with a 135kWh battery pack, or up to 400 miles with a 180kWh ‘mega-pack’. In the R1S, the same battery packs are offered with ranges of of 240, 310 and 420 miles respectively.
The two models share their drivetrains, too. Four electric motors, one for each wheel, give them four-wheel drive. Each motor produces 197bhp (total combined figures through the gearbox are 754bhp and 826lb ft in the 135kWh version), which allows for prodigious performance. It’s claimed both vehicles can crack 0-60mph in just 3.0sec and 0-100mph in less than 7.0sec in the 135kWh versions.
Double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension features, alongside air springs and adaptive dampers. Rivian claims the electric drivetrain and chassis set-up allows for both impressive on-road performance and handling and precise off-road control that surpasses any existing mechanical solutions. Its flat floor is also reinforced with carbonfibre and Kevlar to protect the battery pack, while both models get five-star crash test safety ratings in the US.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Another reason jlr better get
Another reason jlr better get its shit together and electrify
At the same time electric engines have far fewer moving parts so even they might be able to build something that doesn't break down as often...
Somehow I doubt it.
The range figures of 210-420
The range figures of 210-420 miles are of course in ideal conditions with a light load. I use a diesel pickup to tow horses and some of the venues are 200-400 miles away. In fact I once towed my horse 510 miles without filling up. How many miles does the Rivian do towing horses with full aircon? How many charging stations are set up to cope with a truck and trailer? What are the horses supposed to do while it recharges? I may be an outlier but "the leisure industry" also tows boats, caravans and trailers with all sorts of stuff packed on them. Indulging in the amazing acceleration will short an already short range. I like the Rivian and I think there is a market for it but it's a light duty sport truck that can be used for towing locally, say to the dump, not a proper work truck.
just wait...
You say all of this won't take off but I reckon you are being the stupidest of the lot in this thread...
If Amazon has invested in this then I reckon there is a lot of hope in the brand. After all Amazon hasn't become the second company in history to become a trillion dollar company by nothing - there must be a reason behind it.