Rivian has added yet every other $2.5 billion to its coffers, with the electric truck firm closing its first funding spherical of 2020. The additional money injection comes even sooner than Rivian has released its first model, with the R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV now not anticipated to commence until 2021.
On the same time, Rivian’s offer trucks for Amazon – which the automaker co-developed with the retail behemoth, and that are anticipated to in the wreck amount 100,000 – are additionally scheduled to enter production next year. The aggressive roadmap is seemingly, now not lower than in piece, thanks to the commonalities between the three vehicles, with Rivian growing a so-called electric skateboard which underpins these three fashions and future EVs from the agency.
That skateboard effectively programs together the core of an electric car’s structure. The motors, batteries, brakes, and electrical programs are all sandwiched into an underlying slash, on top of which Rivian can implement moderately plenty of forms of physique. By adjusting the scale of the skateboard, in the period in-between, the automaker can invent moderately plenty of sizes of EV, and adjust things like fluctuate, decision of electrical motors, and thus pricing for this reason.
No person mentioned constructing a brand contemporary vehicle firm would possibly maybe be low-label, nonetheless, and so Rivian hasn’t been anxious about elevating finance. This contemporary $2.5 billion sees existing shareholders like Amazon and BlackRock-managed funds up their stake. It additionally sees contemporary contributors – at the side of Soros Fund Management LLC, Coatue, Constancy Management and Compare Firm, and Baron Capital Neighborhood – join the birthday party.
“We are serious in regards to the commence of our R1T, R1S and Amazon offer vehicles,” RJ Scaringe, founder and CEO of Rivian, mentioned of the funding. “With all three launches occurring in 2021, our groups are working tough to make certain our vehicles, provide chain and production programs are ready for a sturdy production ramp up. We are grateful for the real investor attend that helps allow us to focal point on execution of our merchandise.”
There’ll be no contemporary seats on the Rivian board, the automaker has mentioned.
The extra $2.5 billion joins an earlier spherical closed in December 2019, which noticed $1.3 billion raised from moderately plenty of sources. That included each and every Amazon and Ford elevating their earlier stakes. Indeed, 2019 had been kicked off with each and every companies opening their respective wallets, with a $700 million spherical led by Amazon in February, and a $500 million funding from Ford the following April.
Soundless, the path hasn’t been entirely tender. Ford and Rivian had intended to develop a car together, consistent with the skateboard platform; later, that used to be confirmed to be a brand contemporary Lincoln model. In April 2020, nonetheless, Ford and Rivian mentioned they had been axing that thought, though they quiet intend to co-invent a brand contemporary EV in the long bustle.
That same month, Rivian told would-be R1T and R1S investors that it used to be pushing attend the free up of its first fashions. On the origin promised for offer in gradual 2020, the firm equipped it now anticipated them to near in early 2021.
