Ford buys its way into Rivian - Update!
Remember the electric start-up with big ideas? Ford does - to the tune of £386m
UPDATE - 24.04.2019
Ford has announced its intention to invest $500 million (£386 million) in electric off-road manufacturer Rivian, bringing the company’s total investment to over $1.5 billion. That figure includes $700 million (£544 million) already invested by tech giant Amazon and ought to go a long way to helping the US firm in its fight for EV dominance with Tesla.
The scale of its speculation is all the more remarkable when you consider that Rivian has not yet brought a car to market - and doesn’t intend to before next year. So far all we’ve seen are some impressive looking concepts, including the pick-up which is covered in greater detail below.
It is that model though - the R1T - which is likely to piqued Ford’s interest; along with the all-electric ‘skateboard’ architecture underneath it. Effectively, Ford’s money has bought it access to the modular platform and Rivian’s electric powertrain. The potential for both is considerable - not least as an SUV - but Ford’s enormous success with its F-Series of mid-size trucks will surely take precedence. The F-150 in particular has been the United States’ best selling vehicle for over three decades, and its best selling truck for more than four, so remaining ahead of the competition as the fossil fuel era draws to a close will be of the utmost importance to the Blue Oval.
Should that be the case, Rivian could well end up following in the footsteps of Czech hypercar manufacturer Rimac, which used its own Concept One as a showcase for its ability, attracting investment from Porsche and leading to the use of its platform in Pininfarina’s upcoming Batista. It’s still set to produce its own vehicles on the side though, and with an SUV scheduled to follow the R1T pickup into production early next decade, don’t expect the start-up to fade from view.
ORIGINAL STORY - 26.11.2018
Most startup car makers, particularly those hoping to cash in on the boom in electric cars, have been archetypal examples of over promising and under delivering. For every Tesla, there's been two dozen or more Faraday Futures.
But here's one that might just be worthy of a second glance: Rivian. It has revealed the first of its two launch models, a pick-up truck called R1T, which has been engineered by no less a figure than Mark Vinnels, the man behind the first wave of McLarens.
Rivian is actually offering something quite different too, because each of its cars will be a true off-roader, not some me-too blob-like SUV. If Tesla is a rival to the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, then Rivian is targeting Land Rover.
The R1T is built on a new, modular 'skateboard' platform, with an electric motor for each wheel and the battery pack mounted in the floor. And if you're wondering why you should care about Rivian, the answer lies in a combined output of 765hp and 826lb ft of torque, which it claims will make the pick-up good for 0-60mph in 3.0 seconds and a 0-100mph time of less than 7.0sec. As for range, the R1T is good for 230-miles in its standard 105kWh capacity, 300-miles in a 130kWh capacity, or up to 400 miles with the 180kWh 'mega pack'.
If that weren't ambitious enough, Rivian is talking up the Porsche Cayenne Turbo for an on-road performance comparison, and Land Rover-plus in the rough. It says the independent wheel control offered by having the four electric motors allows it to realise such claims.
When the going gets particularly tough, it boasts a 34-degree approach angle, 30-degree departure angle and 26-degree breakover angle. There's also a wading depth of up to one metre, at which point buoyancy is the only thing to stop it going deeper. The air springs can also be raised to provide even greater ground clearance. As for its pick-up credentials, the payload is 800kg and the towing capability up to five tonnes - which Rivian says is conservative.
While any new car maker can come along with such claims, the difference with Rivian is that the R1T is fully designed, engineered and production-ready, with funding in place and a US-based factory already on hand to build it.
Moreover, the fledgling manufacturer is actually quite a seasoned hand in the start-up world, as it was formed way back in 2009. Rather than go public with its plans then, or at any point in between, it has waited until the moment as its first model is ready to go.
North America will get the R1T first at the end of 2020, priced from around $70,000 (£55,000). It bought Mitsubishi's old factory in Illinois to build the R1T, alongside an SUV sibling that is due to be revealed later this week. There are plans for a UK launch, too, which will happen around a year later when the pick-up will be made available in right-hand drive.
Mark Tisshaw
On the plus side, electric vehicles should be far more effective off road than ICE powered stuff owing to the superior wheel control.
On the plus side, electric vehicles should be far more effective off road than ICE powered stuff owing to the superior wheel control.
Is it just me that thinks it is currently 2018, not "late 2020"?
But having said that I do think it's very interesting to see someone addressing the biggest US market sector. It'd be nice to know how production ready it is - safety tested and certified for instance. And what the body is made of, and what numbers they envisage building, and who the suppliers are, and where they are going to sell and service it. All are way more relevant than 0-60 and bhp figures.
Andy
On the plus side, electric vehicles should be far more effective off road than ICE powered stuff owing to the superior wheel control.
Most houses in the countryside have electricity, infact the issue is normally finding space to charge cars in cities, how many people don't have spare off road parking in the country.
Some other things to consider are that 1: for vehicles like this cross charging is likely to be a desirable feature and 2: these EV batteries are ungodly large in comparison to power tools and camping equipment.
For workmen a pickup that you can plug power tools into anywhere is a very desirable feature.
Would PH cite their references for this being targeting at Land Rover?
Considering the entire range of LR products currently are "me-too blob-like SUV" and the fact LR has had no utility presence in the USA. It would seem odd for a US company to even care about Land Rover, let alone want to be targeting them.
Plenty of off road worth pick-ups in the N. American marketplace, built by a multitude of car makers from across the globe. Land Rover is however, conspicuous by it's absence.
That vehicle is likely to have similar specs, more outrageous styling and a cost/profitability advantage and the Tesla infrastructure and fan base.
Tesla are generally believed to have a 20-30% cost advantage in producing a electric vehicles (which is why these Tesla killer cars are generally only being produced in 20-30,000 volumes and they aren't talking about gross margins on these cars because they are probably negative).
also, does that rear window fully open to carry long stuff?
styling is quite adventurous and bland at the same time. Still, it's refreshing that it's not angry/butch like the rest of the choices. not sure it's a winner though..
On the plus side, electric vehicles should be far more effective off road than ICE powered stuff owing to the superior wheel control.
On the plus side, electric vehicles should be far more effective off road than ICE powered stuff owing to the superior wheel control.
Plus on the flip side, you might do 20 short journeys, then suddenly need to head off into the wilderness. But have no time to charge it up before hand. In the USA the distances and the wilderness are also vast...
I'm not knocking the vehicle. It actually looks quite interesting. And the more you look at it, the better the styling gets. I also understand the point you are making. I just don't happen to find it very helpful.
For instance, I'm commuting 240 miles today. Being told most journeys are only a few miles hasn't negated the fact I'll have driven 240 miles before getting home this evening.
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