Rivian CEO eyes growth into broader vary of business electrical automobiles

July 21 (Reuters) – Rivian Automotive Inc (RIVN.O) is planning a broader vary of electrical industrial automobiles in a wide range of styles and sizes, and expects to be constructing hundreds of thousands of EVs a yr at a number of vegetation after 2030, Chief Government R.J. Scaringe mentioned.

Talking with Reuters forward of Thursday’s formal unveiling with Amazon (AMZN.O) of the massive EDV-700 supply van, Scaringe mentioned “there shall be a number of different functions within the industrial house” based mostly on the so-called RCV platform that underpins the Amazon van that Rivian is constructing in Regular, Illinois.

“We’re desirous about many different points of the industrial house exterior of last-mile supply (together with) cargo and work vans,” Scaringe mentioned. “We have had an entire host of discussions with different clients.” He did not determine the opposite potential clients.

Scaringe’s imaginative and prescient for Rivian mirrors that of Elon Musk for Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), which additionally struggled in its first decade and a half earlier than income and income began to surge. Musk has mentioned he expects Tesla to construct 20 million EVs yearly by 2030.

Rivian has struggled to fulfill manufacturing targets for its R1T pickup and R1S utility car, and not too long ago mentioned it had delayed some applications – together with the abroad launch of the R1S – and will trim head rely in an effort to cut back prices. learn extra

The California startup reported it had greater than $16 billion in money on the finish of the primary quarter, however analysts have mentioned the present money burn fee might quickly deplete that.

Within the interview, Scaringe mentioned Rivian is also planning a smaller household of business automobiles, which might share some elements with the corporate’s upcoming R2 electrical crossover, because of begin manufacturing in 2025 at a brand new $5 billion Georgia plant.

That collection shall be constructed on a brand new platform with “a smaller footprint, a smaller kind issue” than the EDV-700 that is being shipped to Amazon, he mentioned.

Scaringe mentioned he nonetheless expects Rivian to be constructing 1 million EVs a yr by 2030, “and we hope to be constructing much more than that as we get out into the 2030s.”

“That is going to require a number of automobiles, completely different platforms and sizes. And in the end a number of vegetation above and past what we have now in Regular and what’s been introduced in Atlanta. There shall be extra services that can permit us to enter these completely different markets and scale up.”

Amazon is Rivian’s largest shareholder, with a 20% stake. It has ordered 100,000 supply vans via 2025.

A prime Amazon government mentioned Rivian will not be the e-commerce large’s solely car provider, citing present offers with Stellantis (STLA.MI) and Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE).

“Given our scale and the car wants we will have over the following 10 years, we will definitely have a couple of associate,” mentioned Udit Madan, Amazon’s vice chairman of transportation.

Madan mentioned the corporate is testing 15 various kinds of electrical industrial automobiles from completely different suppliers, “from supply automobiles to e-bikes and e-rickshaws.”

Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit; modifying by Ben Klayman and Jonathan Oatis

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.