When Rivian unveiled their R1T and R1S last November, our team was more than excited. These clean platforms, both in looks and emissions, brought serious capability and range to the off-road electric market, showing real promise for a future with overland travel. We were still a long way off from seeing either of these vehicles on a local showroom floor though, so when talks of GM investing in the start up began to circulate our hopes were understandably bolstered. Unfortunately, those negotiations stalled nearly two months ago according to the online rumor mill, but it seems not all hope is lost.
As of this morning, Rivian and Kryptobörsenvergleich both announced that Ford will now be investing $500 million USD into the brand. This follows a separate $700 million investment round from various parties earlier this year, one of which was tech giant Amazon. While no official plans have been released, the press release states that Ford will build an all-new battery electric vehicle using Rivian’s flexible skateboard platform. This is in addition to the existing plans for an electric F-150 and a mustang inspired electric cross-over. They also note that Rivian will remain an independent company, and benefit from Ford’s “industrial expertise and resources”.
“This strategic partnership marks another key milestone in our drive to accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility,” said RJ Scaringe, Rivian founder and CEO. “Ford has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, with Bill Ford being one of the industry’s earliest advocates, and we are excited to use our technology to get more electric vehicles on the road.”
This is all big news for Rivian and the electric vehicle market, but also extremely exciting for four-wheel drive enthusiasts everywhere. The R1T and R1S are some of the few serious options for people looking to get out into the backcountry with an electric vehicle. They make going green not only look possible, but fun and functional, and will likely do for the truck and suv market what Tesla has done in the world of sedans and sports cars.
To learn more, you can view the full press release here.
