The EV startup that debuted at the LA Auto Show in November has announced a $700 million investment round led by Amazon.
Rivian will stay an independent company. Their original shareholders are a part of raising the $700 million as well. They have not disclosed how much money Amazon has kicked in. GM has been reported in talks with Rivian but is not a part of this round of investment.
This is brilliant. A company that has many engineers from McLaren is now making adventure-themed electric vehicles with 400 miles of range is exactly what we need. Not another A to B commuter, but a badass, go anywhere Truck and SUV. Rivian is building their own battery packs and are reportedly holding 25% more energy than the Tesla Model X.
The more I look at the R1S, the more I’m intrigued by it. What’s the downside of an SUV? Fuel consumption. The previous concern of rollovers is lessened with the battery pack creating a lower center of gravity for both of these vehicles.
The visibility is great in most SUVs, the perceived safety of being in a larger vehicle, and the additional cargo capacity are all benefits of the family SUV. The R1S checks all of these boxes and gives you the additional cargo space of the “frunk” and cargo under the rear area as well.
The R1S makes a lot of sense to me. I prefer a smaller diameter wheel and more sidewall. Hopefully, this will be in their options list when R1S/R1T go into production in 2020.
I can’t wait to see one with some BFG K02s, a Roof Top Tent, and some off-road lights added to the front.
With 400 miles of range, I would be able to make it to Colby, Kansas (369 miles away), recharge, and then be in the mountains in another 300 miles. That is substantially better than the four stops the Land Cruiser has to make now. The time difference is probably negligible with the longer EV charge time vs. four fuel stops.
I’m ready to test the real world application of an electric SUV. I’m here for the SUV electric vehicle revolution. I cannot wait till solar charging improves to the point of range extenders. It is going to be amazing.
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