The American manufacturer Rivian and the German giant Mercedes have just announced their divorce. So we don’t have to come across Rivian’s electric cars in Europe for a long time.
Article updated on December 15, 2022 : Only three months after the announcement of a partnership between them, Mercedes and Rivian have just suspended it as can be read in the press release. Officially, this is a break. Unofficially, we imagine that Rivian’s financial difficulties (declines in sales and difficulty in raising funds) are pushing the American company to focus on current production: the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV.
Normally, these two electric cars could cross the Atlantic to be marketed in Europe during the year 2022. Since then, no date has been communicated, and it is a safe bet that the suspension of the partnership with Mercedes is a sign an even greater delay for Rivian’s arrival on the Old Continent. By the end of the year, Rivian should have produced barely 25,000 electric cars in the United States instead of the planned 50,000.
What push some analysts to announce that this withdrawal from Europe and the refusal of the aid provided by Mercedes could be a mistake. What also the idea that Lucid and Rivian would go straight into the wall… according to Elon Musk!
Original article, September 12, 2022
: Rivian, Tesla’s competitor in the United States, and Mercedes-Benz have signed a partnership to develop new electric utility vehicles. These will be made in Europe.
If you don’t know Rivian yet, that’s perfectly normal. But be aware that you may soon hear a lot about the American manufacturer, which aims to compete with Tesla in the electric car market. Founded in 2009 by engineer RJ Scaringe, the firm was initially called Mainstream Motors then Avera Automotive before taking the name Rivian. If it initially planned to develop a small hybrid sports car, things have changed a lot since then.
Two Mercedes – Rivian utilities on the program
If the manufacturer offers a large seven-seater electric SUV, the R1S, it is above all known for its utilities. We think in particular of the R1T pickup, which competes head-on with the Tesla Cybertruck and other Ford F-150 Lightning. But the firm also had its first success when it signed a partnership with Amazon, to supply the company with electric vans for deliveries. But of course, the young brand obviously does not intend to stop there. This is why it has just signed a partnership with Mercedes, announced through a press release.
This then consisted of the creation of a joint venture, in order to develop and assemble two completely new electric utility vehicles.. Thus, the two manufacturers will share costs and R&D skills. Two large models are already planned, with one that will be based on an all-new Mercedes platform called VAN.EA, while the second will take over the Rivian Light Van technical base in a new version
For the time being, no information on the technical sheets of these vehicles has been revealed, but we know that they will be 100% electric. As specified Automotive Newsall utility vehicles launched by Mercedes from 2025 will be anyway.
Made in Europe
If nothing has been confirmed yet, the manufacture of these two new models could take place within the Mercedes plant in Kecskemet, Hungary. Inaugurated in 2012, it produces the brand’s entry-level models, from Class A to Class C. According to Automotive News, the manufacturer plans to reduce the manufacture of these models, in order to focus on the most top of the line. In addition, it also plans to restructure its other production sites responsible for assembling large vans such as the Sprinter, in order to offset the costs more necessary to assemble electric vehicles.
A breath of fresh air for Rivian?
Mercedes will then invest no less than 400 million euros in its Düsseldorf plant.
. Other sites should also see the light of day, in central and eastern Europe. Anyway, the partnership signed with the brand with the star should allow Rivian to improve its situation, while the firm lost 1.2 billion dollars in the second quarter.
The manufacturer still has great ambitions, since it plans to launch a new 1,200 horsepower all-terrain model next year. It also wants to develop its network of fast charging stations, already deployed in the United States. This new joint venture could also allow it to consider marketing in Europe, while other companies such as General Motors are also thinking about it. Finally, clarification that the Rivian R1S and R1T are supposed to be marketed in Europe in the future, but on a date still unknown.
With a futuristic look and impressive performance, Rivian’s first cars have already left their mark. The young American company is now one of the 10 most valuable car manufacturers in the world. Rivian is worth…
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