Rivian’s Post

Few learnings for Engineers and Finance world of Automotive from RIVIAN announcements today. - R2 and R3 has improved tech stack and user experience from feedback collected from R1 customers. - Data driven company which collects and process lot of user data to improve everyday. - Vertical integration of products puts more control over the product quality, independence, timelines and customer satisfaction. - Allocating remaining cash to retooling of Normal plant and delaying Georgia plant will save them a fortune. This will give them more quicker turnaround to make strides and launch of R2 and R3 generations. - Charging with NACS will open up more opportunities for all the products. - Rivian interior looks very clean and with much affordable vehicle - New gen vehicles shows prime interest in outdoors and adventure as R1. Being Ex-Rivianite I feel proud that from where we started and how high we are aiming. Truly revolutionary company with good leaders at top who knows how to efficiently sail to launch amazing new products. Personally, I am interested in knowing more about R3x and R3 but till then R2 preorder is already placed. Want them to win this marathon. #RIVN #RIVIAN #R2 #R3 #R3x

Very xciting news indeed!! I’ve been fallowing Rivian for quite a while, totally in awe of their designs and just as a huge fan. Working as their designated Account Specialist at #teamLYB and making sure our supply chain flows smoothly and uninterrupted, makes me feel a part of something special. Supply chain management involves so many moving parts and links on the chain. Glad to participate in one of these links! #LYBAdvancingGood #supplychainmanagement

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 Volkswagen Group and Rivian surprised the automotive industry 🚗 with an investment and joint venture that will give Volkswagen access to the Rivian E/E architecture and software stack: https://lnkd.in/d42JmpAM As always, I share my personal opinion, please add yours. 👉 Volkswagen could invest up to $5 billion in Rivian, which is a major lifeline for RJ Scaringe and the EV ⚡️ company and one of the biggest investments 💰 of Volkswagen in a tech company. 👉 It’s the third partnership for Volkswagen to close the gap on platforms, architecture and software, after the deals with XPENG and the Saic Motor Co., Ltd.. 👉 As I predicted earlier, the decreasing valuations of the formerly hyped EV companies 🔋 open up interesting deal opportunities for traditional OEMs. Expect more deals! 👉 The road towards SDVs and next platform generations will be bumpy, not linear and will take longer than you expect. 👉 The joint venture 🤝 will leverage the current E/E architecture and software stack of Rivian for potentially all group brands. 👉 Rivian just announced the second architecture generation, a modern zonal architecture that reduces costs and finally could enable ADAS 🤖 features based on the available compute power and sensor set. 👉 Initially, Volkswagen had the ambition to merge the different EV platforms into the unified SSP platform and 2.0 E/E architecture. This plan seems to be shelved, leveraging available technology and keep a diverse set of platforms could speed up launches and also reduce costs. 👉 Will be interesting to follow the implications of this deal and the other partnerships on the future direction of CARIAD 🤷🏼♂️. Screenshot: Rivian #automotive #partnerships #SDV #softwaredefinedvehicles

I completely disagree with the perspective that Rivian is in crisis mode, and I think Rivian is much stronger than it appears. Here's why: Rivian took a technology org approach, more similar to Tesla's playbook than legacy auto's approach. As such, when money (credit) was cheap, they over-hired, including Engineering and Customer Experience roles aka fat-to-trim. In addition, Tesla let go ~9% of its workforce when attempting to launch the Model 3 to "reach profitability". Further still, this doesn't consider the 6 figure volume job losses in the rest of the non-automotive tech sector, with Engineering, PM's and Customer-centric losses in fintech, social giants etc over ~24 months or so from similar industry wide over-hiring. There is no "crisis mode", especially when considering Rivian's current inflection point. They are about to change over from startup to scale-up. This serves two primary functions - same as Tesla did with the Model 3. 1. With projected scale, Rivian can now successfully renegotiate supplier contracts that are currently drowning them eg. ~$40k loss per *niche* vehicle manufactured. 2. Start to vertically integrate through acquisition, reducing costs to manufacture further. Arguably, one of the few mistakes Rivian made was attempting to develop their own battery cell technology during the early seed startup phases. Even Tesla is realizing that with its own battery cell technology, it still needs 3rd party suppliers to manufacture quantities needed at scale. There are so many other components Rivian can vertically integrate and streamline at this stage. Rivian is also negotiating with government partners in IL and GA to free up capital over the next few years to ensure the AMAZING 🤩 R2 can launch successfully. Lastly, Rivian is backed by incredibly stable investors such as Amazon, and has in-house patents, technologies and brand appeal to leverage in a future buyout (Apple? GEELY [JLR]?). Conversely, Fisker truly is an example of a fledgling automaker in crisis mode, with a projected run ramp not lasting another 12 months, no stable financier, absent brand appeal and many of its core EV technologies purchased off the shelf from Magna International, rather than internally developed. While Dan Rolle and I both love Rivian, we disagree on the context of the data. In my humble opinion, he viewed the data through a micro-environment lens, while I'm viewing it within a macro-environment lens. *Disclaimer: At the time of this writing, I do not own any Rivian stock and my thoughts are my own opinions, not to be considered financial advice lol 😂

Exciting to hear about the expansion at Rivian. I'm seeing more and more of these great trucks in Missouri. Some personal thoughts: #DigitalTwin factory design and simulation has been a huge enabler across all industries but especially in the Transportation & Mobility sector as the cost of setting up a plant ($5B for example) is serious. Couple the costs with the need for accelerated product development and NPI - why not design, simulate, and build the perfect plant ONE time? Same goes for the use of Augmented Reality for all your complex step-by-step instructions and inspection requirements, making them easy and intuitive to follow to perfection. "First time right" manufacturing might be optional for some. Not for leaders who want a sustainable business that ensures the highest quality standards. Further, the ability to pivot is priceless, able to validate and implement changes on the line or address corrective actions with all the context at your fingertips. https://lnkd.in/ghztzQhd #DELMIA #VirtualTwin #augmentedreality #RIVN

Interesting news in the EV industry. Volkswagen and Rivian have announced a strategic joint venture. Rivian's advanced software will be scaled through Volkswagen's global reach, addressing VW's struggles in software development. The collaboration seems like a win-win for both companies. Additionally, Rivian will receive a significant $5B capital infusion, crucial for competing in the competitive EV market. With Tesla's dominance and Chinese manufacturers, it will be fascinating to see the future direction of Rivian. Will it eventually join the V.A.G. family or maintain a close collaboration with Volkswagen for software development? #EV #Rivian #Volkswagen

Volkswagen's deal with Rivian highlights car companies' struggle in "Becoming a Software Company". Some analysts call the deal a "game-changer," while others call it "a template for EV transition." Not so fast. Let me offer a caveat. When software defines a product's user experience, like it does in a modern car, you can't simply acquire the build competency, as VW is trying. That's because: 1. You can't buy differentiation with your customers. You have to design and build it, i.e., own the experience created through software. 2. The complexity of integrating someone else's software architecture with your hardware platform will bog you down in ways you can't imagine. ("The Complexity Principle") #2 isn't just complex on technical grounds. It also has an operational and people aspect complexity that is 10x harder. When it comes to software that touches your customers, in cars, or anything else, there is no "Build vs. Buy". It is "Build or Die", starting with your team/organization first.

How Rivian became an automotive success story. Currently valued at 27 billion… Founded in 2009, they began as a startup focusing on electric adventure vehicles. By 2021, their IPO was the largest worldwide and the 12th largest in history. After securing investments with two large public companies… Rivian took an order to fulfill 100,000 electric delivery vans for Amazon – one of the single largest orders for commercial EVs ever placed. So, what contributes to their success? → A philanthropic mission to address the planet’s climate crisis. → Speaking directly to customers about our planet’s long-term survival. → Unique design and dedication to legacy. → A strong tagline, “Vehicles made for the planet.” → Building their vehicles for eco-conscious people and companies. → Having an uncompromised stance on quality. Along with great design, Rivian invited individuals to help build their mission. They spoke directly to the customers and businesses who would most likely drive their vehicles. Want to learn more? Follow us for more automotive data and insights. #dataanalysis #automotivedata #automotive #data #business #sales

Is Rivian's Strategy Navigating the EV Turbulence Effectively? Amidst industry shifts, Rivian adjusts its sails. Discover how the #EV maker's latest decisions aim to secure its footing in a changing market. Explore Rivian's strategies and their implications ⬇️