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Whereas Tesla is dominating the world of electrical autos, some individuals could be delay by their lineup of autos, its eccentric CEO Elon Musk, or each. This could possibly be a blessing for rival firm Rivian.
The US automaker is concentrated on electrical vehicles and SUVs which can be anticipated to go public later this 12 months. A key a part of Rivian’s enchantment is how completely different it’s from Tesla.
In an interview with CNN Business, drivers who’ve pre-ordered with Rivian say that the autos are higher fitted to an outdoorsy way of life, and have a extra typical, rugged look. Some have additionally mentioned Rivian’s environmental focus appears extra honest and its mission extra people-oriented in comparison with Tesla.
Electrical automobile fanatics have mentioned their opinion of Musk had soured through the years. From his controversial tweets to calling a rescue worker in Thailand “pedo guy”, to mocking the Securities and Exchange Commission. The drivers interviewed mentioned they most well-liked the low-profile Rivian CEO, RJ Scaringe.
“Typically Musk can come throughout as a Bond villain or one thing, RJ doesn’t give me these vibes,” mentioned Stephen Henken, who has ordered a Rivian R1S.
Scaringe graduated with a PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT and based Rivian in 2009. From then till now, the corporate has made positive to show itself right into a full-fledged automaker earlier than ever promoting a automobile.
Rivian bought a former Mitsubishi manufacturing plant in 2017 and the corporate has raised US$10.5 billion since 2019 from varied sources, together with giants Amazon and Ford. The corporate markets itself as an adventure-focused model. Its mission? To “encourage individuals to do extra of the issues they love, whereas minimizing our influence on the planet”.
Rivian additionally provides the choice to buy a tent that mounts atop its autos and sells particular mounts for bikes, snowboards, skis, kayaks, and surfboards. Different corporations equivalent to Ford and Subaru provide comparable attachments, whereas Tesla doesn’t.
After all, there’s a threat that Rivian will overpromise and under-deliver. David Kirsch, a professor on the College of Maryland’s enterprise faculty, mentioned Rivian’s workforce, product, and buyers all look promising, however there are not any ensures it’ll meet expectations.
“You see idea pictures of a automobile, you get excited. You see a facility to construct it, you get excited. You see manufacturing variations and get extra excited,” mentioned Karl Brauer, government analyst at iSeeCars.com. “However none of meaning something as soon as the particular person buys the automobile.”
Additionally taking place in automobile information, Audi Sport has been running tests on its Audi RS Q e-tron in Morrocco in preparation for the Dakar Rally subsequent 12 months in Saudi Arabia. The battle was pushed to its extremes within the excessive temperatures of the desert, together with sandstorms hampering progress.
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