Production May Be Nearer Than Expected
Just a few days ago, YouTube creator Marques Brownlee chatted to the CEO of Rivian, RJ Scaringe, on his ‘What’s VFRM?’ podcast. They discussed the forthcoming R2 and R3 models from the firm. To date, numerous trademarks denote that the organisation is creating majorities of diminutive vehicles, though it will take a while until these subsequent two hit the market. Nonetheless, we can’t resist cracking away at every piece of information obtainable to us, in order to obtain an understanding of what awaits.
Now besides the R2, which conjures images of everyone’s beloved astromech, Scaringe states that the R3 is intended to attract new patrons for the automaker. However, he adds that they will “continue to take the essence of what we’ve done here [in the R1S/R1T] in terms of how you can fit your gear and your pets and do it in a refined and fun way in different packages and in smaller form factors.”
He delves into the company’s mission of having the cars look like they were crafted from “millions of decisions” made by a single united team, even when different teams are making changes to the vehicles. One advantage of beginning with $90,000 SUVs and trucks is that the company can incorporate a plethora of exclusive features and powertrain choices to attract customers since the expense is much less of a problem. You don’t have that privilege on models that could target to cost $40,000-$50,000 less.
“When it comes to a vehicle with a cost target, there are many decisions to be made when it comes to where to allocate the investment,” explains CEO Scaringe. “For example, should you put $1,000 into the interior, the hood, the chassis, or the range? It’s a complex web of trade-offs that must be navigated.”
He continues, stating that the company is having intense discussions about the R2 platform and how to allocate the funds, since it is “much lower cost” compared to the R1T and R1S. The main aim is to identify the essence of the company and innovate from there, while avoiding “diluting it down to the point where there’s no personality or enthusiasm.”
Evidently, this creates an entirely fresh outlook for the corporation, one that could certainly be detrimental if it is mismanaged. Thankfully, in the face of manufacturing problems and the resuming negotiations with their top consumer Amazon, the business is displaying record-breaking output, geared to reach a lucrative 50,000 cars in 2021. If they are able to ensure their manufacturing approaches are secure and place their attention on the vehicles’ designs, as declared, we very likely can expect something extraordinary as they reach consumers in some years.
