Rivan, which plans to go to production in 2020 with an all-electric pickup and SUV, plans to build 20,000 to 40,000 in its first year of manufacturing, Chief Executive RJ Scaringe told The New York Times.
The company purchased in 2017 a former Mitsubishi manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois, which will be home of the first production run.
The company has also raised more than $1 billion from heavyweights including Ford and Amazon.
“We’re inspired by Rivian’s vision for the future of electric transportation,” Amazon CEO Worldwide Consumer Jeff Wilke said in a release. “RJ has built an impressive organization, with a product portfolio and technology to match. We’re thrilled to invest in such an innovative company.”
Amazon is hoping Rivian will assist it in its development of delivery vehicles that will bolster its logistics network, Reuters reported, citing a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified.
Ford is also reportedly interested in leveraging its investment in Rivian to help its efforts to electrify the best-selling F-150 pickup.
The Times article explains that Scaringe initially intended to build a a high-performance sports car. However, the prototype didn’t meet his expectations for product-market fit.
“In my heart and soul, I knew I wasn’t answering the fundamental question of why the world needs this company to be successful,” Scaringe said in the article.
Rivian says it has developed its vehicles with “adventurers at the core of every design and engineering decision.”
The R1T, will seat five passengers, and pack four electric motors. Three battery packs will be offered – a 180 kWh battery that is expected to offer more than 400 miles of range per charge, a 135 kWh option that gives more than 300 miles of range per charge, and a 105 kWh pack, which will give about 230 miles of range per charge.
The entry-level truck will go 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds and the 185 kWh version hits 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. The fastest of the version is the 135 kWh pack, which goes 0-60 mph in 3 seconds flat. Top speed for all three versions is 125 mph. The R1T has a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds.
The R1S will seat seven, feature quad electric motors, go 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds, and carry battery pack options up to 180 kWh for 410 miles of range. The base model starts at $72,500, which is slightly more expensive than the truck’s $69,000 price tag.
The company is currently taking preorders on its website.