Rivian, a new car manufacturer, has signed a deal with Mercedes-Benz. Their goal ? Help the world “shift to a cleaner mode of transportation,” by producing electric utility vehicles.
Is sharing a company possible between these two ? Production will start in a few years, at a European Mercedes site. They plan to produce electric utilities inspired by the Rivian Light Van. Their goal together is to reduce the production costs of light trucks. “I am delighted that – we are joining forces with Rivian – a very dynamic and inspiring,” said Mathias Geisen, Mercedes-Benz Vans’ director.
Big step for Rivian
Such an agreement would allow Rivian to project itself on the European market. Created in 2021, this startup has already established itself in the United States. Noticed by the giant Amazon, Rivian has landed an order for 100,000 utilities by 2030. These vans will be equipped with the assistant Alexa and sensors to avoid pedestrians or bicycles. Still being tested, these vehicles have already been spotted on American roads.
Together, Mercedes and Rivian will produce only large models. The German brand is already associated with Renault for their smaller vans like the Citan or the Kangoo e-tech.
Rivian overshadows Tesla
In 2018, Elon Musk announced the arrival of a new « Camping Mode » on his Tesla cars. The concept is simple, the vehicle does not turn off when its occupants want to spend the night inside. Headlights, USB and other ports remain usable for a long period of time. But Rivian beat the Californian:
On twitter, the startup’s boss announced the arrival of the « Camp Mode » on the R1T and R1S pickups. As planned by Tesla, this mode will allow the vehicle to stay on as long as the owners would like. But Rivian’s version has a few extra options : it will be possible to turn on the lights that are under the rearview mirrors to light up the campsite. The vehicle can also be put into deep sleep to save energy. But the best feature is the one that will automatically stabilize the cars. The hydraulic suspensions of each wheel will adjust themselves automatically so that the pickup is always flat. This will allow better comfort when going to bed.
The start-up must prove itself
Rivian is not in a trial run. When it was launched, the American signed an agreement with Ford. But at the end of 2021, that contract suddenly ended, without the public knowing why. Hopefully it won’t happen again, because Mercedes-Benz has already planned to invest 400 million euros in a site in Düsseldorf, for the production of their utility vehicles. The joint venture is not yet officially created. The final signature of agreements and regulatory approvals are still missing.
To remember : Rivian is an American startup that produces electric cars. Rivian signed a deal with Mercedes-Benz. Together they will create electric utilities. Amazon asked Rivian for 100,000 utilities. Rivian createsd camps mode with more features than Tesla. Ford signed a deal with Rivian that didn’t work out. Mercedes-Benz has already invested 400 million euros in a site for the joint venture.
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