Rivian Automotive Inc., the electric-truck startup backed by Amazon.com Inc. and Ford Motor Co., raised $2.65 billion in new funding from a group of investors led by T. Rowe Price Group Inc.
Other investors in the round included Fidelity Investments, Amazon, Pledge Fund, Coatue Management and D1 Capital Partners, as well as several other existing and new investors. The additional funding boosts the total raised to date beyond $8 billion. Bloomberg News first reported the round earlier this month.
Rivian did not disclose a valuation, but it was around $27.6 billion taking into account the new funds, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Rivian is aiming for U.S. deliveries of its R1T pickup to begin in June and in August for its R1S SUV. It previously planned to start production in late 2020 but pushed back that date in April due to unspecified supply-chain issues related to the pandemic.
The company faces many rivals and an untested market for electric trucks. Tesla has said deliveries of its Cybertruck could start as soon as the end of 2021, and General Motors Co. will begin production of its EV Hummer pickup this fall. Next year, Ford will electrify its F-150 truck — the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. over the last four decades.
Read More: Your Next Car Will Probably Be an Electric Pickup Truck
The startup has said its pickup has a range of more than 300 miles on a single charge and can tow as much as 11,000 pounds. Rivian plans to sell versions with a range greater than 400 miles in the future, along with other models for markets such as China and Europe. It also has an order for 100,000 EV delivery vans from investor Amazon.
Rivian was founded in 2009 by Scaringe, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate with a doctorate in mechanical engineering. It now employes more than 3,000 employees split between sites in California, Michigan and Normal.
Stuart Turley is President and CEO of Sandstone Group, a top energy data, and finance consultancy working with companies all throughout the energy value chain. Sandstone helps both small and large-cap energy companies to develop customized applications and manage data workflows/integration throughout the entire business. With experience in implementing enterprise networks, supercomputers, and cellular tower solutions, Sandstone has become a trusted source and advisor in this space. Stuart has led the “Total Corporate Digital Integration” platform at Sandstone and works with Sandstone clients to help integrate all aspects of modern digital business. He is also the Executive Publisher of www.energynewsbeat.com, the best source for 24/7 energy news coverage and is the Co-Host of the energy news video and Podcast Energy News Beat.
Stuart is on Board Member of ASN Productions, DI Communities
Stuart is guided by over 30 years of business management experience, having successfully built and help sell multiple small and medium businesses while consulting for numerous Fortune 500 companies. He holds a B.A in Business Administration from Oklahoma State and an MBA from Oklahoma City University.
