Answering the question, “Who makes Rivian?” is simple: Rivian. Founded by RJ Scaringe in 2009 as Mainstream Motors, the company changed its name in 2011 to Rivian Automotive Inc. With its headquarters in Irvine, California, and an assembly plant in Normal, Illinois, the company went public in 2021.
Several Rivian investors are familiar names, including Amazon, Ford, and Cox Automotive, the parent company of Kelley Blue Book. However, Ford sold off most of its Rivian stock and may be heading for the door. According to reports, Amazon holds a 17% stake in Rivian from its initial investment of $1.345 billion in 2019. Moreover, Amazon struck a deal with Rivian the same year to eventually purchase 100,000 delivery vans by 2030, though only 3,000 have been deployed so far.
Rivian lifted the curtain on the prototypes for its two noncommercial models at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Vehicle deliveries began late in late 2021. Total company sales in reached 15,700 units in 2022.
The Rivian Truck and SUV Lineup
Soon after the Rivian name change, the company unveiled a coupe prototype, which it quickly abandoned to concentrate on trucks and SUVs. An avid outdoorsman, Scaringe wanted vehicles capable of going into the wilderness with minimal environmental impact.
Today, the company markets the R1T pickup truck and R1S, a 3-row SUV in its lineup.
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Cox Automotive, the parent company of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, is a minority investor in Rivian.