Rivian could have worked with Ford and Mercedes on electric cars. RJ Scaringe, the brand’s CEO, explains why these two collaborations fell through.
A few years ago, Rivian wanted to work with traditional automakers. In 2019, Ford was the target of the young brand. But by 2021, the agreement had fallen through as Ford eventually wanted to develop its own platform.
In 2022, Rivian and Mercedes had decided to create a joint venture. The goal was to produce electric utility vehicles. However, three months later, the partnership had already collapsed. This time, it was Rivian who decided to distance itself from the German manufacturer.
RJ Scaringe, the CEO of Rivian, explained why these two partnerships did not materialize. He is also reassuring about the new partnership with Volkswagen progressing successfully.
“We considered sharing our platform in various ways,” Scaringe said. “We considered sharing the vehicle platform with Ford and then the vehicle platform with Mercedes. In both cases, it was very public.”
The “challenge” of working with a traditional brand
However, the obstacles to overcome are the same: “In all cases, the challenge is to integrate the network architectures of the Rivian platform with those of other manufacturers with whom we have discussed. It is a challenge from all perspectives.”
“Because it involves running a traditional business with a large number of suppliers alongside our platform that has very few ECUs. It is a challenge to run these two very different architectures on the same production line.”
Scaringe also explained that he approaches the partnership with VW in the same way as the previous ones. By addressing “precisely what has been a challenge,” Rivian aims to facilitate platform sharing.
Today, Ford and Mercedes are still adjusting their goals and delaying electrification. On the other hand, Rivian with its R1T is one of the most vibrant manufacturers in the American market. Could this lead to regrets for Ford and Mercedes?