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Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

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Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#91

Post by clouddrover »

gpm wrote: post #10
jcims wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I think the innovation here is in the business model, not the engineering. I really do like the four motor design on the Rivian platform though. It opens up a lot of possibilities for improved performance/handling/safety and off-road capability. The 'tank turn' demo is kind of a gimmick but also not - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzwM8KE2L3I Edit: Add mecanum wheels and you could strafe (at least until they f…

Would the "tank turn" work on asphalt? Or would that be too much friction for the tires?

Yes. Here's an example in a Schaeffler 4ePerformance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeXZs_XAmME&t=720

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#92

Post by electriclove »

threeseed wrote: post #89
electriclove wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is yet another effort (fuel cell, Nikola, lucid, workhorse) by the existing industry to divert attention and money away from the few players (mainly Tesla) that are actually delivering battery electric vehicles. /tinfoil

Few players ? There are are dozens and dozens of companies delivering EV vehicles including big players like VW, BMW, Porsche, Jaguar, Audi, Volvo etc. Could be even hundreds based on what what little we know from all of the skunkwork projects.

In the US, besides Tesla, the LEAF, and the Bolt, everything is a compliance car. https://insideevs.com/news/343998/monthly-plug-in-ev-sales-s...

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#93

Post by varjag »

judge2020 wrote: post #84
jakelazaroff wrote: post #9

> On Monday, Rivian announced it had raised $1.3 billion in its fourth funding round of the year, led by T. Rowe Price, bringing its total for 2019 to nearly $2.9 billion. > Rivian has been quietly developing vehicles for a decade, but it seized the industry’s attention in late 2018, when it unveiled a pair of eye-catching, high-end electric trucks. Rivian raised $2.9 billion over four funding rounds in the span of o…

Sound familiar? > Tesla was founded in 2003 https://www.tesla.com/about > By January 2009, Tesla had raised US$187 million and delivered 147 cars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tesla,_Inc .

Still better than 2900 million and 0 cars tho?

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#94

Post by varjag »

jfim wrote: post #55
unlinked_dll wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The strange thing is running a business for a decade without bringing a product to market. Prototypes be damned, they aren’t revenue.

It's manufacturing, not software. While one can produce one million copies of a binary for cheap and no lead time, producing one million physical objects requires setting up production lines, quality control checks, rework stations, warehousing, supply chains and controls, and so on.

You can do a lot to get going with couple billion dollars though. I agree that it sounds like vaporware.

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#95

Post by jeffnappi »

threeseed wrote: post #90
hourislate wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've stopped paying attention to all these auto manufactures like Rivian, VW, etc. All they do is keep announcing how they are going to take the industry by storm but yet never release a product or are working on it. Meanwhile Tesla pumps out a few thousand vehicles a month and the media makes it sound like it in big trouble. Ford, GM, VW are junk.I wouldn't buy any of their vehicles ICE or Electric. I worked for For…

Not sure what you are talking about. VW Group has already released a car which is in the hands of customers today i.e. Porsche Taycan. And there are plenty of EV cars today from the big auto manufacturers e.g. Audi, BMW, Mercedes. Some of which even outsell all Tesla cars in a country or two. And it's hilarious to see you go on about car companies pre-announcing products when Tesla did exactly the same with the Cyber…

The Taycan is also the least efficient EV on the market... https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a30199684/porsche-taycan-e...

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#96

Post by [deleted] »

x3haloed wrote: post #56
nickik wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only actual reason I have heard is that Cybertruck makes it harder to load from the side. However I have heard why the utility of the frunk, integrated Ramp, the automatic cover, active suspension and so on would not make up for that.

Right. You tell me which truck you'd rather load boxes and furniture into. https://www.geek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/TeslaElectri...

[deleted]

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#97

Post by fastball »

thdrdt wrote: post #33
x3haloed wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's actually quite the opposite. If you need a truck for its utility which one makes more sense? The Cybertruck is less expensive, has more range, bigger payload, higher towing capacity, access to the best charging network in the world. Why would you buy a Rivian instead? The only reason I can think of is that it looks more conventional. If you need a truck, you buy the Tesla. If you want a lifestyle truck t…

When it comes to utility design the Rivian is far far ahead. It's not about more conventional but about more convenient. One example: you cannot throw stuff in the back of the Tesla from the side. And when it comes to towing: nobody will use an electric vehicle yet. You can buy a gas truck for half the price with the same towing capacity. A gas truck with the same price as the Tesla will have twice the towing capacit…

Have you owned a truck? How often are you throwing things into the bed from the side? What are these things?

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#98

Post by sjwright »

threeseed wrote: post #89
electriclove wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is yet another effort (fuel cell, Nikola, lucid, workhorse) by the existing industry to divert attention and money away from the few players (mainly Tesla) that are actually delivering battery electric vehicles. /tinfoil

Few players ? There are are dozens and dozens of companies delivering EV vehicles including big players like VW, BMW, Porsche, Jaguar, Audi, Volvo etc. Could be even hundreds based on what what little we know from all of the skunkwork projects.

Half the companies you listed are the same company.

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#99

Post by amayne »

varjag wrote: post #93
judge2020 wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sound familiar? > Tesla was founded in 2003 https://www.tesla.com/about > By January 2009, Tesla had raised US$187 million and delivered 147 cars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tesla,_Inc .

Still better than 2900 million and 0 cars tho?

Not to mention that at this same point 10 years into Tesla’s existence the Model S was in full production of 1,000 cars a week and Motor Trend Car of the Year.

Re: Rivian's platform approach to electric vehicles helped it raise $3B this year

#100

Post by DaiPlusPlus »

x3haloed wrote: post #41
DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not convinced that the Cybertruck prices Tesla advertised during the unveiling were anything beyond promotional.

Okay fine. As long as we're not believing announcements, then Rivian’s prices are promotional too. And so are the specs. So this conversation is pointless.

Part of me wants to believe Elon et al. at Tesla has a soft-spot for Rivian and - yes - while the Cybertruck could crush Rivian - they want to see Rivian succeed because an EV monopoly over all vehicle classes might mean an own-goal for combating global climate change: competition is important, and the appearance of competition even more-so.
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