[Atlant]

EV maker Rivian to cut 6% of jobs: internal memo

EV maker Rivian to cut 6% of jobs: internal memo

The automaker will apparently loose 840 staff as it struggles to achieve profitability during an EV price war

Abhirup Roy and Akash Sriram, Reuters
Published Feb 05, 2023

Employees work on an assembly line at startup Rivian Automotive's electric vehicle factory in Normal, Illinois, U.S. April 11, 2022 PHOTO BY KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI /Reuters

Rivian is laying off six per cent of its workforce in an effort to cut costs as the EV maker, already grappling with falling cash reserves and a weak economy, braces for an industry-wide price war. The company is focusing resources on ramping up vehicle production and reaching profitability, Chief Executive R.J. Scaringe said in an email to employees on Wednesday announcing the job cuts. Reuters obtained a copy of the email.

Layoffs at Rivian come amid falling EV prices kicked off by cuts made recently by Elon Musk-led Tesla and Ford. The price cuts by Tesla and Ford are expected to hurt EV upstarts such as Rivian, Lucid, and British startup Arrival, which Monday said it would lay off half its staff.

“We must focus our resources on ramp and our path to profitability,” Scaringe said in the email, in which he apologized to employees for the necessity of the cuts. A Rivian spokesman confirmed the email was sent, but declined further comment.

Irvine, California-based Rivian, which has about 14,000 employees, will let go of about 840 staff in a move that will not affect manufacturing operations at its plant in Normal, Illinois.

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[MikeQBF]

...14,000 employees...

For as little output as they have? Hoooooly cow! Talk about a bloated and unwieldy operation.

 

[Spin]

For as little output as they have? Hoooooly cow! Talk about a bloated and unwieldy operation.

They are producing just over 800 trucks a week.

 

[TidingSStables]

Irvine, California-based Rivian, which has about 14,000 employees, will let go of about 840 staff in a move that will not affect manufacturing operations at its plant in Normal, Illinois.

This photo

should be replaced by this photo

 

[agzand]

They need a second factory and cheaper model ASAP. Before they run out of money.

Their cars are impressive, they will probably make 60 to 70k cars this year. But they need to double that very quickly to preserve cash.

 

[23TomEV]

Large demand. Small supply. Customers will look elsewhere instead of waiting. I hope they succeed. Really like their 2 models.

 

[AtoZ]

High demand for a 90 grand + pickup truck !?? I guess people like their high car payments.

 

[TidingSStables]

I thought Lex Luthor Bezos was suppose to bail them out?

CNBC Looks At How Rivian Electric Van Has Changed Amazon Deliveries

The Rivian-made electric delivery van used by Amazon has apparently had a very positive impact on the work lives of Amazon drivers.

insideevs.com

 

[MikeQBF]

They are producing just over 800 trucks a week.

Where are they? We live literally a few miles down the highway from the factory and I've seen exactly one in the wild, and that was almost a year ago.

$90K+ is obscene for a pickup truck, anyway. Where are they selling them? Saudi Arabia? UAE?

 

[agzand]

Where are they? We live literally a few miles down the highway from the factory and I've seen exactly one in the wild, and that was almost a year ago.

$90K+ is obscene for a pickup truck, anyway. Where are they selling them? Saudi Arabia? UAE?

It is not just a pickup truck, it is a pickup truck, luxury car, sports car, and off road vehicle at the same time. It is kind of a bargain for the level of capability and performance.

 

[Atlant]

Where are they? We live literally a few miles down the highway from the factory and I've seen exactly one in the wild, and that was almost a year ago.

$90K+ is obscene for a pickup truck, anyway. Where are they selling them? Saudi Arabia? UAE?

We routinely see one (at least one, could be multiple) driving around Nashua, New Hampshire.

 

[Justin8888CT]

We routinely see one (at least one, could me multiple) driving around Nashua, New Hampshire.

I have seen one or two around my area in Manchester, Connecticut. I believe at least one of them is a local resident.

 

[MikeQBF]

It is not just a pickup truck, it is a pickup truck, luxury car, sports car, and off road vehicle at the same time. It is kind of a bargain for the level of capability and performance.

Okay, sort of an expensive Swiss army knife, then. It features all the tools you could possibly need, but not really good at performing any specific task.

Joking aside, the "sports car" angle is overstatement of the highest order. Over-the-top straight-line performance is a dragster. CG is way too high for nimble handling with that performance, which is what one buys a sports car for.

Would you dump a load of CA6 gravel in the bed to patch the drive? Didn't think so. "Luxury pickup truck" is an oxymoron, even though there's a solid market there for some odd reason. Just the thing, I guess, for guys who are all hat and no cattle.

 

[agzand]

Okay, sort of an expensive Swiss army knife, then. It features all the tools you could possibly need, but not really good at performing any specific task.

Joking aside, the "sports car" angle is overstatement of the highest order. Over-the-top straight-line performance is a dragster. CG is way too high for nimble handling with that performance, which is what one buys a sports car for.

Would you dump a load of CA6 gravel in the bed to patch the drive? Didn't think so. "Luxury pickup truck" is an oxymoron, even though there's a solid market there for some odd reason. Just the thing, I guess, for guys who are all hat and no cattle.

It has active roll bars and 4 wheel torque vectoring, and CG is not that high due to batteries. The mentality that you need a low car is from time when these technologies did not exist.

Form Motortrend, these are the pros of the car:

• Drives like a sports car
• Quiet and capable off-road
• Clever interior

 

[MikeQBF]

All the tech doesn't overcome physics. Unless - educate me here - one of the features is seriously variable ground clearance. Off-road capability and precision road handling are at odds with each other.

Motortrend? That's a marketing magazine. Always has been. Fourth down on the totem, R&T at the top, then C&D and debatably Motorweek, although I let my subscription run out a long time ago... before the Internet, I think.

 

[agzand]

All the tech doesn't overcome physics. Unless - educate me here - one of the features is seriously variable ground clearance. Off-road capability and precision road handling are at odds with each other.

Motortrend? That's a marketing magazine. Always has been. Fourth down on the totem, R&T at the top, then C&D and debatably Motorweek, although I let my subscription run out a long time ago... before the Internet, I think.

You can change ride height between 9.9 and 15.4 inch.

I am not claiming it is a Miata, but it is as much of a sport car as other sporty SUVs. No other SUV has active roll bars, it is pretty much limited to super sport cars like high end Porsches and McLarens.

I have a link but unfortunately it is from MotorTrend.

2022 Rivian R1T: How Its Suspension Makes It the McLaren of Off-Roaders

 

[MikeQBF]

I am not claiming it is a Miata,

You made me chuckle there in the confirmation. Thanks! Having owned two Miatas, and a... uh... 308... uh, plus a couple of odd (but cheap) Italian exotics, I sorta kinda have a sense of where the "sportscar" line is drawn. Which is usually from apex to apex.

Speaking of this distinction, remember the 300ZX? Nissan's sportscar at the time? I had one. It was not a sportscar, it was a boulevard cruiser. Try to drive it like one and you'll end up in the ditch. Like I almost did.

About to use-up our fourth SUV (where SUV = tall seating position), alleging sportscar performance in an SUV configuration is another oxymoron, at least in my view of the world. Whenever I see a Cayenne my reflex is to simply shake my head at the nonsense. But that's where the consumer market is right now and I'm certainly no arbiter of popular taste or style. "CUVs" are station wagons to me, but I'm a Boomer, so wadda I know?

 

[TidingSStables]

You made me chuckle there in the confirmation. Thanks! Having owned two Miatas, and a... uh... 308... uh, plus a couple of odd (but cheap) Italian exotics, I sorta kinda have a sense of where the "sportscar" line is drawn. Which is usually from apex to apex.

Speaking of this distinction, remember the 300ZX? Nissan's sportscar at the time? I had one. It was not a sportscar, it was a boulevard cruiser. Try to drive it like one and you'll end up in the ditch. Like I almost did.

About to use-up our fourth SUV (where SUV = tall seating position), alleging sportscar performance in an SUV configuration is another oxymoron, at least in my view of the world. Whenever I see a Cayenne my reflex is to simply shake my head at the nonsense. But that's where the consumer market is right now and I'm certainly no arbiter of popular taste or style. "CUVs" are station wagons to me, but I'm a Boomer, so wadda I know?

Bloated fat cars want inclusion today too. 🤷‍♀️

 

[Spin]

It is not just a pickup truck, it is a pickup truck, luxury car, sports car, and off road vehicle at the same time. It is kind of a bargain for the level of capability and performance.

As others have stated, it really doesn't do any of those things well. I need a pickup to be able to tow big trailers long distances in a timely fashion. Off road? I guess it's ok if you don't want to go too far off road. Sports car? Not even close as others have mentioned. Luxury car? I'll give you that. Basically, it's a mall cruizer, but a nice one.

 

[agzand]

As others have stated, it really doesn't do any of those things well. I need a pickup to be able to tow big trailers long distances in a timely fashion. Off road? I guess it's ok if you don't want to go too far off road. Sports car? Not even close as others have mentioned. Luxury car? I'll give you that. Basically, it's a mall cruizer, but a nice one.

A few percentage of luxury truck buyers actually use them for long-distance towing. Most people use them for buying groceries. If you are within that percentage then yes, it is not for you.