American electric vehicle start-up Rivian’s international expansion will coincide with the establishment of new factories – possibly including one on Australia’s doorstep.
Electric ute and SUV start-up Rivian has revealed plans to expand its manufacturing footprint beyond its native United States – and a facility in or near Australia could be one of the countries on the agenda.
In its Initial Public Offering (IPO) filing published by US officials this week, Rivian details its plan to enter new markets outside of North America, with Western Europe first on the expansion list – but instead of building and exporting vehicles from its factory in Normal, Illinois, production will be “localised” in the regions where the brand will be sold, to meet demand.
“Our launch is focused on the US and Canadian markets. We intend to enter Western European markets in the near term, followed by entry into major Asia-Pacific markets,” Rivian’s IPO reads. “To serve our global demand, we plan to localise production and supply chains in these regions.”
MORE: Rivian electric ute on the brink of Australian launch
While the Asia-Pacific region referenced could span markets as large as China, Japan and South Korea, it crucially includes Australia (and New Zealand), suggesting that in addition to a local launch – which is all but confirmed – production for our region move closer to home, cutting shipping times and cost compared to US manufacturing.
However, Rivian’s comment is far from official confirmation of local manufacturing, with high costs and the lack of an established local supply chain – which once saw a number of vehicle parts shared across local Holden, Ford and Toyota vehicles – making it unlikely the American start-up’s R1T and R1S models will be built in Australia.
Instead, it’s more likely Rivian will establish a facility in a far larger market such as China – the world’s largest both overall, and for electric vehicles – or a lower-cost, ute-hungry region such as Thailand, currently home to production of the majority of Australia’s top-selling dual-cabs, including the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.
Main rival Tesla builds vehicles bound for the Australian market at its Shanghai ‘gigafactory’ in China, or its home base in Fremont, California. The marque’s upcoming Cybertruck pick-up is slated to be built at a new facility in Texas, though this vehicle is yet to be confirmed for Australian sale.
The Rivian IPO filing sheds light on the brand’s growth plans, including closer ties with US technology giant Amazon – which has ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from the start-up – to subscription models for autonomous driving and infotainment services that could see up to $US15,500 ($AU21,000) earned over a vehicle’s life.
The latter is not unlike Tesla’s Full Self-Driving service – currently listed as a $10,100 option in Australia, despite many of its functions still being in a ‘beta’ phase – and the Mercedes-Benz EQS’s subscription-based rear-wheel steering system.
The IPO filing also strongly suggests Rivian will adopt the same fixed-price, direct-to-customer sales model in Australia as it has in the US and Canada, stating “… we have analysed the principal laws in the United States, EU, China, Japan, United Kingdom, and Australia relating to our [direct-to-customer] distribution model and believe we comply with such laws”.
The post Rivian eyes overseas factories, plant for Australia possible appeared first on Drive.
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