Is it a Ford? Is it a Jeep? It’s a Rivian!

Many car brands have been established for decades and everyone knows them – regardless of the origin of the manufacturer. In the meantime, we are also supplying new customers who do not yet have an international reputation but who are on the rise. One example is Rivian in the USA, which is supplied from Lapeer with several parts. We introduce the brand, which is still largely unknown in Asia and Europe:

What is Rivian and where did they come from?

Rivian was founded in 2009 out of “RJ” Scaringe’s passion (current CEO) to develop and produce ultra-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles. After graduating as the number one ranked student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2007, Dr. Scaringe continued his studies, earning both his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 2009.

Finding the landscape to compete in was difficult without brand value. Rivian couldn’t compete directly with Porsche because of their legacy, and they couldn’t compete with Tesla because of the technological advancements. It was decided to create their own competitive space with an “Electric Adventure Vehicle”. Rivian focused on designing the best vehicle for its environment. There are currently two vehicles available for consumer purchase, the Rivian R1T (electric pickup truck), and Rivian R1S (electric 3-row SUV) and one commercial vehicle, the RPV (Amazon.com Delivery Van). Rivian recently began series production of the first vehicles.

Who is supporting Rivian?

Rivian is a very financially secure organization. Starting in 2012, Rivian raised more than ten billion USD for the development of their vehicles and brand. Their largest shareholders are ALJ Automotive (Saudi Arabia), Sumitomo Group (Japan), Amazon.com (America), and Ford (America). They have also hosted ten successful rounds of funding and launched its IPO in November. It was the largest IPO of the year, and the car manufacturer is now worth more than 100 billion US dollars, making it more valuable than many traditional brands.

Amazon.com is also their largest customer, with an order of 100,000 electric delivery vans. By October 1, 2021, more than 30,000 customers have placed cash deposits for Rivian vehicles, delivered within the next year.

How does KAMAX support Rivian?

KAMAX and Facil partnered to deliver prototype bolts to Rivian. With KAMAX’s proven experience in electric vehicle fasteners to Tesla, the expertise and technical support has been valuable as Rivian designs their three vehicles: R1T, R1S, and the RPV.

KAMAX Americas is strengthening their relationship with Rivian by preparing for direct sales as Rivian transitions into production volumes. As a member of the Sales and Application Engineering team, Nikki Long planted and continues to cultivate our relationship with Rivian. Currently, KAMAX has about 40 parts with Rivian with an estimated $6MM USD in 2022 through both KAMAX Americas and Facil.