Rivian is ramping-up production after slightly missing its initial target of over 1,200 EVs (three models) in 2021.
According to Automotive News' unofficial sources, the company noted manufacturing issues, as well as supply bottlenecks and "Covid-19 outbreaks.""
It affected the launch and resulted in the production of 1,015 EVs (R1T pickup, R1S SUV and EDV van), and 920 customer deliveries (almost entirely R1T) for the year.
According to the article, this month, Rivian paused production for about a week to solve issues and now is able to continue the ramp up, "toward almost 200 delivery-ready units a week".
"The pickup maker backed by Amazon.com had paused production at its Normal, Ill., plant for about a week around the start of this month for fixes and process improvements, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information."
"After starting limited production of its R1T pickup in August, Rivian averaged about 50 units a week through the end of December."
200 a week is still less than 1,000 per month, but it's great to see progress. That would also explain why the company's CEO, RJ Scaringe, shared a new video with dozens of R1T at the plant's parking lot. He wanted to highlight progress.
While the Rivi volume remains low, we must remember that the company has also a more difficult task than a typical new manufacturer, because it's launching three vehicles simultaneously.
On the demand side there is a long queue, including about 71,000 pre-orders for the R1T and R1S (in the U.S. and Canada) as of December 15, 2021. On top of that, Rivian has a contract for 100,000 EDV vans for Amazon, including 10,000 this year.
Rivian's plant in Normal, Illinois is expected to be able to produce 200,000 EVs per year, after an upgrade from the current potential level of up to 150,000 per year. The second plant, for 400,000 electric vehicles per year, will be located in Georgia (production start is scheduled for 2024).
