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Ford seems ready to take the initiative.
The Ford-Rivian partnership appears to have ended, at least in terms of building vehicles. These plans were apparently abandoned by the two companies and they are now moving forward with EV production.
This is the word from Automotive News. It cites an interview with Ford CEO Jim Farley. Farley said that he believed Ford would win the electric space, and it is not mere talk. Ford plans to double its EV production in the next few years. It aims to become 50 percent electric by 2030 and all-electric in 2035. The Mustang Mach-E continues to sell well, with nearly 200,000 reservations already made for the F-150 Lightning. This model should go on sale next spring. Ford seems to be moving steadily along its own electric road.
Rivian was the first to bring an electric pickup to market, beating all automakers. Although not quite a full-size vehicle, the R1T has been praised for its off-road and road performance. Customer deliveries are already underway. Rivian’s recent IPO on October 10 has seen a higher value than Ford. But, the news isn’t all bad. An high-profile lawsuit brought by a former Rivian Vice President claims discrimination at the company and a “toxic bro culture” following his firing for raising a complaint about gender discrimination with Human Resources.
It is not clear if these factors contributed to the Ford/Rivian decision. However, it is worth noting that Ford remains an investor in Rivian. Ford initially invested $500 million in the EV startup in 2019, and this was later increased to $1.2billion. Automotive News reports the strong relationship between both companies. They won’t be building automobiles together.