Rivian (RIVN) is planning to boost EV production by moving some of its engineers closer to its Illinois factory, according to the Wall Street Journal.
After producing 24,337 EVs last year, slightly missing its goal of 25,000, Rivian is not taking any chances this year.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said 2022 was a “challenging year” as the young EV maker scaled production of four products, including the R1T electric pickup, the R1S SUV, and two versions of its electric van, at low volumes in a massive factory designed for 150,000-vehicle output when fully operational.
As a result, Rivian’s losses swelled to over $6.7 billion in 2022 as the young electric vehicle maker balanced increasing production and cutting costs to drive efficiency. The woes continued this year, with Rivian recalling over 12,700 EVs earlier this year due to airbag deployment issues and the automaker revealing plans to raise over a billion in cash by selling green convertible notes.
Despite ongoing supply hurdles, Rivian added a second shift this past fall to increase production as it works to ramp its Normal, Illinois, factory to full capacity. However, according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, Rivian has bigger plans to boost EV output at the plant.
Rivian R1S SUVs near completion at Normal, IL plant (Source: Rivian)
Rivian relocating engineers to boost EV production
A person familiar with the matter confirmed the plans to the WSJ, saying Rivian is expected to ask a “significant portion” of its manufacturing engineers to relocate to either the company’s factory in Illinois or its headquarters in Irvine, California. As part of a broader reorganization effort to accelerate output, Rivian is expected to ask any engineers who were hired to work remotely during the pandemic to move closer.
According to the source, Rivian has already had some conversations with employees, and some have opposed the move. The person said if employees are unwilling to relocate, Rivian plans to offer severance packages while looking to replace the roles with new hires.
The move comes as Scaringe emphasized driving profitability remains “equally important” with ramping production, saying on the company’s Q4 earnings call:
We are focused on reducing our bill of materials, conversion costs, logistics costs and overall operating expenses. Core to this is our close work with our supplier partners to lower our material costs through new engineering solutions.
Rivian has already cut 6% of its workforce in an effort to shave costs as it works toward profitability. The company is aiming to build 50,000 EVs this year, more than doubling its 2022 numbers.
Electrek’s Take
Rivian, like many automakers, is working to overcome big losses to boost electric vehicle output. Ford says it expects its EV business, Model e, to lose $3 billion this year after losing $6 billion combined over the past two years.
Tesla is the only automaker in the US selling EVs in high volume at the moment and profitably. To be fair, Tesla started several years (not to say others couldn’t have started sooner) before these companies and went through its own “production hell” while bringing the Model 3 to market.
Despite Rivian’s best efforts, the company is still losing money on each vehicle it produces. Losses are expected while Rivian ramps production, but the EV maker will need to start seeing margin improvements with the new cost-cutting measures.
Rivian ended the year with over $12 billion in cash, while the company claims it can fund operations through at least 2025 as it works to turn a profit.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
In a move that underscores the growing instability in international e-bike trade, premium electric bike maker Riese & Müller has paused all e-bike shipments to the United States, citing unpredictable steel tariffs as the final straw.
The German brand, known for its high-end urban and cargo e-bikes, informed US dealers this week that it is halting exports for the foreseeable future. While the company pointed to the recent reinstatement of a 50% tariff on certain steel components from overseas, including Germany, the broader issue here seems to be the chaotic and ever-shifting tariff landscape surrounding e-bike imports.
“We need to take a few days to carefully evaluate this situation and its implications before proceeding with further steps,” explained the company in an email to its dealers in the US, according to Bicycle Retailer.
This isn’t the first time tariffs have disrupted the flow of electric two-wheelers into the US. The Trump administration’s Section 301 tariffs targeting Chinese goods initially shook up the industry during the administration’s first term, hitting Chinese-made e-bikes and components with 25% duties before being temporarily suspended. Those tariffs whipped back and forth as exclusions came and went, then became a double whammy after the Trump administration’s “reciprocal” tariffs added even more hardships to e-bike importers in the US. And now, as of July 1, additional steel tariffs have expanded the uncertainty.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
What’s unusual in Riese & Müller’s case is that most e-bikes – even expensive ones – use relatively little steel compared to aluminum. Frames, forks, wheels, and most structural components are increasingly made from aluminum alloys or carbon fiber. But with the tariff code system as vague and inconsistently enforced as it is, it seems R&M simply doesn’t want to take the risk of unexpected import costs – or the administrative mess that comes with it, including having to account for how much of a bike is produced from steel components and what the value of those components proves to be.
The impact on the US market will likely be minor in volume; Riese & Müller is a premium but somewhat boutique brand with a loyal yet small customer base. Still, this is a canary in the coal mine. If even premium brands are choosing to step away from the US market over tariff unpredictability, what happens when larger, mass-market brands start running into similar issues?
For now, dealers in the US are being told to sell through existing stock and not take additional orders until the company can determine whether it will be able to continue importing e-bikes into the US. But if the trade war tariffs contineu, this may not be the last premium brand to throw in the towel – at least temporarily.
Electrek’s Take
This isn’t just about one German e-bike brand putting things on pause – it’s a red flag for the industry. While Riese & Müller may be small in terms of US volume, their decision shows how unpredictable tariffs, even on seemingly minor components, can create enough uncertainty to shut down an entire market channel. Most e-bikes are made primarily from aluminum, not steel, but when customs enforcement can interpret tariff codes in vague or inconsistent ways, no brand wants to gamble on a five-figure shipment getting hit with a surprise 25-50% fee.
What’s more concerning is that this adds to a growing stack of trade policy hurdles facing e-bike makers: China-focused tariffs, broader “reciprocal” tariffs, battery import duties, and now steel restrictions hitting European brands too. There’s no coherent strategy here, just a patchwork of protectionist measures that hurt importers, confuse dealers, and raise prices for consumers. If the US wants to promote micromobility and clean transportation, it’s going to need smarter policies than this.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Solar is taking off across Africa in a big way. According to a new analysis of China’s solar panel exports data from energy think tank Ember, solar panel imports into the continent jumped 60% in the 12 months through June 2025, setting a record that could reshape electricity systems in many countries.
In that period, Africa imported 15,032 megawatts (MW) of solar panels, up from 9,379 MW the year before. While South Africa has dominated past surges, this wave is happening across the map: 20 countries set new import records, and 25 countries each brought in at least 100 MW, compared to just 15 a year earlier.
Nigeria overtook Egypt to become the second-largest importer with 1,721 MW, while Algeria surged into third with 1,199 MW. Growth rates in some countries were staggering: Algeria’s imports jumped 33-fold, Zambia’s eightfold, Botswana’s sevenfold, and Sudan’s sixfold. Liberia, the DRC, Benin, Angola, and Ethiopia all more than tripled their imports.
Still, import numbers don’t tell the whole story. It’s unclear how many of these panels have been installed yet. Muhammad Mustafa Amjad of Renewables First, an energy transition think tank in Pakistan, pointed out that countries risk losing valuable time and opportunities without proper tracking. “Africa’s transition will happen regardless,” he said, “but with timely data it can be more equitable, planned, and inclusive.”
Advertisement – scroll for more content
If these panels do get installed, the impact could be massive. In Sierra Leone, the past year’s imports alone could cover 61% of the country’s 2023 electricity generation. For Chad, it’s 49%. Liberia, Somalia, Eritrea, Togo, and Benin could all boost generation by more than 10% compared to 2023, and 16 countries could see increases of over 5%.
The economic case is also strong. In Nigeria, solar savings from replacing diesel could repay panel costs in just six months, or even less in other countries. In fact, in nine of Africa’s top 10 solar panel importers, the value of imported refined petroleum outweighed solar imports by factors of between 30 to 107.
Ember’s chief analyst, Dave Jones, called the surge “a pivotal moment,” urging more research and reporting to keep pace with the rapid rise to “ensure the world’s cheapest electricity source fulfills its vast potential to transform the African continent.”
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Hyundai and Kia vehicles are popping up on US roads more than ever, and a lot of it has to do with EVs. The South Korean auto giants just hit another milestone as they gear up to introduce several new models.
Hyundai and Kia bet on EVs, hybrids for growth in the US
After launching their first hybrid vehicles in the US in 2011, the Sonata and K5, Hyundai and Kia have come a long way.
Today, two out of ten Hyundai or Kia models sold in the US are considered “eco-friendly,” including electric (EV), hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and fuel cell electric (FCEV) vehicles.
After 14 years, Hyundai and Kia announced on Monday that combined, they have now sold over 1.5 million eco-friendly cars in the US. In a statement, the company said it continues seeing strong demand for several models, including the Tucson Hybrid, IONIQ 5, and Niro Hybrid.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
Although 14 years is a relatively long time, in the first few years, they only offered a few models. It took 11 years to reach the 500,000 mark in 2022, and in just three years, they’ve since tripled it.
Hyundai and Kia’s eco-friendly car sales in the US since 2011, including EV, hybrid, PHEV, and FCEV (Source: Hyundai)
Since reaching 100,000 in annual sales in 2021, brand sales of eco-friendly cars have grown rapidly. Hyundai and Kia sold 182,627 units in 2022, 278,122 units in 2023, and 364,441 units in 2024. This year, they sold over 221,500 in the first six months, up 20% from the same period in 2024.
Hybrids accounted for over 1.1 million, followed by electric vehicles with nearly 375,000, and FCEVs at just over 1,850 units sold.
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and Kia Niro Hybrid are the brand’s top-selling eco-friendly cars in the US. Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid and IONIQ 5 ranked second and fourth. Meanwhile, the Kia Sportage Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid placed third and fifth.
Hyundai and Kia offer 19 eco-friendly vehicles in the US, including eight hybrid and PHEVs, 10 EVs, and just one FCEV.
2025 Kia EV6 US-spec model (Source: Kia)
Both brands sold more vehicles in the US in the first half of the year than ever. With Hyundai now building vehicles at its new EV plant in Georgia, including the 2025 IONIQ 5 and 2026 IONIQ 9, the automaker expects the growth to continue. Kia assembles the EV6 and EV9 at a separate plant in Georgia, and will introduce the EV4, its first electric sedan, in early 2026.
Based on the advanced E-GMP platform, Hyundai and Kia’s electric vehicles offer some of the longest driving ranges, fastest charging speeds, and remain surprisingly affordable.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 (Source: Hyundai)
With leases starting as low as $159 per month, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is one of the most affordable EV lease deals in the US. Even the three-row IONIQ 9 is listed with monthly leases as low as $299. That’s pretty cheap for a nearly $60,000 three-row electric SUV.
Hyundai will continue to offer hybrids in response to the changing policies under the Trump Administration. It also plans to add hybrid production in Georgia, starting next year.
Looking to check one out for yourself? We can help you find vehicles in your area. You can use our links below to view Hyundai and Kia models near you.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.