Rivian is prioritizing R1S production with robust demand into 2024
EV startup Rivian (RIVN) is gearing up to accelerate production of its first electric SUV, the Rivian R1S, with robust demand going into next year.
Rivian’s CFO Claire McDonough explained during an interview with Deutsche Bank that the company is seeing strong demand despite the economic environment.
McDonough discussed Rivian’s production ramp and how the startup plans to achieve positive gross margins by the second half of 2024.
Although supply chain issues have been an ongoing issue in the industry, Rivian is seeing some relief. Their biggest problem was access to power semiconductors, which the company is overcoming with new in-house technology like its Enduro drive units.
Rivian’s CFO says the Enduro production ramp is ahead of schedule. As mentioned during its Q1 earnings, Rivian introduced the drive units and LFP battery packs into its electric delivery vans (EDVs) for Amazon insuring the quarter.
A few weeks ago, Rivian built its first saleable R1 series model fitted with the Enduro drive unit. Rivian expected the transition to slow production in the first quarter, with 9,395 units built. However, it anticipates the pace to pick up in the second half of the year as it works to reach its 50,000 target.
Rivian to focus on R1S production as demand climbs
McDonough said Rivian continues to see a “robust backlog of preorders that extends into 2024.” Although it has seen some impact from the broader economic implications regarding daily order rates, it has maintained stable demand.
With the ability to now order a Rivian R1T model and have it delivered in less than two weeks (it’s also offering same-day deliveries on R1T day, June 17), Deutsche Bank‘s Emmanuel Rosner asked if the company had the flexibility to shift production to get R1S models into customers’ hands quicker.
McDonough explained the R1T was Rivian’s first model, so they have had more time to focus on the production ramp. For the first time in Q2, the R1S will take the bulk of the volume.
Rivian is seeing higher demand for the R1S, with about 70% of the company’s preorders, so the company is beginning to prioritize production to resolve the demand imbalance.
More importantly, Rivian’s CFO says no specific bottlenecks limit the transition, and most models being built today are R1S.
The company is still working through pre-March 1, 2022, preorders at the moment, but over the year into 2024, they will begin later orders. McDonough explains rolling out the new Enduro units will help them work through the backlog.
The company expects a few weeks of downtime next year as it introduces new technology to improve efficiency and cut costs, including its next-gen network architecture, LFP battery tech, high nickel batteries, and a simplified manufacturing process.
Rivian’s CFO touched on another few key points during the interview, including its upcoming R2 series, set to be unveiled early next year. The R2 models will offer Rivian’s adventure theme at an affordable ($40,000 to $60,000) price range.
When asked if Rivian would follow Ford and GM in adopting Tesla’s NACS, McDonough said the company is excited for more people to have access to high-quality charging while it remains open to partnerships.
Electrek’s Take
Rivian was one of the few EV startups that maintained its production target this year after the first quarter.
The company continues reducing complexity while introducing new technology to improve efficiency and profitability. Sources recently told Electrek that Rivian was in talks to acquire Swedish-based EV route planning service A Better Route Planner (ABRP), which will likely greatly improve its software and navigation capabilities as well.
Moving to R1S production could be a sign of weakening demand for pickups, or perhaps the SUV is simply attracting more buyers. We’ll find out more over the course of the year as Rivian continues expanding its brand and working towards turning a profit. For those R1S reservation holders, your time is coming soon.
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Lucid’s electric minivan can outsprint the Chevy Corvette Z06, and it has more interior space than a Ford Explorer. Is the Lucid Gravity really the “ultimate uncompromising SUV?”
Lucid Gravity SUV is faster than a Corvette Z06
Lucid’s electric SUV is impressive inside and out. The Gravity provides up to 450 miles of driving range, ultra-fast charging (200 miles in under 11 mins), and it even offers up to 120 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s more than the Ford Explorer (87.8 cu ft).
It’s also faster than most sports cars. The Grand Touring trim has up to 845 hp, good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.4 seconds, but the Dream Edition takes it to another level.
Powered by dual electric motors, the Lucid Gravity Dream Edition boasts 1,070 hp. To see how Lucid’s minivan stacks up against the competition, Car and Driver nabbed one for testing.
On the test track, the Lucid’s minivan covered a quarter-mile in just 10.6 secs, beating a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to 150 mph by nearly three seconds.
According to Car and Driver, the Gravity didn’t just impress in the quarter-mile, “it was a beast in every acceleration metric.” Lucid’s SUV hit 30 mph in 1.4 seconds, 70 mph in 3.7 secs, and topped 100 mph in just 5.9 seconds.
Dave Vanderwerp, the testing director who took the Gravity for a spin, said the electric SUV “gets a sort of second wave of thrust starting around 60 mph.”
With a quarter-mile of just 10.6 secs, Lucid’s Gravity is the fastest SUV they have ever tested, beating out the Rivian Tri-Motor Max (11.1 secs), BMW iX M60 (11.5 secs), and Mercedes-AMG EQE53 SUV.
Although the Rivian’s 850 hp R1S Tri-Motor beat the Gravity to 60 mph, Lucid’s SUV sprinted ahead in the quarter-mile, traveling nearly 20 mph faster.
It was also faster than gas-powered super SUVs, including the Lamborghini Urus Performante (11.2 secs) and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT (11.2 secs). However, they have yet to test a Tesla Model X Plaid, so that could change the game.
In what it called the “1,000 hp mom missiles” drag race, Hagerty recently pitted the Gravity Dream Edition against the Audi RS Q8 Performance, Range Rover Sport SV, Porsche Macan Turbo Electric, Rivian R1S Quad, and Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
The result was a three-way tie between Lucid’s Gravity, the Porsche Panamera Turbo, and Rivian R1S Quad hitting the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds.
The Lucid Gravity is available to order starting at $94,900 in the US. Later this year, Lucid is launching the lower-priced Touring trim, priced from $79,900.
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Solar provided over 11% of total US electrical generation in May, while wind + solar produced over one-fifth, and the mix of all renewable energy sources generated nearly 30%, according to data just released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Solar continues to set new records
Solar continues to be the fastest-growing source of US electricity, according to EIA’s latest “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through May 31, 2025), which the SUN DAY Campaign reviewed.
In May alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar (>1-megawatt (MW)) increased by 33.3% year-over-year, while “estimated” small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV increased by 8.9%. Combined, they grew by 26.4% and provided over 11% of US electrical output during the month.
For the first time ever, the mix of utility-scale and small-scale solar produced more electricity than wind: solar – 38,965 gigawatt-hours (GWh); wind – 36,907-GWh.
Moreover, utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 39.8% while that from small-scale systems rose by 10.7% during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by 31.1% and was nearly 8.4% of total US electrical generation for January to May – up from 6.6% a year earlier.
Solar-generated electricity easily surpassed the output of US hydropower plants (6.1%). Solar now produces more electricity than hydropower, biomass, and geothermal combined.
Wind is also on the rise in 2025
Wind produced 12.2% of US electricity in the first five months of 2025. Its output was 3.9% greater than the year before, almost double that produced by hydropower.
During the first five months of 2025, electrical generation by wind + utility-scale and small-scale solar provided 20.5% of the US total, up from 18.7% during the first five months of 2024. Solar + wind accounted for nearly 21.5% of US electrical output in May alone.
During the first five months of this year, wind and solar provided 26.2% more electricity than coal, and 15.4% more than US nuclear power plants. In May alone, the disparity increased further when solar + wind outproduced coal and nuclear power by 55.7% and 22.1%, respectively.
All renewables produced almost 30% in May
The mix of all renewables – wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal – produced 9.7% more electricity in January to May than they did a year ago (7.6% more in May alone) and provided 28.1% of total US electricity production compared to 26.5% 12 months earlier.
Electrical generation by all renewables in May alone provided 29.7% of total US electrical generation. Renewables’ share of electrical generation is now second only to that of natural gas, whose electrical output actually dropped by 5.9% during the month.
“Solar and wind continue to grow, set new records, and outproduce both coal and nuclear power,” said Ken Bossong, the SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director. “Consequently, the ongoing Republican assault against renewables is not only misguided and illogical but also a good example of shooting oneself in the foot.”
Read more: FERC: Solar + wind made up 96% of new US power generating capacity in first third of 2025
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.
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla’s disturbing earnings, self-driving challenge, solid state batteries, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s disturbing earnings, a new self-driving challenge, solid-state batteries, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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