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Rivian (RIVN) has reportedly agreed to a “secret” deal with the UAW as it works toward its next growth phase. The new agreement is contingent on the EV maker reaching profitability. Here’s what you need to know.

What the private UAW deal means for Rivian

Under the confidential deal, Rivian would opt for a neutral stance on unionizing efforts at its Normal, Illinois, manufacturing plant.

According to sources close to the matter (via Bloomberg), the deal is based on Rivian hitting specific targets, including reaching profitability. The private agreement could pave the way for the UAW to unionize workers in Normal.

Rivian has yet to post a quarterly profit on an adjusted basis. The EV maker posted a net loss of $1.1 billion in the third quarter, down from the $1.34 billion loss in Q3 2023. CFO Claire McDonough reiterated that Rivian is still on track to reach a positive gross profit in the fourth quarter.

CEO RJ Scaringe said the company is seeing “meaningful progress” on reducing costs after shutting down its Normal plant in April for upgrades.

Q3 ’22 Q4 ’22 Q1 ’23 Q2 ’23 Q3 ’23 Q4 ’23 Q1 ’24 Q2 ’24 Q3 ’24
Rivian loss per vehicle $139,277 $124,162 $67,329 $32,594 $30,500 $43,372 $38,784 $32,705 $39,130
Rivian loss per vehicle by quarter

The secret UAW deal also reportedly helped Rivian secure its recent $6.6 billion conditional loan from the US Department of Energy. The loan will help fund Rivian’s new manufacturing plant in Georgia, where it will build its more affordable R2. However, the loan is also based on the EV maker reaching certain financial metrics and other requirements.

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Production at Rivian’s Normal, IL plant (Source: Rivian)

Ramping EV production

Rivian builds its current R1S SUV and R1T electric pickup in Normal with plans to begin R2 production in 2026. Although the smaller, more affordable EV will initially be built in IL, Rivian plans to significantly expand output with the new plant in GA.

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Rivian’s next-gen R2, R3, and R3X (Source: Rivian)

The EV maker expects to build between 47,000 and 49,000 vehicles this year. After upgrading the facility earlier this year, Rivian said it can build up to 150,000 EVs a year in Normal.

When R2 launches in 2026, Rivian expects annual production capacity to be around 215,000, 155,000 of which will be the R2. After its GA plant opens, Rivian expects to add another 400,000 to that number.

According to Bloomberg, Rivian has been “a longtime target for the UAW.” If the deal goes through, workers in Normal would have more say over matters such as pay and working conditions.

Rivian-UAW-deal
Rivian production plans (Source: Rivian)

The UAW targetting Rivian is part of its broader plans to unionize the EV industry. As more details unfold, the deal could mark a significant step in its efforts, potentially setting Rivian apart from rivals like Tesla.

Last month, Rivian and Volkswagen officially launched their new joint venture, “Rivian and VW Group Technology, LLC.” The partnership will use Rivian’s expertise to develop a next-gen EV architecture and “best-in-class software” for both companies’ future EV models.

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Rivian (RIVN) stock chart in 2024 (Source: TradingView)

Scaringe said the collaboration is a “landmark development for the industry.” Volkswagen plans to invest up to $5.8 billion in Rivian and the new JV, which Scaringe calls “a meaningful financial opportunity.”

Rivian’s stock is up around 33% since reporting Q3 earnings on November 7, but share prices are still down 37% in 2024.

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Opel Frontera GRAVEL concept previews next Jeep Renegade electric 4×4

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Opel Frontera GRAVEL concept previews next Jeep Renegade electric 4x4

Hot on the heels of the Fiat 4×4 Grande Panda Manifesto comes another subcompact Stellantis compact with electric drive and off-road ambitions. Meet the Opel Frontera GRAVEL – which might be our best look yet at the next-generation electric Jeep Renegade coming in 2027.

Based on a lifted Frontera EV and riding on a set of bespoke, 7×16″ Borbet CWE wheels wrapped in aggressive AT tires, Opel says its all-electric Frontera GRAVEL’s emissions-free driving makes it ideally suited for “soft-roading” nature drives (their words, not mine), with a rugged, adventurous 4×4 appearance.

Those rugged, Jeep-like good looks are backed up enhanced by the usual overland accessories, including a front-mounted winch, side storage boxes at the rear, and a lattice-style roof rack. A slew of accessory lights mounted on the Thule Canyon XT carrier and hood, as well, for excellent nighttime visibility off-road and (presumably) retina-searing intensity on-road.

“The new Opel Frontera is already standout,” says Rebecca Reinermann, Vice President of Marketing for Stellantis’ Opel and Vauxhall brands. “It is rugged, practical, and perfect for families and everyday adventures. But with the Frontera GRAVEL show car, we’ve pushed the limits, imagining a tougher, more daring, trailblazing version. This concept is built to fire up our fanbase and test the demand for a bolder, more rugged Frontera in the future. It’s all about freedom, adventure, excitement and pushing boundaries.”

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Like the recent Fiat concept mentioned at the top of this post, the production Frontera EV is based on Stellantis’ “Smart Car” BEV-native platform, and features a 113 hp electric motor and more than 300 km of WLTP range (about 185 miles) standard, with the “long range” version able of traveling up to 400 km (about 250 miles) between charges.

Either version comes with the “Pure Panel” digital cockpit featuring dual 10″ displays. For a few dollars quid more, the GS trim adds automatic climate control and Intelli-Seat front seats. And, if Mopar Insider has any idea what’s up, it might actually make for a decent little Jeep Renegade replacement (below).

Electric Jeep Renegade rendering


2027 Jeep Renegade rendering; via ChatGPT.

The Opel Frontera first came to our attention last October, when it became the first new EV from Stellantis to be offered with both ICE and battery power, for the same price – making EV price parity an objectively real thing.

Jeep parent company Stellantis has already confirmed that a new Jeep Renegade that’s priced below the upcoming Jeep Compass EV would be coming to the US as a 2027 model, and it’s expected to share its mechanicals with both the Frontera and Fiat’s recently teased Grande Panda Manifesto. If that does anything for you, let us know in the comments.


SOURCES | IMAGES: Mopar Insider, Stellantis.

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First-ever production electric Honda motorcycle is here – and it’s a cafe racer!

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First-ever production electric Honda motorcycle is here – and it's a cafe racer!

Year after year, a seemingly endless raft of all-electric concept bikes wearing Honda badges have made their way across the motor show stage without ever making it onto the dealer showroom. But now, it’s here: this unmissable, cafe racer-inspired electric Honda motorcycle is the company’s first – and you can buy it!

We got our first look at this first-ever production electric motorcycle from Honda back in March, when leaked type-approval documents hinted at a 75 mph 125 cc-class motorcycle with cafe racer styling and a “WH8000D” designation first surfaced. It was clear, then, that Honda was seriously working on a for-real electric motorcycle – what wasn’t clear was when (or even if) it would ever see productions.

The wait is over


Honda E-VO 75 mph electric motorcycle; via Honda.

The new Honda E-VO is available in dual- or triple-battery versions that feature either 4.1 or 6.2 kWh of battery capacity. On the triple-pack version, riders can enjoy up to 170 km WMTC (about 105 miles) of riding. Recharging takes about 2.5 hours on a standard outlet or about 90 minutes on an L2 (like the Harley-Davidson backed Livewire or Vespa Elettrica electric bikes, DC fast charging is not available).

Both battery configurations drive a motor with a peak power of 15.3 kW, or about 20 hp. And, like all electric motors, all the torque is available at 0 rpm, giving the Honda E-VO in-town performance similar to much higher (than 125 cc) displacement bikes.

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In addition to superior stop-and-go performance, the Honda E-VO offers riders a number of other innovative (for a motorcycle) features, including a 7-inch TFT instrument display paired with a second 7-inch TFT screen for navigation, music, tire pressure, and battery SOC information. The smaller battery pack version of the E-VO includes a front dash cam, while the larger model has both a front and rear dash cam as standard equipment.

The Honda E-VO is available in the black and off-white color schemes (shown). Prices start at 29,999 yuan, or about $4500 for the 4.1 kWh version, and 36,999 yuan (about $5100) for the 6.2 kWh triple-pack version.

Electrek’s Take


Honda E-VO electric motorcycle; via Honda.

Yes, this is a Chinese-market bike built by Honda’s Chinese Wuyang venture. No, we probably won’t ever get something like this in the US, where a raucous, 113 hp 600 cc CBR600RR is somehow positioned as a “good starter bike” by cowards with 3″ wide chicken strips on their tires. That said, if the motorcycle industry as-a-whole wants to survive in North America, zippy, affordable, lightweight motorcycles are exactly what’s needed.

Here’s hoping we get something like this stateside rather sooner than later.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Wuyang Honda; via Ride Apart, the PACK.


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What $100,000 gets you in China: Rolls looks, Maybach luxe, Huawei tech – and 850 hp

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What 0,000 gets you in China: Rolls looks, Maybach luxe, Huawei tech – and 850 hp

Westerners in-the-know look longingly at the affordable, value-packed electric cars rolling out of China – but what could you get if money was no object? If you were to spend 100,000 US American dollars on a Chinese EV, how good could these Chinese cars really get? Huawei’s 852 hp Maextro S800 is the answer.

Packing up to 852 hp and a cutting-edge technology stack developed by Huawei, Chinese luxury brand Maextro revealed its latest entry into the Mercedes-Maybach EQS and Rolls-Royce Spectre segment of ultra-luxe EVs, the S800, back in February. Now, it’s officially on sale, priced at 708,000 and 1,018,000 yuan (approx $97,500-140,000), and ready to make an entrance.

As I wrote at the car’s launch, the Maextro S800’s bespoke, purpose-built platform doesn’t share any parts with a lesser offering in the Huawei lineup in the same way a Mercedes or BMW or Volkswagen does with a Maybach, Rolls-Royce, or Bentley, respectively. And, while I admit that that may not mean much to you and me, I maintain that it might to the people shopping six- and seven-figure cars. And that might be especially true to people willing to shell out that kind of cash for a car in China’s generally lower-priced market.

That seems to be the kind of upmarket experience people of the People’s Republic want, if the S800’s two thousand initial orders (in just two days) are and indication. And, lucky for those buyers, the Maextro is set to deliver plenty in return.

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The vibe is immaculate


Maextro S800 at launch; via Huawei.

Those well-heeled buyers will get a choice of EREV or “pure” battery electric powertrains good for between 480 and 852 all-electric horsepower. 32 ADAS sensors including both radar and lidar compliment a suite of cameras analyze the road ahead and feed data to Huawei’s ADS road perception system, which is constantly adjusting torque distribution, suspension compression and rebound, and front and rear steering to deliver a tech-driven chauffeur experience that Huawei insists is second to none.

Huawei says its robotic driver is pretty handy when the weather gets nasty, too, thanks to an advanced sensor array that helps to increase the detection distance in rain, fog, and dust by 60% compared to the benchmarked competition.

While the car is its passengers around, they’ll get to enjoy luxurious, reclining rear seats with next-level mood lighting handled by a fully independent rear passenger system that supports intelligent track lighting, gesture dimming, and a panoramic “starry sky” moonroof that includes meteor shower effects.

The Maextro S800 also offers intelligent privacy glass and a unique door-closing function are also controlled with advanced gesture controls, in case you needed reminding that China is living in the year 3000 while the US is being plunged headlong into the 1940s by a pack of pseudo-conservatives too old to realize their gold standard policies will do nothing but hurt a fiat economy that’s consistently proved out the basic hypotheses behind modern monetary theory over the last five or six decades – but that’s a lot for an EV blog.

Instead of that, let’s ooh and ahh over the Maextro S800’s ultra-luxe interior in the photo gallery, below, then keep the debate to the relative merits of one of these over, say, a Mercedes-Benz EQS in the comments.


SOURCES | IMAGES: Huawei Central; CarNewsChina.


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