Except for my long-treasured Blackberry, I have never been an early adapter. Never “that guy” with the newest gadget, toy, or hot car. My one deviance was the first-year model of the Pontiac Fiero … and its engine caught on fire.
Electric vehicles (EVs) have held little attraction for me. The first looked like high-end golf carts and seemingly offered no crash protection; later models like the Tesla offered an upscale automotive experience—but at a price point closer to an RV.
However, as Georgia increasingly looks like it may become a domestic center in the EV universe, I have been considering a flex-fuel hybrid plug-in for the next time I trade in my Kia Sportage. I am on my third of that vehicle, each manufactured in LaGrange, Georgia.
So when Rivian, the start-up electric truck and SUV manufacturer set its sights and plans for its second manufacturing plant on Rutledge, in Stanton Springs, about an hour east of Atlanta, they got my attention. I predict the benefits of a $5-billion direct investment and 7,500 new jobs will eventually outweigh any challenges from some neighboring residents in Rutledge and nearby Madison, who oppose the plant.
Those people certainly have some questions that deserve answers, but mark my words, Rivian will win its skirmish in Rutledge and Stanton Springs, and hopefully by 2024 will be offering a whole new road adventure for customers and buyers from that Georgia plant.
I have spoken to this earlier, about receiving an invitation to visit Rivian’s first-and-only existing manufacturing plant in the beautiful college and farm town of Normal, Illinois, a few hours’ drive or train ride away from Chicago. Expecting a typical automotive assembly line, as Rivian re-purposed and expanded a closed Mitsubishi plant, I instead found an enterprise much more akin to a Silicon Valley tech company, nestled amongst hundreds of acres of Indiana sweet corn (as well as a few sheep), just a few miles away from the Illinois State University campus.
Initially expected to offer 650 to 1,000 jobs but now with 6,500 employees and still hiring, Rivian has become a major economic engine in the Normal/Bloomington MSA. State Farm Insurance is headquartered in Bloomington, too, and the presence of Illinois State and a couple of other colleges make Normal a true college town, but you can feel the hip vibe the not-so-rarely spotted Rivian Trucks and SUVs also bring to the local scene.
Rivian’s business model is very new in an extremely traditional industry. You can order only two models currently available, and only online. Viewers may pick up their SUV or truck at one of only 21 delivery centers presently across the country. We test drove and had dinner at Rivian’s Delivery and Customer Experience Center adjacent to the plant. The bulk of our meal was grown onsite in the Employee Community Garden and the meal itself was prepared in a camp kitchen that literally popped out the side of the truck.
Rivian sticker prices are not for the faint of heart, though. The R-1 pickup has a base price of $67,500 and the model with the stove is a bit pricier. The R-1S Luxury SUV starts at $72,500, although the Rivian plant slated for Georgia will manufacture a third model, a more affordable SUV.
Though tax credits may vary by state, these prices are much more Range Rover than Ford F-150, though the all-electric F-150s remain in very short supply and are currently priced north of $100 thousand, when you can find them.
As a start-up, Rivian has some impressive investor partners, including Amazon, which contracted with the company to build a fleet of a hundred-thousand electric delivery vans, the first of which started rolling through the streets of Chicago in July.
I also got the opportunity to drive an R-1 truck at the Rivian Test Track. Owning and loving an F-150 of my own, I was amazed at the power, and by a pickup truck going from 0-60 in three seconds.
The batteries and separately powered wheels also make for an amazing off-road experience. The truck can practically climb nearly-vertical faces like Spiderman, and then on the other side, with no juice applied and the motors locked, it hangs on to that steep downhill side with no emergency brake or further action required by the driver.
So, if you ever find yourself near Bloomington, a Rivian Delivery Center, or one of their visiting “Touch a Truck” events, check them out; maybe even take a test drive. I guarantee you will get a charge out of it.