Electric vehicle startup Rivian unveiled Thursday the first major revamp of its two flagship vehicle models, both of which boast updated designs, retooled technology platforms and similar sticker prices to their predecessors.
The second generation of Rivian’s R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck look very similar to their predecessors, but the EVs were completely reengineered and incorporate hundreds of hardware and software improvements, the company said in a news release. Deliveries of both new vehicles will start immediately for customers.
The R1T was Rivian’s introduction to the EV industry and began production in 2021, and the more expensive R1S launched the following year. While expensive to manufacture and so far still sold at a loss, the two models helped garner Rivian attention as a potential rival to EV pioneer Tesla.
California-based Rivian builds the R1 series and its electric delivery vans at its sole factory in Illinois. The company earlier this year put on hold its planned $5 billion plant an hour east of Atlanta as a temporary cost-saving measure. In March, Rivian said it will launch production of its smaller R2 crossover in Illinois instead of Georgia as originally planned.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has said that he remains committed to building the Georgia factory and hiring 7,500 workers, but a timeline for construction to begin has not been released. The R2 series is expected to launch production in Illinois in 2026 and Rivian has said production of the crossover will expand to Georgia to build scale.
Rivian, which has yet to turn a profit, has said it will lose money again this year, but expects to enter the black during the fourth quarter. Boosting sales and reaching consistent profitability are vital for Rivian’s future. The EV upstart went public in 2021 and saw its valuation soar as investors recognized the company as a Tesla rival. Though Rivian’s vehicles have generally been well-reviewed, the company has suffered setbacks from supply chain issues and slower-than-expected production. High interest rates and consumer hesitancy to adopting EVs have been other obstacles.
Scaringe said in Thursday’s news release that the “revamped R1S and R1T push the technical boundaries further, creating our most capable products to date.” The next generation of the R1T and R1S can feature multiple motor configurations, all of which are now designed, engineered and manufactured in-house, the release said. Customers can also opt for larger battery packs that offer an estimated 420 miles of range, a 56% increase over the company’s standard battery packs.
New R1Ts start at $69.900, matching the advertised sticker price of its predecessor. New R1Ss start at $75,900, which is $1,000 more than the prior generation. Cox Enterprises, which owns The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, also owns about a 3% stake in Rivian.
Bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by a pair of Georgia lawmakers to advance the development of hydrogen fuel for aviation has now become law as part of a broader Federal Aviation Administration authorization act.
The legislation in the FAA Reauthorization Act signed into law last month requires the agency to research hydrogen fuel for aviation, to consult with industry and to establish an advisory committee to develop recommendations on the adoption of hydrogen fuel in aviation, according to a Wednesday news release from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office. The legislation was introduced last year by Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia.
“Hydrogen energy is a promising opportunity to create Georgia jobs, strengthen American energy security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in multiple sectors, including transportation,” Ossoff said in a written statement. Johnson in a written statement said hydrogen “could be a key player” in efforts to reach zero emissions in commercial air travel.
Aviation is a significant — and growing — contributor to climate change, accounting for roughly 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 12% of all transportation emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It is also exceedingly difficult to reduce emissions in aviation. Nearly all of the fuel burned by airplanes crisscrossing the planet is derived from fossil fuels pulled from the ground.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport last month announced they are participating in a study on the possibility of hydrogen fueling for air travel at the world’s busiest airport, in partnership with aircraft manufacturer Airbus and hydrogen fuel cell developer PlugPower. Georgia Tech has also researched the use of hydrogen fuel cells for aviation. Delta, Georgia Tech and Savannah-based Gulfstream Aerospace in written statements welcomed the hydrogen aviation legislation.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
A Georgia conservation group warned two federal regulators this week that they could face a lawsuit over the environmental impacts of Hyundai Motor Group’s massive electric vehicle and battery factory if construction work is not paused. The Ogeechee Riverkeeper filed a notice of its intent to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Treasury Department over allegations that the two government agencies failed to properly assess the environmental impacts of the $7.6 billion “Metaplant” near Savannah.
The factory is Georgia’s largest economic development project and will receive an estimated $1.8 billion in government incentives, including hundreds of millions for water infrastructure. Hyundai has said it could open as soon as October, several months ahead of schedule, and will eventually employ 8,500 people. “We’re not trying to stop the growth,” said Ben Kirsch, legal director of the Ogeechee Riverkeeper. “We want to get out in front of it and make sure that the region grows in a responsible, sustainable way.”
The Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) and Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority (JDA) said in a statement they “were disappointed” about the potential lawsuit, adding that the Hyundai site has undergone strenuous environmental review for the past decade. “This site has been under federal environmental review since 2014 and included several public comment periods,” SEDA and the JDA said in a joint statement. “We are not aware of any other megasite in the country that has garnered more review from the (Army Corps).”
Hyundai and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the state agency that helmed the factory project, deferred comments to the two local agencies. The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment, while the Army Corps declined to comment on potential litigation. “The Corps’ Regulatory Program is committed to protecting the Nation’s aquatic resources and navigation capacity, while allowing reasonable development through fair and balanced decisions,” Ben Garrett, a spokesperson for the Army Corps’ Savannah District, wrote in a statement.
The region where the factory is located includes several counties that have legal limits on how much fresh water they can draw from the Floridan Aquifer that supplies much of Georgia, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. Residents and conservationists are concerned about dropping ground water levels and saltwater intrusion. “There used to be springs all throughout this area that have dried up over the years,” Kirsch said. “There’s a lot of local concern.”
Despite the withdrawal limits, which have been in place for nearly 20 years, the Corps issued a permit for Hyundai to dredge and fill wetlands that said the huge project would not require additional water withdrawals. “The volume of potable water that would be required by the development is unknown, but it would be reasonable to assume that the Bryan County supply is adequate to meet the need of the proposed project,” the permit says. “When considering all aspects of the proposed project, the Corps has determined that the proposed project would have a negligible effect to municipal and private water supplies.”
Not only were the water problems well known, but Hyundai and the state knew something the public didn’t during the permit review period, Kirsch said. In a confidential agreement from months earlier, the parties had agreed on a list of publicly-funded “improvements,” including four new groundwater supply wells that the Riverkeeper says were not included in the plans submitted to the Corps. The Riverkeeper’s complaint says the Corps improperly issued the permit based on incomplete and outdated information, and that it failed to do proper due diligence on the company’s claims. It says the Treasury was required to do its own environmental review before distributing pandemic relief funds for the project. A Bryan County official previously told the AJC the project received $246 million in grant funds.
SEDA and the JDA said they’ve been working with local governments and the state on how to serve the Megasite’s water needs. They contend it is not the Army Corps responsibility to evaluate drinking water access, since that falls under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). The EPD is in the process of considering permit applications for four wells in neighboring Bulloch County that would allow the Hyundai factory to withdraw about 6.5 million gallons of water per day from the region’s main source of drinking water. SEDA and the JDA said those permit evaluations will include a 30-day public comment period, which “would be the appropriate forum for the Ogeechee Riverkeeper to address their concerns” rather than the courts.
Governor Brian Kemp, who oversaw the distribution of the Treasury money in Georgia, did not respond to a request for comment. Previously, the governor lauded the $4.8 billion the state received from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, which listed water, sewer and stormwater as eligible expenses. Grant recipients in Georgia were selected by a committee assembled by the governor that included leaders from the EPD, state Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority as well as lawmakers, mostly Republican, according to a statement.
The Riverkeeper’s notice of intent to sue has a 60-day deadline for the agencies to respond by halting construction to perform environmental review. Kirsch said his organization still hopes to avoid a lawsuit. Bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by a pair of Georgia lawmakers to advance the development of hydrogen fuel for aviation has now become law as part of a broader Federal Aviation Administration authorization act.
The legislation in the FAA Reauthorization Act signed into law last month requires the agency to research hydrogen fuel for aviation, to consult with industry and to establish an advisory committee to develop recommendations on the adoption of hydrogen fuel in aviation, according to a Wednesday news release from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office. The legislation was introduced last year by Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia.
“Hydrogen energy is a promising opportunity to create Georgia jobs, strengthen American energy security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in multiple sectors, including transportation,” Ossoff said in a written statement. Johnson in a written statement said hydrogen “could be a key player” in efforts to reach zero emissions in commercial air travel.
Aviation is a significant — and growing — contributor to climate change, accounting for roughly 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 12% of all transportation emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It is also exceedingly difficult to reduce emissions in aviation. Nearly all of the fuel burned by airplanes crisscrossing the planet is derived from fossil fuels pulled from the ground.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport last month announced they are participating in a study on the possibility of hydrogen fueling for air travel at the world’s busiest airport, in partnership with aircraft manufacturer Airbus and hydrogen fuel cell developer PlugPower. Georgia Tech has also researched the use of hydrogen fuel cells for aviation. Delta, Georgia Tech and Savannah-based Gulfstream Aerospace in written statements welcomed the hydrogen aviation legislation.
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