Rivian Has To Hold Back For Now

Thanks to the novel coronavirus that’s sweeping over the globe, many automakers have had to pause vehicle production to keep workers from spreading the virus further. This includes the fragile startups like Rivian, which has been ramping up to start production of the R1T all-electric pickup truck in the latter part of this year.

Rivian also has technology offices in California, where all but absolutely essential businesses have been shuttered. Thankfully Rivian employees don’t need to worry about losing their jobs or going without pay, because the automaker — which is backed by Ford and Amazon — has announced both hourly and salaried workers will still get their full compensation.

This no doubt will push the market launch of the Rivian R1T back, but we’re not sure by how much. After all, nobody seems to know for sure when various lockdowns and other social distancing measures will be rolled back or completely ended.

At the same time, it’s not like Rivian’s at a disadvantage. Ford, GM, and Fiat Chrysler have all stopped vehicle production. So has Tesla, one of the most notorious holdouts. However, this no doubt hurts a startup like Rivian, so obviously the sooner it can start selling vehicles the better.

Source: Fox News