Rivian Automotive mentioned it got here up simply in need of its 2022 manufacturing goal of 25,000 models as a consequence of supply-chain points and a sluggish ramp at its meeting plant in Regular, Sick.
The EV startup on Tuesday mentioned it produced 24,337 automobiles in its first full yr of manufacturing, comprised of R1T pickups, R1S crossovers and EDV supply vans for Amazon. Rivian doesn’t break down manufacturing by mannequin.
Rivian had initially forecast 2022 output at 50,000 automobiles earlier than a scarcity of crucial elements brought on repeated shutdowns of its meeting line and a re-assessment of its potential in mid-2022. The Irvine, Calif.-based automaker delivered 20,332 automobiles final yr, leaving about 4,000 in stock.
For the fourth quarter, Rivian produced 10,020 automobiles after including a second manufacturing shift on bettering elements provide and delivered 8,054. In its third-quarter earnings report, the corporate mentioned it had a backlog of greater than 100,000 preorders for the R1T and R1S, along with a multi-year Amazon order for 100,000 vans.
The 2022 manufacturing miss capped a troublesome yr for one of many world’s most promising EV startups, which briefly had a better market valuation than Ford Motor Co. when the startup started buying and selling on the Nasdaq alternate. Rivian’s inventory worth is down by 87 % since its November 2021 preliminary public providing.
Rivian’s market worth is now under $15 billion, from a excessive of effectively over $100 billion simply after its IPO, Reuters reported.
In a letter to workers Tuesday, CEO RJ Scaringe praised the corporate’s workforce for griding by the setbacks.
“There have been many headwinds in 2022,” Scaringe mentioned. “Contemplating the availability chain points that brought on the plant to shut for 20 days and shut down early on 50 days within the final 12 months — and the inclement climate that pressured us to shut for an extra 5 days — our crew stayed targeted and labored by the challenges collectively.”
Though Rivian didn’t meet its formal output aim, it managed to get 25,051 automobiles off the meeting line, Scaringe mentioned. He defined that 714 automobiles have been nonetheless within the technique of full completion as they have been awaiting elements, software program validation, wheel alignment, charging and different ending touches.
Rivian shares slipped 5.9 % to $17.34 in buying and selling previous to the manufacturing announcement, which was made after the market shut. In after hours buying and selling, shares have been principally unchanged.
Baird Fairness Analysis mentioned it had forecast Rivian’s fourth-quarter deliveries at 10,700 automobiles and attributed the miss to supply-chain points. “We forecast a major uptick in manufacturing for 2023 because the manufacturing facility in Regular continues to ramp.”
Like different EV makers, supply-chain disruptions have pressured Rivian, which additionally shelved a plan in December to construct supply vans in Europe with Mercedes-Benz, Reuters mentioned Tuesday. Rivian earlier pushed again the manufacturing startup of its smaller R2 automobile household to 2026 on the firm’s deliberate $5 billion plant in Georgia.