According to The Information, U.S. electric vehicle maker Rivian, known as the "Tesla killer," is laying off about 20 employees from its in-house battery development team at its Illinois plant, including a battery engineering supervisor.
Victor Prajapati, chief battery engineer at Rivian's in-house battery development division, later announced the layoffs on LinkedIn. Prajapati wrote on LinkedIn: "Thanks to the Rivian team, the last three years have been an extraordinary journey, working with talented and passionate people from different backgrounds. Surrounded by dreams and ambitions, this adventure is amazing. Thank you all for all the memories and inspiring collaborations you have created, and I am excited about the continued success of the company and the brand. ”
Prajapati added, "I'm thinking about how I can make a meaningful contribution to a sustainable future next and look forward to sharing more about it with you soon." ”
It is reported that Prajapati was hired by Rivian in 2020, after working at Tesla as a senior manager of battery manufacturing engineering.
It is reported that Rivian still plans to work with South Korean battery maker and partner Samsung to produce battery packs, but the layoffs indicate that it has effectively suspended its internal battery development program. In addition, a Rivian spokesperson said that the company plans to focus on the development of a new generation of electric vehicles. The car will be launched next year, with deliveries starting in 2026.
Currently, Rivian offers the R1T electric pickup truck and the R1S electric SUV, both of which are manufactured at the Illinois plant. Less than a month ago, Rivian received approval to invest $5 billion in a new plant in Georgia to produce models based on the R2 platform. (Gasgoo Tan Xuan).
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*: Gasgoo.