The company, which is working on pickup trucks, SUVs and Amazon last-mile delivery vans, said it filed its draft registration statement confidentially, and that the proposed offering’s size and price range are yet to be determined. But sources told Bloomberg it’s seeking a roughly US$80-billion valuation. (The Logic, Bloomberg)
Talking point: Rivian is opting for the traditional IPO process, after others in the EV sector have suffered from sour SPAC deals. The company’s deal with Amazon also suggests there is growing competition to electrify delivery vans—like General Motors’ BrightDrop, which will be built in Ontario. Most of Rivian’s facilities are in the U.S., but it has a British Columbia office, and is including Canada in its fall product launch and charging-network plans. Meanwhile, Rivian provided a case study of the auto applications of Amazon Web Services, and said it is planning “the most comprehensive” integration of Alexa—technologies also being adopted by BlackBerry.