Rivian, the electric vehicle startup preparing for an initial public offering, continues its trend of growing rapidly. The company will open a vehicle owner service support operations facility in Plymouth, Michigan, and just in time as deliveries of the launch edition of the R1T pickup are expected to begin later this month.
The facility will create 100 new jobs and will have an investment of $ 4.6 million, of which $ 750,000 comes from a state business development grant. Funds like the Michigan Business Development Program are used to attract businesses and encourage job creation and investment in the state. This is not the first time that Rivian has invested in Michigan, while the company’s factory is in Normal, Illinois (with a second likely soon), its headquarters are in Plymouth. Rivian also opened an R&D center in Dearborn in 2015 with a capital investment of $ 29.5 million.
The new center will be an extension of Rivian’s current headquarters, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch. Through the new center, the electric car maker “plans to support all Rivian owners” by providing “round-the-clock assistance from the Rivian Roadside team and Service Support to North American Rivian owners with questions. on vehicles, road requests and service scheduling needs, “according to a press release.
The Michigan Governor’s Office describes the new jobs as high-paying and says they come with benefits like tuition reimbursement and childcare assistance.
Like its rival Tesla, Rivian operates under a direct sales model that allows customers to order vehicles directly online. Today, only 22 states allow OEMs to sell directly to customers; in those states, Rivian can set up showrooms and offer trial trips, but there are no prohibitions on a customer ordering directly online.
Rivian also plans to keep its service and support in-house. According to the company’s website, Rivian plans to provide 24/7 support through its service team, which will offer troubleshooting, diagnostics, help with scheduling and roadside assistance.
Last week, Rivian confirmed to TechCrunch that it had received the necessary certifications from three separate agencies that gave it the green light to sell and deliver the R1T and R1S SUV in all 50 states.
