, Columnist
What Will It Take to Make an EV? Ask Rivian and Ford
In the rush to forge ties with a hot, new startup, what seemed like a match made in heaven ultimately crashed and burned.
They looked like the perfect couple.
Photographer: Bing Guan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Breakups are tough — even amicable ones. But a reassessment usually lays bare the issues that inform the future. So it’s worth wondering about the relationship between the century-old Ford Motor Co. and recently-floated electric vehicle company Rivian Automotive Inc.
It was meant to work — on paper. A large, traditional manufacturer ties up with a new startup that boasts all the right technology and specs, to make an electric version of an American favorite — the SUV. They looked like the perfect couple. This month, though, the companies abandoned plans to jointly develop an EV.