Have Some Renewable Power With Your Rivian R2 Pre-Order

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The Intertubes lit up this week with studies that the EV startup Rivian has already acquired greater than 100,000 pre-orders for its new R2 mid-sized SUV, however that’s not the one information the corporate is keen to share. Earlier this week Rivian additionally took pains to level out that renewable vitality is entrance and middle in its plans to create a holistic zero emission driving expertise for its clients.

Wow, 100,000 Pre-Orders For The New Rivian R2 EV

In the event you’re questioning why greater than 100,000 individuals would pre-order an electrical automobile when EV gross sales are supposedly dropping, that’s query. The reply is that gross sales will not be dropping, a minimum of not from a big-picture perspective. Nevertheless, the numbers point out that Tesla gross sales have been dropping within the US, at the same time as gross sales total proceed to get pleasure from a rising tide. Whatever the cause for the falloff, Tesla has left an enormous gaping gap for different EV makers to replenish.

That features Rivian. The corporate launched in 2009, proper across the time Tesla launched the Roadster EV. It has been enjoying catchup ever since. Ford likes to assert that it’s #2 in US electrical automobile gross sales behind solely Tesla, however Rivian is jockeying to contend as nicely. (see extra Rivian background right here).

Native radio station WGLT (a public service of Illinois State College) received the inside track on the 100,000+ pre-order story earlier this week.

“The R2 is being bought as, amongst different issues, a extra reasonably priced possibility in contrast with Rivian’s present lineup,” noticed WGLT reporter Colin Hardman on July 21. He cited Rivian VP of producing Tim Fallon, who mentioned that the corporate is “nicely over a 100,000 pre-orders for R2, and people proceed to climb — they usually actually climb organically.”

“As we actually push R1 and R1 gen 2 and proceed to get our present product on the market, the R2 continues to extend in pre-orders,” Fallon added.

Extra Renewable Power With Your R2 Pre-Order

The 100,000 pre-order mark is fairly spectacular, although Rivian has a protracted solution to go earlier than it will possibly match the two million+ pre-orders reportedly acquired by Tesla for the Cybertruck.

Extra to the purpose, Rivian adopted up the WGLT story with a extra emphatic thumbs-up for renewable vitality in a press launch on July 22, main off with the commentary that “the complete advantages of EVs will solely be realized if we cut back the carbon emissions from the vitality wanted to energy them.”

“That’s why we’re investing in constructing a carbon-free grid — and it means you assist wind, photo voltaic, and different clear vitality initiatives each time you cost your Rivian. The extra you drive, the extra you assist speed up the shift to renewable vitality,” Rivian explains.

Renewable Power, ESG, & The Three Cs

That’s level. Although EVs have a a lot smaller carbon footprint than gasmobiles, it’s a bit disheartening to spend so much of chilly, arduous money on a battery-powered automobile that recharges with the assistance of coal or pure fuel energy vegetation.

Rivian’s funding technique didn’t simply pop up out of the blue. Company renewable vitality patrons started flexing their energy to maneuver markets through the Obama administration. Rivian is constructing on that effort, however with a extra intentional concentrate on advantages past decarbonization. The corporate teamed up with The Nature Conservancy final yr to develop a soup-to-nuts strategy to renewable vitality investing that’s per the ESG (surroundings, social, governance) investing ideas extensively utilized by monetary companies (see extra ESG background right here).

The mashup between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Rivian additionally displays a strategic response to opponents of rural photo voltaic initiatives. Builders are starting to comprehend that the case for renewable vitality must develop past clear kilowatts, to interact precise individuals.

“Our strategy ensures clear vitality improvement drives native financial progress, protects ecosystems, and will increase vitality entry and affordability, whereas sustaining monetary viability,” Rivian explains, referring to the “3C toolkit” developed in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy.

The 3C targets — local weather, conservation, and group — are outlined in a white paper produced by Rivian and TNC, which makes the case for renewable vitality initiatives that aren’t scattered willy-nilly all around the panorama.

“Company procurement insurance policies can affect the clear vitality market to maneuver past conventional concerns and prioritize necessary co-benefits extending past the achievement of company sustainability targets,” the authors clarify, in what feels like a ringing endorsement for ESG investing with out incurring the wrath of anti-ESG politicians.

Extra Renewable Power For Extra Rivian Drivers

In the event you’ve been listening to concerning the Starfire Photo voltaic undertaking in Kentucky, that’s one results of the renewable vitality collaboration with TNC. The 2 companions teamed as much as have interaction in an influence buy settlement with the large 800-megawatt photo voltaic array, offering the developer BrightNight with the monetary safety to maneuver ahead with building.

“To ice the inexperienced cake, the Starfire photo voltaic array will sit on the location of the Starfire Coal Mine, which covers elements of Perry, Knott, and Breathitt counties,” CleanTechnica noticed earlier this yr. One other 1,000 megawatts are coming if and when Brightnight builds a brand new 20-mile transmission line.

Although most of Rivian’s renewable vitality initiatives are photo voltaic, the corporate does have a few fascinating hydropower initiatives within the cooker. Considered one of them includes the Atlanta agency Emrgy, which has provide you with a compact various to conventional hydropower. As an alternative of counting on the water strain created by huge dams, Emrgy leverages on the ambient circulate of water, deploying canals and different water techniques.

Renewable Power & Group Advantages

Maybe probably the most impactful funding Rivian has made up to now is an settlement with the agency Pivot Power, which focuses on group photo voltaic initiatives. Group photo voltaic refers to PV arrays that native ratepayers can subscribe to, offering direct entry to renewable vitality no matter whether or not or not they’ll set up photo voltaic panels on their very own property.

Earlier this yr, Pivot introduced introduced a 60-megawatt collaboration with Rivian, underneath which Rivian will buy RECs (renewable vitality certificates) from 50 megawatts’ price of photo voltaic, along with subscribing to 10 megawatts of group photo voltaic. This specific settlement falls into the class of “affect RECs,” that means REC agreements that contain group advantages over and above merely producing extra zero emission electrical energy.

“Affect REC agreements comparable to this one are designed to channel clear vitality sources into areas poised for brand new photo voltaic improvement and contribute to area people initiatives,” Pivot defined in a press launch dated Could 22.

“Rivian’s partnership allows extra photo voltaic initiatives to be strategically developed in areas with few photo voltaic sources,” Pivot added, noting that the brand new initiatives will likely be positioned in a area with a very soiled grid.

“By supporting these new-build distributed photo voltaic initiatives by means of this REC buy settlement and group photo voltaic subscription, Rivian may have an outsized affect on emissions reductions on this area,” Pivot emphasizes.

It’s a secure wager that different EV makers are paying consideration. Rivian notes that the 3C toolkit is free for sharing, so maintain a watch out for extra group photo voltaic exercise to return. Simply keep in mind it’s 3C, not ESG.

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Picture (cropped): Rivian clients on the pre-order listing for the brand new R2 electrical SUV can sit up for extra renewable vitality for his or her zero emission journey (courtesy of Pivot Power by way of Rivian).