Since Ford made its $500 million investment in EV startup Rivian, rumours have been swirling about what kind of vehicle would be the first to come out of the partnership.
When Ford engaged in a small marketing campaign touting its future electric F-150 pickup, the rumour mill went into overdrive. Speculation has generally pointed to an electric F-150 that would be based on the structure of Rivian’s R1T pickup truck.
Seems the speculation has ridden ahead of the facts. In a recent interview with Motor Trend, Ford CEO Jim Hackett pointed out that the collaborations between Ford and potential partners Rivian and Volkswagen are, in both cases, still in the exploratory stages. In the case of the former, Ford is currently catching up on electronic systems and the ways they could be integrated into various types of vehicles.
In regards to a first definite collaboration, Hackett furthered cautioned that “you shouldn't go down the path of assuming it's a pickup”.
At the same time, when asked about the possibility of a Ford SUV based on the Rivian R1S, the CEO hedged his bets, explaining that many details regarding such a project “have been settled” by upper management. Beyond that, mum remains the word officially.
Which of course sets the rumour mill flying again, this time about the likelihood of the first Ford-Rivian collaboration being an SUV.