Have Some Renewable Power With Your Rivian R2 Pre-Order

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The Intertubes lit up this week with stories 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 raring to share. Earlier this week Rivian additionally took pains to level out that renewable power is entrance and heart in its plans to create a holistic zero emission driving expertise for its prospects.

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

When you’re questioning why greater than 100,000 individuals would pre-order an electrical car when EV gross sales are supposedly dropping, that’s a great query. The reply is that gross sales are usually not dropping, at the very least not from a big-picture perspective. Nevertheless, the numbers point out that Tesla gross sales have been dropping within the US, whilst gross sales general proceed to take pleasure in 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 say that it’s #2 in US electrical car 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) bought 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 choice in contrast with Rivian’s current 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 an extended method to go earlier than it might 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 power in a press launch on July 22, main off with the remark that “the complete advantages of EVs will solely be realized if we cut back the carbon emissions from the power wanted to energy them.”

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

Renewable Power, ESG, & The Three Cs

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

Rivian’s funding technique didn’t simply pop up out of the blue. Company renewable power patrons started flexing their energy to maneuver markets in the course of the Obama administration. Rivian is constructing on that effort, however with a extra intentional deal with advantages past decarbonization. The corporate teamed up with The Nature Conservancy final 12 months to develop a soup-to-nuts method to renewable power investing that’s in step with the ESG (atmosphere, social, governance) investing rules extensively utilized by monetary corporations (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 tasks. Builders are starting to appreciate that the case for renewable power must develop past clear kilowatts, to interact precise individuals.

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

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

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

Extra Renewable Power For Extra Rivian Drivers

When you’ve been listening to in regards to the Starfire Photo voltaic undertaking in Kentucky, that’s one results of the renewable power collaboration with TNC. The 2 companions teamed as much as have interaction in an influence buy settlement with the huge 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 components of Perry, Knott, and Breathitt counties,” CleanTechnica noticed earlier this 12 months. 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 power tasks are photo voltaic, the corporate does have a few attention-grabbing hydropower tasks within the cooker. Considered one of them entails the Atlanta agency Emrgy, which has give you a compact different to conventional hydropower. As a substitute of counting on the water strain created by huge dams, Emrgy leverages on the ambient movement of water, deploying canals and different water techniques.

Renewable Power & Neighborhood 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 tasks. Neighborhood photo voltaic refers to PV arrays that native ratepayers can subscribe to, offering direct entry to renewable power no matter whether or not or not they will set up photo voltaic panels on their very own property.

Earlier this 12 months, Pivot introduced introduced a 60-megawatt collaboration with Rivian, below which Rivian will buy RECs (renewable power certificates) from 50 megawatts’ price of photo voltaic, along with subscribing to 10 megawatts of group photo voltaic. This explicit settlement falls into the class of “impression RECs,” that means REC agreements that contain group advantages over and above merely producing extra zero emission electrical energy.

“Impression REC agreements resembling this one are designed to channel clear power assets into areas poised for brand spanking new photo voltaic growth and contribute to area people initiatives,” Pivot defined in a press launch dated Might 22.

“Rivian’s partnership allows further photo voltaic tasks to be strategically developed in areas with few photo voltaic assets,” Pivot added, noting that the brand new tasks might be positioned in a area with a very soiled grid.

“By supporting these new-build distributed photo voltaic tasks by this REC buy settlement and group photo voltaic subscription, Rivian can have an outsized impression 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 come back. Simply bear in mind it’s 3C, not ESG.

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