North American automotive giant Ford and startup company Rivian signed an investment agreement this spring, according to which Ford puts half a billion USD into Rivian in return for its technical know-how. Today, it was announced that Lincoln would design two electric SUVs on that know-how.
The more compact crossover vehicle should debut in late 2021 or early 2022, and the larger one should follow in 2023, rumors claim. North America and China will be the primary target markets for both. The Rivian-designed platform includes the entire chassis, adaptive shock absorbers, air suspension adjustable for between 200 and 360 millimeters (7.8 – 14 inches) of clearance, brakes, and more. The startup will also provide the electric motors (single- and multi-motor configurations available 200 hp / 150 kW per motor) and the batteries (available capacities are 105, 135, and 180 kilowatt-hours).
See our gallery and watch the video for an overview of Rivian’s two finished EVs: the R1T pickup truck and the R1S seven-seater SUV. Both come based on the same tech as described above. The truck will hit production in 2020, and the SUV should follow a year after that. The quad-engine powertrain both come equipped with outputs 750 hp (553 kW) and guarantees 644 kilometers (400+ miles) of driving range.
Lincoln’s first SUV has already been registered internally as ‘U787’. No other information is available to date.