Rivian Automotive, an American electric vehicle manufacturer and automotive technology and outdoor recreation company, is losing its vice president of manufacturing to Jeep.
Tim Fallon had Rivian scale the output of three electric vehicles for the past two years and seven months to be precise. Previously, Fallon had worked for Nissan for 16 years in several plant manager roles such as vice president at its Canton Assembly plant in Mississipi.
Reports from an internal email sent to employees from CEO RJ Scaringe as viewed by Bloomberg, suggest that Fallon is now pursuing a new opportunity at Jeep. A Rivian spokesperson confirmed the news by saying, “We’ve had different leaders as we approach different levels of scaling our business.” They added, “We’re positioning the organization structure for the future.” Fallon is said to join Stellantis as the head of manufacturing in North America by September 2, 2024.
Stellantis is preparing for its EV offensive in the United States. Reports also suggest that Carlo Materazzo, a former Stellantis exec, will lead Rivian’s manufacturing in the interim.
In the upcoming months, Stellantis will introduce the first electric Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles in the US. This summer, Jeep unveiled the all-electric Wagoneer S. This luxury SUV has an illuminated grille and other modern features. It is powered by the SLTA Large platform and its EV gets over 300 miles range and up to 600 horsepower. It also supports fast charging and can charge from 20% to 80% in less than 30 minutes.
The interior has a “best in class” display setup with 45″ screen space. The Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition starts at $71,995 and is expected to hit US dealerships this fall. In 2025, it will roll out globally. Jeep’s electric SUV is expected to rival the Rivian R1S and Tesla Model Y in the US.
Rivian has its own goals, while Stellantis is preparing for a fresh EV offensive in the United States. After major renovations at its Normal manufacturing facility in April, Rivian expects significant increases in productivity and efficiency. The shutdown caused Rivian to produce just 9,612 vehicles in the second quarter. It is still expected to reach its 2024 production target of 57,000.
