Frank In Real Time | Update on Dual-Motor | Rivian

🎥 Apr 14, 2023 📺 Rivian

Rivian COO Frank Klein discusses production ramp in Normal, scaling our next-gen drive unit, driving efficiency across the business and growing up on his family’s farm in Germany. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMd... Sign Up for Rivian Updates: https://rivn.co/SignUp Instagram: / rivianofficial Twitter: / rivian LinkedIn: / rivian Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. We believe there is a more responsible way to explore the world and are determined to make the transition to sustainable transportation an exciting one. We designed our emis...

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About Frank Klein

In an April 2023 video, Rivian Chief Operations Officer Frank Klein discussed the company's production of its new in-house developed Enduro motor at a facility in Normal, Illinois. Klein stated that the facility was built on a former parking lot in less than two years and that production of the Enduro motor began on February 3, 2023. He said the motor is more efficient and less expensive than Rivian's quad-motor setup, and that it will be offered in the company's EDV, R1T, and R1S vehicles, providing customers with a longer-range option. Klein noted that the company planned to produce 832 Enduro motors per day across two shifts. Klein expressed confidence in the production ramp-up, attributing the progress to collaboration across design, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams. He described the Enduro motor as a product that helps Rivian reduce material costs while offering a compelling product to customers. Klein also mentioned growing up on a family farm in Germany, where he worked driving a tractor and making wine.

Source: AI-verified profile updated from Frank Klein's recent appearances. Browse all interviews →

Transcript (9 segments)

Frank Klein0:10

No, yes I did.

My parents were farmers. My father worked like the day and the night shift in the factory, and then the remaining eight hours he worked on the farm. I've spent the first 18 years working on the farm, driving tractor, picking fruits. Wine, we made our own wine. So actually I do miss that. That's something that at least part time I will do when I retire.

Interviewer0:41

So you got to tape her too? You all would take me? Jay, perv? I promise these are... I'm not the one making this happen, they're making this happen.

Okay, let's do it. Welcome from our new Enduro.

Frank Klein1:11

Very amazing. We build up this complete new construction and we set up four different lines that are required to build our brand new Enduro motor. So the Enduro motor is the motor that is solely developed by our engineering team in-house within our Rivian family. And the Enduro motor will be offered not only in our EDV where we're currently already installing the Enduro motor, it will also be available for our customers in the R1T and in the R1S. So start of production of our new Enduro motor was at the beginning of February. Actually I remembered it exactly, it was February.

More than 600 of these beautiful Enduro motors here with the team, but we're still at the beginning of the ramp up. So all together we plan on building 44 units per hour. So if you do the math, we will run two shifts here, so we will be capable of producing 832 Enduro motors every single day. Now you might wonder, well that's a lot of motors that we can put every single day into our products, but you got to see we put one Enduro motor in every single EDV we're producing in combination with the new LFE battery pack, and then as I...

Will have a choice. The good thing about the Enduro motor, it's actually a more efficient motor, so the customer will actually get a longer range, a little bit less horsepower, but absolutely fascinating product. The good thing also for Rivian, as you all know we need to drive down cost also on the bill of material, and the Enduro motor helps us because the Enduro motor as an in-house engineered, in-house produced motor is actually less expensive than our quad motor. So it's actually something which is reducing our costs and we're actually able to offer an incredible product to our customers.

So what I want to really say is that I'm so proud of this team here because to set up such an incredible facility in such a short time, ramping up an incredible product with a fantastic quality. We're at the beginning of the ramp up, but seeing what the team has accomplished so far, I'm absolutely confident that we will not only achieve our goals, we will exceed our goals. So thank you very much, looking forward to seeing you soon.

Interviewer4:36

I made like little cookie fights. You made them? Yeah, nice.