R1T Truck

Make
Rivian
Segment
Sports Car

Electric truck makers can't seemed to get along. In July of last year we learned that Tesla was suing Rivian for stealing intellectual property and employees. We then heard Rivian's response, saying it was just a smear campaign. Not much else was heard until March of this year. We then got news that the lawsuit was still dragging on, and it looked like Rivian may not even have the money to pay Tesla should it lose the suit. The latest on the matter is that the legal battle continues to rage, and Tesla claims that Rivian has been continuing its illicit activity despite the suit.

According to a report from Teslarati, Tesla claims that the lawsuit it first filed 14 months ago has not stopped Rivian from poaching employees and stealing "highly proprietary" technology related to its batteries. Tesla says that former employees who have moved to Rivian have been "caught red-handed" stealing the core technology for Tesla's next-generation batteries, noting that the batteries are the "most essential element for any electric vehicle."

The company claims that Rivian is doing this because it needs to prove itself to its investors. "Now apparently under pressure from investors after nearly a dozen years without producing a single commercial vehicle, Rivian has intensified its unlawful efforts," claims Tesla.

Tesla is typically secretive about its batteries' internal makeup, and so is Rivian. We know that the Rivian R1T truck uses Samsung SDI 2170 cells, but with Rivian providing very little information on exactly how these are being implemented into the design of the truck and its powertrain, it's unclear if there are any similarities between these and the Panasonic cells that Tesla co-produces at its Gigafactory in Nevada.

Rivian has declined to comment on the lawsuit or its widened scope that will now cover alleged misconduct over the past year, but it seems that an amicable resolution is the furthest thing from anyone's mind at this point.