EV maker Rivian has pledged to introduce a automobile with half the carbon emissions footprint of its authentic fashions by 2030, in response to its inaugural “impression” report, launched Jan. 12.

Amongst different issues, Rivian’s emissions discount technique will lean closely on growing the recycled supplies it makes use of to supply its pickup vans, SUVs and business vans — equivalent to those it provides to e-commerce big Amazon.

That is the corporate’s first environmental impression disclosure, so there are not any past-year comparisons for its outcomes. Rivian isn’t formally a part of the Science Based mostly Targets initiative, though Rivian CSO Anisa Kamadoli Costa informed GreenBiz the corporate is following the “identical objectives.”

“We’re dedicated to at all times working with a full consciousness of the problem,” mentioned Kamadoli Costa within the report.

Particulars on Rivian’s CO2 per mile baseline

The corporate reported emitting 130,306 metric tons of Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gases in 2022, and a pair of.05 million metric tons of Scope 3 emissions. It consumed 350,323 megawatt-hours of power, about 54 p.c was electrical energy; 3.7 p.c of its electrical energy got here from renewable power sources. Rivian has signed a number of contracts to purchase solar energy, together with a $1 billion deal to construct a photo voltaic farm on a former coal mine in Kentucky.

Rivian additionally shared life-cycle assessments for 5 autos, describing the emissions from its provide chain and uncooked supplies, on-site manufacturing and logistics, buyer operations and repair, and decommissioning.

The smallest of Rivian’s business vans, for instance, emits 364 grams of carbon dioxide equal per mile. The methodology is in a separate report, and Rivian encourages different automakers to do the identical for measuring per-vehicle emissions — most don’t presently.

“We imagine a typical [life-cycle assessment] methodology within the automotive trade would encourage a sooner decarbonization of the transportation sector and higher inform clients about the advantages and trade-offs amongst autos,” the corporate mentioned.

The assessments present an 8 p.c lower in lifetime emissions from Rivian’s first vans and SUVs in comparison with its more moderen fashions. That analysis recognized prime priorities for Rivian’s sustainability staff, Kamadoli Costa mentioned. These embody:

• Decreasing carbon emissions associated to supplies. Its greatest impacts come from the metal, aluminum and battery provide chains. A precedence listing might be drawn up by 2025.
• Reducing manufacturing power per automobile.
• Enhancing operational effectivity by way of software program and design, equivalent to aerodynamic adjustments and improved propulsion methods.
• Growing renewable power investments, significantly associated to the Rivian charging community.

‘Zero supplies waste and nil air pollution’

Rivian’s plan is to “sluggish consumption of main supplies, scale back waste, restrict biodiversity loss and decarbonize our enterprise.” 

At its facility in Regular, Illinois, Rivian diverted 82.3 p.c of its manufacturing waste from landfill; its 2030 purpose is to achieve 90 p.c.

Rivian already makes use of recycled supplies in its EVs however hasn’t disclosed particulars, Kamadoli Costa mentioned. Its particular objectives for recycled content material are to extend the odds:

• To a minimal of 70 p.c in metal and aluminum.
• To a minimal of 40 p.c in polymers. (That purpose additionally contains biobased options.)

“I’d say that probably the most important supplies from a reuse perspective are metal and aluminum, the most important by far by way of quantity,” Kamadoli Costa informed GreenBiz. “What’s good is that there’s loads of work occurring within the broader system in terms of metal and aluminum recycled content material. So, we’re enthusiastic about participating with companions alongside the complete worth chain, like current ones, but additionally new ones which might be on the market engaged on this.”

One instance is Rivian’s program to gather plastic trash from communities within the Philippines, Haiti, Indonesia, Brazil and Egypt, which might in any other case find yourself within the ocean, and rework it into 39,000 bulk bins and greater than 78,000 totes for the corporate’s factories and suppliers.

Different priorities, outlined within the report:

• Design autos that may be repaired and disassembled simply, so elements are simpler to interchange and reuse. 
• Develop the capability of its remanufacturing middle in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, which handles electrical {hardware}, drive models and battery packs.

The benefit of a clear slate

In contrast to lots of its rivals, Rivian received’t must disrupt current processes to make these adjustments, Kamadoli Costa mentioned. “We’re on the very starting of our journey, simply at the start state of promoting our autos to customers, however I believe the important thing factor is that we now have this eye in the direction of circularity for our enterprise from the start,” she mentioned.

Rivian made 57,232 autos in 2023, its first full yr of manufacturing, and delivered 50,122 of them. Income for the primary 9 months of 2023 was $3.2 billion, with a internet lack of $3.9 billion. It’s scheduled to report full-year outcomes Feb. 21.

For perspective, Ford Motor bought 72,000 all-electric autos final yr. About 32,000 of them had been fashions that compete immediately with Rivian. Basic Motors bought about 75,900 all-electric autos, though most had been the now-discontinued Bolt, a shopper hatchback that focused a special market from Rivian’s bigger, business autos. Tesla was the undisputed battery electrical chief with about 654,900 autos, principally passenger class.