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Rivian Automotive, an electric vehicle manufacturer with a campus on Hansen Way, is about to have a more visible presence in Palo Alto.
The company is now preparing to open a showroom at the Stanford Shopping Center, according to an announcement from Rivian. It is also seeking to designate six parking spots at the mall exclusively for its electric vehicles, according to its planning application.
The company is increasing its footprint in Palo Alto just as Tesla, another electric company with local connections, is facing public backlash because of the involvement of Elon Musk, its CEO, in the federal government’s effort to fire federal workers and slash programs. Tesla’s stock has been plummeting in recent months and protestors in Palo Alto and across the country have flocked to demonstrate in front of its showrooms.
Rivian, meanwhile, is experiencing a honeymoon of sorts with the local government. Earlier this month, Mayor Ed Lauing chose its Hansen Way campus as the setting for his “State of the City” speech, where he lauded the company for its mission of sustainability and “relentless technical innovation.”
The event also showcased the Palo Alto Police Department’s purchase of a Rivian police cruiser, the company’s first such delivery.
While the company is headquartered in Irvine, Derek Mulvey, Rivian’s director for strategic finance and investor relations, touted the central role of Palo Alto in developing its technology.
“Most of the technology being developed and all the leaders of the technology groups are based here in Palo Alto and Northern California,” Mulvey said during the March 18 event.
He called the city a “great location for what we do.”
“A big part of that is that we’re surrounded by companies looking to innovate, we’re surrounded by people wanting to join the team who want to innovate and be entrepreneurial. And that’s exactly what we need to develop the vehicles we’re developing.”
According to the planning application, the new Rivian showroom will be located near the intersection of Arboretum Road and Orchard Lane, on the Neiman Marcus side of the mall. The city’s Department of Planning and Development Services has already approved its application to convert six existing parking spaces into ones designated specifically for Rivian vehicles, according to the city’s permitting system.
