Ford backed all-electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian just officially opened its order books and launched its configurators for both the R1T pickup and R1S SUV, moving one step closer to populating public roads with its new models. But Rivian has also added a new key employee – Laura Schwab, who left her previous position of president of the Americas for Aston Martin just a couple of weeks ago, according to Automotive News.
Schwab will now serve as Rivian’s vice president of sales and marketing, which is a brand new position within the upstart company. “Laura’s such an exciting addition to our Rivian team,” the company said in a statement. “Her experience in deploying rich and truly personal sales and ownership experiences for customers is a key asset for Rivian as we prepare to deliver our vehicles next summer.”
Schwab remained in her position at Aston Martin for five years and had previously spent 14 years at Jaguar Land Rover in a variety of sales and marketing roles. Her last position at JLR was the automaker’s British director of marketing before she left for Aston in 2015.
However, Schwab’s position at Rivian will be quite different from her previous roles at JLR and Aston Martin, as the automaker sells directly to consumers and has no dealer network. Vehicle service will be available through 41 centers located throughout the U.S. – something that Tesla also offers in addition to physical dealerships.
Meanwhile, Rivian is transitioning to production of its first two models, with initial deliveries of its R1T Launch Edition expected to begin in June, while the R1S will follow in August. A 400-mile battery pack will arrive in January 2022, along with lower-cost models with less range.
We’ll have much more on Rivian very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford business news and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
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