Automotive News: Rivian Initiates Lawsuit Over Direct Sales Authorization
Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Strengthen Partnership Strategies
Recent developments in the partnership strategies of Lucid Group, Rivian Automotive, and Bollinger Innovations reveal distinct approaches aligned with their market goals and technology focus.
Lucid Group has notably expanded partnerships to boost brand awareness and secure supply chains. In late July 2025, Lucid signed a multi-year partnership with actor Timothée Chalamet as its first global brand ambassador to promote the upcoming Lucid Gravity SUV. This move aims to enhance cultural relevance and global brand stature. Additionally, Lucid joined the Minerals for National Automotive Competitiveness Collaboration (MINAC), partnering with Alaska Energy Metals, Graphite One, Electric Metals, and RecycLiCo to accelerate domestic critical mineral sourcing for U.S. EV manufacturers. This strategy targets resilient, responsible sourcing to reduce environmental and geopolitical risks in mineral supply chains. Furthermore, Lucid’s technology partnerships include a record-setting battery use with Samsung SDI and a recent deal to deploy at least 20,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs equipped with Nuro Driver autonomous technology, indicating a push into driver-assist and autonomy.
Rivian Automotive focuses on legal and tech development partnerships. They are pursuing direct sales through litigation efforts to support broader distribution strategies. Simultaneously, Rivian announced the creation of an AI and autonomous driving research hub in London to bolster its self-driving technology capabilities, signaling a strong commitment to autonomy and global tech innovation expansion.
Regarding Bollinger Innovations, no recent partnership developments surfaced in these search results, suggesting either limited publicized partnerships or less focus on strategic alliances compared to Lucid and Rivian within this timeframe.
Wallbox, another player in the electric vehicle industry, launched Wallbox Rewards, a smart charging program that allows users to earn rewards through their home EV chargers. A pilot version of Wallbox Rewards launched in July in California and New York, with an expected expansion into other domestic markets later this year.
In summary:
| Manufacturer | Partnership Focus | Key Recent Developments | |-------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Lucid Group | Brand ambassador, supply chain, autonomy tech | Multi-year deal with actor Timothée Chalamet; MINAC coalition for domestic minerals; Nuro Driver autonomous tech| | Rivian Automotive | Legal strategy, AI & autonomous research | Lawsuit to enable direct sales; opening AI/autonomous driving research hub in London | | Bollinger Innovations | No recent publicized partnerships | No notable updates found in the latest coverage |
These partnerships emphasize Lucid’s integrated approach to brand, supply security, and autonomy; Rivian’s focus on regulatory/legal and tech infrastructure; and relatively quiet activity for Bollinger in this period.
This assessment is based on publicly reported developments in July and August 2025.
[1] Lucid Motors Announces Timothée Chalamet as Global Brand Ambassador for Lucid Gravity. (2025, July 29). Retrieved from https://www.lucidmotors.com/news/timothee-chalamet-global-brand-ambassador
[2] Lucid Motors Joins MINAC Coalition to Accelerate Domestic Critical Mineral Resources. (2025, July 30). Retrieved from https://www.minac.us/news/lucid-motors-joins-minac-coalition-to-accelerate-domestic-critical-mineral-resources
[3] Rivian files lawsuit to sell electric vehicles directly to Ohio customers. (2025, August 3). Retrieved from https://www.autonews.com/electric-vehicles/rivian-files-lawsuit-sell-electric-vehicles-directly-ohio-customers
[4] Rivian Opens AI and Autonomous Driving Research Hub in London. (2025, August 6). Retrieved from https://www.rivian.com/news/rivian-opens-ai-and-autonomous-driving-research-hub-in-london
[5] EVgo Announces Q2 2025 Results. (2025, August 5). Retrieved from https://www.evgo.com/news/evgo-announces-q2-2025-results
- Lucid Group's finance department is partnering with Samsung SDI to employ a record-setting battery use in the Lucid Gravity SUV, while their business development team has secured a deal to deploy at least 20,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs equipped with Nuro Driver autonomous technology.
- Rivian Automotive's strategic partnerships include legal collaborations to support direct sales strategies, as well as technological advancements through the establishment of an AI and autonomous driving research hub in London.
- The lifestyle sector also gets involved in electric-vehicle technology, with Wallbox offering a smart charging program for home EV chargers called Wallbox Rewards that rewards users for their participation in the program.
