Tesla rival Rivian to deliver electric vehicles in summer 2021

Rivian is taking $1,000 pre-orders for both vehicles

Tesla competitor Rivian is expected to start delivering its two electric vehicles in summer 2021, tech news website TechCrunch reported Friday, citing emails to prospective buyers.

Rivian will start delivering its R1T pickup and R1S SUV in June 2021 and August 2021, the emails said, according to TechCrunch. Rivian didn't immediately confirm the reports to FOX Business.

Rivian R1S (Rivian.com)

The automaker is taking $1,000 pre-orders for the $69,000 pickup and $72,000 SUV, though it hasn't released pre-order numbers, electric transportation news website Electrek reported in January.

Rivian has, however, committed 100,000 electric delivery vehicles to Amazon by 2030 as part of the e-commerce giant's Climate Pledge.

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The Cybertruck, Tesla's entry into the electric SUV market, is expected to be released in 2021 as well, Electrek reported.

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The automaker is selling a single-motor version of the Cybertruck for $40,000; a dual-motor version for $50,000; and a tri-motor version for $70,000. Pre-orders require a $100 refundable reservation fee.

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Tesla recently filed a lawsuit accusing Rivian of stealing employees and trade secrets.

Rivian R1T (Rivian.com)

The company founded by Elon Musk has discovered "an alarming pattern among Tesla employees recently leaving to join Rivian," the suit said. "As Tesla now knows, Rivian instructed one recently departing Tesla employee about the types of Tesla-confidential information that Rivian needs."

The case, filed in state court in San Jose, Calif., claimed that Rivian has hired a total of 178 former Tesla employees.

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A Rivian spokesperson called the lawsuit "baseless" in a statement to FOX Business.

"Rivian is made up of high-performing, mission-driven teams, and our business model and technology are based on many years of engineering, design and strategy development," the spokesperson said.

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