Startup electric vehicle manufacturers, Rivian and Lucid Air, are in the running to snag numerous awards this year, surpassing big-name manufacturers like General Motors and Ford.
Rivian R1T’s battery-electric pickup truck won Motor Trend magazine’s Truck of the Year, and Lucid’s Air Sedan won Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year.
“What we’re seeing is a response to the changes in the industry,” Stephanie Brinley, a principal automotive analyst with IHS Markit, told NBC News. “This is a reflection of what the startups have been able to accomplish.”
Both of Rivian and Lucid Motors are startup vehicle manufacturing companies that focus solely on electric vehicles.
These recent recognition of startups are “shaking up the industry," Brinley added.
Both the Rivian R1T and the Lucid Air are included in the lists of final contenders in the 2022 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards. Winners will be announced a month from now, according to NBC News. Lucid Air is in competition with Honda Civic and Volkswagen Golf Mk VIII (Golf R/Golf GTI) for the North American Car of the Year title. Rivian R1T is contending with Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz for the North American Truck of the Year.
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