There is no indication that Tesla will acquire Rivian in the foreseeable future.
When directly asked about the possibility of Tesla buying Rivian, Tesla CEO Elon Musk explicitly dismissed the idea. Musk stated, “I wish them the best. I hope they do well. The car industry is a very difficult industry. There’s only two U.S. car companies that haven’t gone bankrupt, and that’s Ford and Tesla. Rivian’s going to have a hard time. It’s insanely difficult to compete in the car industry. If it were not for two technology discontinuities, one being electrification and the other being autonomy, I think Tesla could not succeed without solving both”[1][5][3]. This response signals support for Rivian’s continued independence, not a plan for acquisition.
While some industry commentators and investors, like Tesla supporter Ross Gerber, have floated the idea that it “just makes sense for Tesla to buy Rivian,” these are opinions from outside the company and not based on any insider knowledge or announcements from Tesla or Musk[2][4]. These discussions have largely been speculative, debating the potential pros and cons of such an acquisition but lacking any concrete evidence or plans.
In summary, at this time, there are no confirmed plans or indications that Tesla will acquire Rivian, and Elon Musk himself has publicly rejected the idea.