RIVN Rivian Automotive Inc

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2025

Registration No. 333-   

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Rivian Automotive, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

14600 Myford Road

Irvine, California 92606

(888) 748-4261

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

RIVIAN AUTOMOTIVE, INC. 2021 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

RIVIAN AUTOMOTIVE, INC. 2021 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

(Full title of the plans)

Robert J. Scaringe

Chief Executive Officer

Rivian Automotive, Inc.

14600 Myford Road

Irvine, California 92606

(888) 748-4261

(Name and address of agent for service) (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

With copies to:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed for the purpose of registering an additional 56,521,711 shares of Rivian Automotive, Inc.’s (the “Registrant”) Class A common stock to be issued pursuant to the Rivian Automotive, Inc. 2021 Incentive Award Plan (the “2021 Plan”) and an additional 11,304,342 shares of the Registrant’s Class A common stock to be issued pursuant to the Rivian Automotive, Inc. 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2021 ESPP”) and for which a Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form S-8 relating to the same employee benefit plans is effective.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENTS ON FORM S-8

The contents of the Registration Statements on Form S-8 (File Nos.  333-260943, 333-264030, 333-270139 and 333-277370), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, relating to the 2021 Plan and the 2021 ESPP, are incorporated herein by reference.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Irvine, State of California, on February 24, 2025.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Robert J. Scaringe and Claire McDonough, or each of them singly, with full power to act without the other, such person’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this registration statement and any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same, with exhibits and schedules thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary or desirable to be done in connection therewith as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Exhibit 5.1

		1271 Avenue of the Americas
		New York, New York 10020-1401
		Tel: +1.212.906.1200 Fax: +1.212.751.4864
		www.lw.com
		FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES
		Austin		Milan
		Beijing		Munich
		Boston		New York
		Brussels		Orange County
		Century City		Paris
February 24, 2025		Chicago		Riyadh
		Dubai		San Diego
		Düsseldorf		San Francisco
		Frankfurt		Seoul
		Hamburg		Silicon Valley
		Hong Kong		Singapore
		Houston		Tel Aviv
		London		Tokyo
		Los Angeles		Washington, D.C.
		Madrid

Rivian Automotive, Inc.

14600 Myford Road

Irvine, California 92606

To the addressees set forth above:

We have acted as special counsel to Rivian Automotive, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a registration statement on Form S–8 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the issuance of up to an aggregate of 67,826,053 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), consisting of (i) 56,521,711 shares of Class A Common Stock which may be issued pursuant to the Rivian Automotive, Inc. 2021 Incentive Award Plan (the “2021 Plan”) and (ii) 11,304,342 shares of Class A Common Stock which may be issued pursuant to the Rivian Automotive, Inc. 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2021 ESPP”, and together with the 2021 Plan, the “Plans” and each, a “Plan”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or the prospectus forming a part thereof, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issuance of the Shares.

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon the foregoing and upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein only as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended (the “DGCL”), and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.

February 24, 2025

Page 2

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the recipients thereof, and have been issued by the Company for legal consideration in excess of par value in the circumstances contemplated by the applicable Plan, assuming in each case that the individual grants or awards under the applicable Plan are duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and duly granted or awarded and exercised in accordance with the requirements of law and the applicable Plan (and the agreements and awards duly adopted thereunder and in accordance therewith), the issue and sale of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the DGCL.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Securities Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the use of our reports dated February 24, 2025, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Rivian Automotive, Inc., and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, incorporated herein by reference.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Detroit, Michigan

February 24, 2025