Rivian COO left company in December

Rivian Automotive Inc.’s COO stepped down last month while the EV maker was in the midst of its inaugural production rampup.

Rod Copes left the company after he had held the title since March 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The company said in a statement that Copes “began a phased retirement from Rivian several months ago, affording the team continuity as we moved toward production ramp.” His duties have been distributed across the leadership team, the company said Monday.

The fast-growing truckmaker, which in November completed the year’s biggest initial public offering, has hit a rough stretch recently, saying in December that it would fall “a few hundred vehicles short” of its goal to build 1,200 units for the year. Last week, the shares fell after Amazon.com Inc., a major investor and customer, said it would buy some electric delivery vans from Stellantis NV.

Rivian said in a regulatory filing Monday that it produced 1,015 vehicles last year and delivered 920.

Rivian shares initially fell after the news emerged, but recovered Tuesday, closing at $83.55, up 2.6 percent. Through Monday’s close, Rivian’s shares fell 21 percent this year.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the Copes departure.