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ATLANTA — Rivian Automotive was attracted to Georgia’s education system, resources and talent when choosing a site for its $5 billion battery and assembly plant, a company official said Dec. 16 as the project was officially announced.

A coalition of trucking, transportation and manufacturing stakeholders in letters sent to President Joe Biden, members of his Cabinet and congressional leaders expressed concern over how the persistent shortage of semiconductors needed for manufacturing new trucks is affecting the broader economic landscape.

Rivian Automotive Inc. said it expects to fall short of its annual production target as the electric pickup maker gave investors the first look at its operations as a public company.

The year 2021 will not soon be forgotten in truck equipment circles that were buffeted by a persistent severe virus carried over from 2020, by its new variants and more related supply chain and labor disruptions.

General Motors Co. has talked up its electric vehicle plans for years, and even generated buzz by resurrecting Hummer’s gas-guzzling name in the form of an electric pickup truck. Now comes the tough part: selling mass-market EVs.

Uber Technologies Inc. plans to launch a driverless food-delivery pilot program in the U.S. next year, the company announced Dec. 16.

Nikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton asked a federal judge to throw out an indictment accusing him of misleading investors about the electric vehicle maker’s financial prospects.

Technology developer Samsara launched an initial public offering on Dec. 15, a move that a top executive said positions the company for continued growth by bringing in key investors to help fund future initiatives.

GXO Logistics is deploying 6 River Systems or 6RS collaborative robots, also known as cobots, on multiple mezzanine floors in one of its distribution centers in Milton Keynes, England.

Autonomous vehicle technology developer Aurora Innovation Inc. will launch a pilot program with Uber Freight to move goods in Texas.