(Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co. will invest $500 million in Rivian Automotive Inc., aligning the maker of the industry-leading F-Series pickup line with an upstart looking to electrify gas-guzzling trucks and sport utility vehicles.

The second-biggest U.S. automaker also is forming a partnership with Rivian, which Amazon.com Inc. backed with an investment announced in February. Ford will build a vehicle using the platform that Rivian founder R.J. Scaringe said in an interview last week he plans to share with several companies.

Ford has said it is spending $11 billion to bring out 40 electrified vehicles by 2022, including a Mustang-inspired battery powered crossover utility vehicle next year. The automaker also has been in talks with Volkswagen AG to jointly produce electric vehicles.

Scaringe, 36, has clinched the deal with Ford after spurning the chance to form a partnership with General Motors Co. While the two companies discussed GM buying an equity stake, the negotiations reached an impasse and appear to have collapsed, Bloomberg News reported earlier.

In addition to partnering with and investing in Rivian, Ford said its automotive president, Joe Hinrichs, will join the upstart’s board of directors.

To contact the reporter on this story: Keith Naughton in Southfield, Michigan at knaughton3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, David Welch

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