Rivian's boss, RJ Scaringe, wants the company to be more than a maker of electric trucks. He set out the plan in an interview with TechCrunch.
Rivian now writes its own AI models for the voice assistant in its cars. It is also building self-driving software that could power robotaxis, in a deal with Uber.
The company is designing its own 5-nanometre chip with Arm and TSMC. It also runs a $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen on software and electric systems.
🔍 The Backstory
Rivian launched its first electric pickup, the R1T, in 2021. Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from the company. Investors once treated it as a rival to Tesla.
Since then, growth in electric car sales has slowed. Rivian has burned through cash and cut costs. Selling software and chips to other firms is one way to earn more from each car.
Scaringe has also started side projects. A small scooter project became a company called Also. He also founded a robotics firm, Mind Robotics, which Rivian partly owns.
🎯 Why It Matters
Car software and self-driving features help decide what you pay and how safe the road is. What Rivian builds now shapes the cars people buy later.
Rivian's boss, RJ Scaringe, wants the company to be more than a maker of electric trucks. He set out the plan in an interview with TechCrunch.
Rivian now writes its own AI models for the voice assistant in its cars. It is also building self-driving software that could power robotaxis, in a deal with Uber.
The company is designing its own 5-nanometre chip with Arm and TSMC. It also runs a $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen on software and electric systems.
Rivian launched its first electric pickup, the R1T, in 2021. Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from the company. Investors once treated it as a rival to Tesla.
Since then, growth in electric car sales has slowed. Rivian has burned through cash and cut costs. Selling software and chips to other firms is one way to earn more from each car.
Scaringe has also started side projects. A small scooter project became a company called Also. He also founded a robotics firm, Mind Robotics, which Rivian partly owns.
Car software and self-driving features help decide what you pay and how safe the road is. What Rivian builds now shapes the cars people buy later.