Rivian CEO, RJ Scaringe, talks R1S and the Future of Rivian
Episode Description
This week we have an interview with RJ Scaringe, the CEO of Rivian! He stopped by the Studio to chat with Marques about the new R1S and the future of the company as a whole. They go over the adventure network, the quirky features of the R1S, and the upcoming R2 platform as well. As a bonus, this entire episode was recorded inside of an Rivian R1S. We hope you enjoy!
Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:37 Rivian origins 05:50 R1T, R1S, and what's next 11:50 Why is there no CarPlay? 14:40 EV trucks and first-time buyers 17:58 Charging networks 23:09 Ad break 23:11 Building out the networks 25:00 Rivian and Amazon 27:50 All the little things that go into the truck 34:07 Key decisions for upcoming R2 platform 42:30 Outro
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Brief Summary
RJ Scaringe discusses Rivian's journey, product features, and future plans for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
Key points
- First Podcast in a Rivian. The excitement of podcasting for the first time in a Rivian vehicle.
- Rivian's Origin Story. The CEO shares how Rivian started and evolved from sports cars to adventure vehicles.
- Naming Challenges. The CEO discusses the difficulties in naming Rivian and the evolution of its brand.
- First-Time Truck Buyers. Many Rivian R1T customers are first-time truck owners, seeking efficiency and functionality.
- Rivian's Charging Network. Plans for building a robust charging network to support Rivian vehicles.
- Building a Reliable Charging Network. Rivian is investing heavily in its own charging network to ensure reliability and customer satisfaction.
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Episode highlights
- Rivian's Origin StoryThe CEO shares how Rivian started and evolved from sports cars to adventure vehicles.“That journey was a twisty path.”1:38Apr 7, 2023
- Naming ChallengesThe CEO discusses the difficulties in naming Rivian and the evolution of its brand.“It's a hard process to come up with a name!”3:35Apr 7, 2023
- First-Time Truck BuyersMany Rivian R1T customers are first-time truck owners, seeking efficiency and functionality.“Most of the customers haven't owned a truck before.”15:02Apr 7, 2023
- Rivian's Charging NetworkPlans for building a robust charging network to support Rivian vehicles.“We'll have over 600 charging stations within about two years.”19:14Apr 7, 2023
- Building a Reliable Charging NetworkRivian is investing heavily in its own charging network to ensure reliability and customer satisfaction.“We can ensure that the Chargers themselves are well-maintained and working.”21:23Apr 7, 2023
- The Challenges of Vehicle ProductionLaunching multiple vehicles in a challenging supply chain environment has tested Rivian's capabilities.“Launching manufacturing on something like this is really hard.”24:22Apr 7, 2023
- The Future of Affordable EVsRivian's CEO discusses the goal of making electric vehicles more accessible to the masses.“Eventually we will have to get to incredibly affordable EVs everywhere.”39:02Apr 7, 2023
- The Future of EVsAs charging infrastructure improves, the shift to electric vehicles becomes more compelling.“Once you move into an EV, it's hard to go the opposite direction.”40:34Apr 7, 2023
