Rivian's chief executive says the payoff from autonomous driving is bigger than hands-free convenience: it could rethink what a personally owned electric vehicle looks like. At TechCrunch Disrupt, RJ Scaringe said self-driving software opens design opportunities that are "dramatically different" from the outdoor-oriented SUVs and trucks Rivian builds today. He said he is "wildly excited" about what the next decade of transportation will allow the company to imagine, and he is willing to delay profitability to pursue it.
The comments echo concepts that automakers floated a decade ago, such as pod-like cabins and rooms on wheels. Those ideas mostly stalled because autonomy took longer than expected and manufacturing a new category proved difficult. The difference now, according to the TechCrunch report, is that robotaxis are operating in multiple cities and EV components and production have matured at companies including Tesla, Rivian, and Chinese manufacturers.
Rivian still has a long road before driverless vehicles. It is ramping up production of the R2 SUV, and its current driver-assist system requires an attentive driver. The company has promised a supervised point-to-point driving feature by the end of this year, and plans to offer a robotaxi version of the R2 on Uber's app. Scaringe said he believes about 95% of US miles are driven in personally owned vehicles, and even widespread Level 4 autonomy will not dramatically change that. That view drives his interest in an autonomous personal vehicle, though he would not reveal its design; he would only say the next model after the R3 will be called R4.