Gary Zhou 
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has outlined his plans for the automaker in a new interview with YouTuber Marques Brownlee.
Despite countless production and financial hurdles over the past 12 months, Rivian has made it out swinging and is headed toward its most productive year yet, aiming to produce 50,000 vehicles. But as the company matures, investors seek a clearer view of the future than ever before. Luckily, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has provided just that in a new video interview with YouTuber Marques Brownlee.
MKBHD’s interview with RJ Scaringe was posted late last week, highlighting the CEO’s “master plan” for Rivian and its future vehicles and products.
Outside of the incredible insight that Scaringe shares in the interview, the most notable points he covers revolve around the future of the business. Paramount, Rivian’s future products, took center stage.
The first product Rivian fans can look forward to is the brand’s R2 line of vehicles, which the CEO distilled very well, pointing out that they will be a more affordable offering than the R1 vehicles currently for sale. However, they will still embody the same “persona” and maintain Rivian’s brand image, helping people stay adventurous.
More specifically, Scaringe points out the incredible struggle of making decisions that will help the vehicle be affordable for a larger number of customers, mostly involving the removal of fluff and focusing on core elements. The CEO explains that while future Rivian trucks may lack the door-mounted flashlight or luxurious interior touches found on the R1 vehicles, they will still maintain capability, specifically offroad.
Interestingly, besides nodding at the potential of future form factors, Scaringe did not comment on the possibility of a Rivian e-bike, which has been recently rumored to be in development.
One final point echoed throughout the interview focused on software and its place within vertical integration. Tesla has been the brand that best exemplifies the benefits of verticle integration, and nowhere has that been seen better than in its software, which has been implemented at the exclusion of traditional alternatives, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Rivian CEO agreed with this approach wholeheartedly.
