Rivian's CEO on Elon Musk's Influence, Affordable EVs, and The Grid's Risky Future — W/ RJ Scaringe

RJ Scaringe is the CEO of Rivian. He joins Big Technology Podcast for a deep discussion about the state of electric vehicles and where Rivian goes from here. We go into depth about Elon Musk's role in the coming Trump administration and what Scaringe would do if he was the "first buddy." Then we talk about Rivian's affordability, its partnership with VW, its road to profitability, and more. Stay tuned for the second half where we discuss energy and the grid — and Scaringe shares a passionate stance on plug-in hybrids.

Chapters

00:00 The State of Electric Vehicles and Rivian's Position
10:03 Rivian's Brand Identity and Customer Base
20:00 Partnership with Volkswagen and Future Technology
26:06 Financial Challenges and Sustainability of Rivian
26:29 Investment in Technology and Infrastructure
35:25 The Urgency of Transitioning from Fossil Fuels
40:14 Challenges and Opportunities in Energy Transition
44:47 China's Electric Vehicle Market Dynamics
52:54 The Future of Battery Technology and Recycling
53:42 The Case Against Plug-in Hybrids

[Alex.kantrowitz]

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[chrisg]

I am rooting for Rivian and RJ mostly because he is one of the few adults in the room in these times we live in.

[Priotbandit]

RJ is such a good guy from everything I’ve seen. I love the vehicles and wish nothing but the best.

[markdc]

Alex knocks it out of the park...again! Awesome podcast with RJ Scaringe. Unlike so many auto execs, RJ doesn't shy away from Alex's questions and gives honest, straightforward answers. I really hope Rivian succeeds in the long term.

[factsnofeeling]

RJ is a good guy. Who makes awesome machines.

[MoreOnEVs]

Great conversation. Rivian has great products and an exciting product pipeline. I sincerely hope they can survive for the long run. We’re rooting for you RJ!!

[anothername]

Only a couple minutes in but I know it will be another good interview. Thanks for bringing us the conversations that matter.

[kelRGo]

RJ has the greatest Superman costume, and the best automotive CEO out there.

[akeemh]

Thanks Alex, amazing dialogue as usual ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Let's go Rivian!! Thanks for what you do R.J.S.

[toddbroeker]

This was a fantastic interview! I’m a huge fan of RJ and Rivian and have an R2 reserved since he introduced last March. The one thing I was hoping to hear during the VW conversation was a mention of Scout Motors. Everyone who reserved a Traveler or Terra, like I reserved a Traveler SUV (full EV, not the Harvester range extender), is craving more information from RJ.

[DavidMossMGS]

Tesla is #1 but Rivian & RJ are great too

Good luck to them & Lucid too

Nobody else has a chance

[StephenJohnson-jrhp]

I have a 23 Ford Mach-e GT and a 22 Harley-Davidson LiveWire One. Like other folks in the US market an early adopter. The first thing that came clear to me was, software and over the air updates are what makes or breaks the user's experience. VW group historically has made quality and premium automobiles for decades, but stumbled when launching their EV's with uncompetitive software. "It's the software stupid." Thank you for sharing. Yes we bought a Ford, but Rivian stock is in our portfolio.

[mrneildillingham]

I’m a Tesla guy ! AND I love Rivian and have pre ordered the R2. Even as a Tesla investor I want to see Rivian succeed. I believe Elon wants to see Rivian succeed as well. This CEO (RJ) is a genuine nice guy I hope they make it. Out of spec review is making me rethink my pre order - it turns out that mass manufacturing an affordable EV is super hard. Great interview !

[beautifulgirl]

My neighbor LOVES his R1S and has had no problems or complaints. Saving my money for one. Cheers. :)

[michael.hiran-ph]

good questions, but too much interrupting and inserting your opinions. You have a great podcast voice, but the cutting in and trying to finish your guest's answers was not great imo. looking forward to your future interviews. subbed.

[GeorgeRyon]

I’m super excited about affordable Rivians. Love the style of the R3 but like the functionality of the R2.

[chiraginuta]

Always great to hear from RJ. Peter from Lucid should take some notes here

[COSolar]

We seriously considered a plug-in hybrid three years ago. We ended up with a fully electric vehicle. So glad we did. EVs work better for the vast majority of use cases.

[dianewallace]

49:00 Plug-in hybrids represent the worst of both worlds, however, they do lower emissions. If you want a PHEV, get one that uses the gas engine as a generator to power the large battery when needed. For example, the non-existant Dodge RAM Rev. These PHEVs with gas generators have fewer ICE parts. Or just keep your old ICE car as a back-up to your EV. That's what I did. I call that a hybrid lifestyle.

[CanonicGames]

Really great interview format. Great questions. The hybrid question is interesting - hybrids seem to be the default answer that people funnel to when they don't truly understand the reality and the actual data. It's sort of a convenient answer when you don't want to research the facts and think about the long term. Ultimately these consumers just need to be provided with compelling affordable EVs so that they choose them regardless.