- Rivian referred to as Tesla “very inspirational” for its rise to change into a frontrunner in EVs
- It virtually adopted in Tesla’s footsteps in constructing a sports activities automotive earlier than the R1
- CEO RJ Scaringe made a “very intentional” transfer to keep away from copying Tesla’s “Grasp Plan”
It is exhausting to disregard the contributions that Tesla made within the infancy of the fashionable EV trade. Many have given Tesla recognition for paving the way in which for electrical vehicles in right now’s market, and whereas some automakers have definitely used Tesla for inspiration in its personal autos, others have purposefully steered their ship in a special path to keep away from copying Tesla’s homework.
Rivian is a kind of firms.
Nonetheless a startup in itself, Rivian was based in 2009—that is only a yr after Tesla CEO Elon Musk took the reins. Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has dedicated to doing issues otherwise than Tesla. In a current interview on Kleiner Perkin’s Grit Podcast, Scaringe defined he did not need Rivian to change into simply one other Tesla, however as a substitute discover its personal path ahead within the rising world of electrical vehicles.
Rivian
The perfect place to begin right here is the start when Elon Musk notoriously revealed his Grasp Plan again in 2006 (it is nonetheless accessible on Tesla’s web site, in contrast to its weblog promising all of its EVs had {hardware} able to attaining full self-driving). The plan outlined pumping out a low-volume sports activities automotive, adopted by a moderate-volume sporty household sedan, and eventually an reasonably priced EV. Looks as if an easy path—perhaps even the perfect one—however Scaringe knew he could not simply mimic Tesla and obtain the identical success:
“[A] logical place to begin is construct a sports activities automotive, use it to construct the model, then following the sports activities automotive, comply with with extra mass market autos, and that was, in fact, how Tesla’s technique performed out, and it labored splendidly effectively for them,” stated Scaringe.
“We had been beginning in an identical logic house to say, ‘construct a sports activities automotive,’ I spotted any person’s performed that already, they usually’ve performed it effectively.”
It took Rivian practically a decade to construct its the primary public idea that might finally change into the R1T. Throughout that point, Scaringe and his group wanted to determine precisely how the corporate might differentiate itself from Tesla, or some other automaker seeking to get into the EV house.
Rivian’s reply? Present a branded expertise somewhat than construct simply one other commuter.
“[P]ivot to a very totally different sort of product,” stated Scaringe, explaining that the corporate was aiming to supply a special “expertise, automobile topology, was a really intentional effort to additionally create a brand new story for not solely us as an organization or as a model however, importantly, assist shift mindsets round what sustainable transportation can appear like.”
Rivian rolled the very first R1T off the manufacturing line in 2021 and the R1S SUV variant hit the highway the next yr.
In the meantime, Rivian was additionally tapping into one other house all whereas this was taking place as effectively; one which Tesla hadn’t dared to the touch but. Following a $700 million inflow of money to Rivian in 2019, the automaker started to develop its industrial platform referred to as the Electrical Supply Van. This allowed Rivian additionally to grab the chance to service the underdeveloped B2B market.
Scaringe’s strategy to constructing vehicles exhibits simply how the EV house nonetheless has alternatives for brand spanking new and inventive manufacturers. That is to not say manufacturing vehicles is straightforward—it very a lot is not. However it does show that separating your self from the pack is sufficient to get you observed. The remaining is a mix of the appropriate concepts, an inflow of money, and keen customers.
