Rivian’s Micromobility Ambitions Take Shape with New Startup Also
Before RJ Scaringe founded Rivian in 2009, his mind was already turning toward micromobility solutions. More than a decade later, those initial musings blossomed into a dedicated “skunkworks” program within Rivian. The goal? To determine if Rivian’s cutting-edge technology could be scaled down into something smaller and more accessible than its existing electric trucks, vans, and SUVs. The answer, as it turned out, was a resounding yes.
However, the internal project quickly grew beyond its original scope, as Scaringe explained to TechCrunch. What began as a focused initiative evolved into a larger concept, leading to the birth of a new, independent company called Also. This spin-off is backed by $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures.
Though a separate entity, Also will maintain a close relationship with Rivian. The automaker holds a minority stake, with Scaringe himself serving on Also’s board. Additionally, Also will leverage Rivian’s existing technological infrastructure, retail presence, and economies of scale. Chris Yu, Rivian’s VP of future programs, will lead Also as its president.
Also’s plans are ambitious: The company aims to begin production of its flagship product next year, initially targeting consumers in the United States and Europe. Furthermore, the startup intends to expand, eventually launching vehicles designed for both consumer and commercial applications in Asia and South America. Scaringe hinted at the company’s first vehicle designs, promising a reveal later this year. While remaining tight-lipped about specifics, Scaringe did concede the initial product will have a “bike-like form factor.”
“There’s a seat, and there’s two wheels, there’s a screen, and there’s a few computers and a battery,” Scaringe stated. The core goal is clear: to make Rivian-grade micromobility solutions available at a more approachable price point.
Scaringe highlighted the current price point, stating “it’s remarkable that a nice e-bike costs as much as it does… Like a nice ebike, you can spend $6,000 to $8,000 on, and really nice ones, over $10,000. That’s a reflection of a poorly developed supply chain that’s very, very, very tiered.”
From Electric Trucks to Micromobility
Scaringe initially focused on building Rivian into a leader in the electric vehicle market, starting with the R1T pickup truck and the R1S SUV. Around 2019, however, a shift began. Jiten Behl, former Rivian chief growth officer and key player in securing Eclipse Ventures’ funding, began discussing the opportunity with Scaringe in depth.
“There is a gap here,” Behl recalls telling Scaringe. “If you look at our cities, the infrastructure is such that you can’t have large cars driving around, but they still have mobility needs. We need something different, something smaller, something more flexible.”
In 2022, Rivian enlisted Chris Yu, formerly the chief product and technology officer at bike manufacturer Specialized, to lead the skunkworks team. One of the few public clues of Rivian’s activities in this area emerged in 2022, with the company filing a trademark for bicycles and electric bikes, along with their related parts. Scaringe mentioned Rivian’s e-bike efforts at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2022, and Bloomberg reported the project in 2023, but the initiative remained under wraps.
Leveraging Rivian’s Technology
Numerous companies have tried to design and sell e-bikes that successfully distinguish themselves. However, Scaringe suggests these companies have faced limitations in reducing costs, due to reliance on a fragmented supply chain and low production volumes.
For Rivian, Scaringe believes the “aha moment” came when they recognized their ability to change those variables. The team has the advantage of being able to transfer a lot of technologies to the small form factors.
“Most companies in the micro space don’t have, like, a full power electronics team, and don’t have a team that develops the software OS, and are designing and building computers,” he reflected. “Oh, wow, we have all this capability,” he recalls thinking.
Scaringe, Yu, and Behl see vast potential for Also, not just in the consumer market but in commercial sectors. Yu noted, “You could almost say that the need for small form-factor EVs is a little bit more acute on the commercial side than the consumer side, especially within dense metro areas, particularly in Europe [where city centers are] shut down to cars and vans.” He continued, saying there has been “an intense amount of excitement around a scalable platform approach for food, parcel, delivery, et cetera, type vehicles.”
Yu indicated that Also is in “reasonably advanced discussions with some really exciting partners at the moment,” but declined to identify them. With its ambitious vision to create small EVs for both consumer and commercial use across the global market, the Also team indeed has a lot of work ahead of it. When asked whether the company would build a rickshaw or a skateboard, Scaringe said that while there are practical limitations, “never say never” in the micromobility space.
