Hyperdrive

Rivian’s Long, Messy Road to Its First Electric Truck

After designing and shelving an affordable sports car and a dirt-cheap desert dune buggy, founder R.J. Scaringe has built what could be the next great American car.

Rivian's Long, Messy Road to Its First Electric Pickup Truck
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(This is the first story in a series examining Rivian’s origins and its future. Read the next installment here.)

Seth Moczydlowski approached a squat industrial building a few miles south of Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. It was Oct. 3, 2011, and he was reporting for his new job at the company that would become electric-car maker Rivian. His boss, R.J. Scaringe, emerged, limping badly.