Rivian's next act may be selling its tech, not just its trucks

What does Rivian want to be? After interviewing founder and CEO RJ Scaringe at TechCrunch Disrupt, TechCrunch's Kirsten Korosec lands on a phrase that fits surprisingly well: tech supplier.

Our take

Look at what Rivian now builds in-house. It has its own AI models for the in-car assistant, an end-to-end automated driving stack for its cars and future robotaxis (developed with Uber as a partner), and even a custom 5 nm processor made with Arm and TSMC. Then there is the $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen Group on electrical architecture and software. That is a lot of technology for a company that sells a few models of trucks and SUVs.

Scaringe wants others to use it. He talked about widening the VW venture to cover AI and autonomy, and about licensing Rivian's technology to "many different brands". Selling software and know-how to other carmakers can bring steadier revenue than selling cars alone, which matters for a young EV maker.

The side bets point the same way. Scaringe's micromobility project became a startup called Also, and his industrial robotics company, Mind Robotics, is 31% owned by Rivian. On stage he announced that former Ford, Apple and Tesla executive Doug Field is now Mind Robotics' president. Its robots are meant for Rivian's factories, but also for other customers.

The risk is focus. Rivian still has to make money from cars like the R2, and every one of these plans depends on that core business staying healthy. Licensing only works if other brands decide Rivian's stack beats building their own.

For owners, the near-term effects show up in software, like the AI agent features Rivian is adding to its cars. If you are thinking about an EV today, the basics still matter more than robotaxi promises: our guides to a home EV charger and EV battery care are a good place to start.