THIS CAR POD! EP73

Guest: RJ Scaringe (Rivian CEO & Founder)
Hosts: Doug DeMuro & Friends ([A]: Ken, [B]: Filippo, [D]: Unnamed co-host)
Date: August 17, 2025
Episode Title: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on the Future of Rivian, EV Sports Cars, and Depreciation!

Overview

In this episode recorded live at The Quail Motorsports Gathering, the hosts sit down with RJ Scaringe, CEO and founder of Rivian, for a deep dive into the future of the company, the evolving electric vehicle market, and his personal car enthusiast background. The conversation covers industry news, Rivian’s production and supply chain challenges, vehicle design philosophy, the shifting consumer demand for EVs and internal combustion engines, as well as depreciation and the used EV market. The episode is peppered with RJ’s candid insights, car stories, and audience Q&A.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Quail Motorsports Gathering – Automotive News Highlights

• [00:40 – 04:25]
  • The Quail has transformed into a premiere venue for car debuts, now likened to a new Geneva Motor Show.
  • Hot reveals:
    • Bugatti’s “Solitaire” program and the new Bouillard W16 one-off.
    • Rumors swirl over Lamborghini’s new “Phenomeno” (revealed off-the-record).
    • Chevrolet’s CX concept—a glimpse at Corvette’s future.
    • Acura RSX small EV SUV – competition in Rivian’s segment, but RJ takes it in stride.
  • RJ shares personal anecdotes of navigating the gathering with his kids, highlighting generational differences in car enthusiasm.

“The Quail has kind of become like the new Geneva Motor Show. There are so many reveals that are just happening.” — [D], 00:46

2. Rivian’s Supply Chain & Production Challenges

• [04:35 – 09:49]
  • Post-Q2 recap: Drastic drop in production due to unexpected supply chain issues, notably with heavy earth metals and magnets impacted by new tariffs and export controls.
  • All Rivians are US-built, but global supply chains—even for parts manufactured in the U.S.—are deeply interconnected.
  • Ongoing need to adapt: Daily standup meetings at Rivian track shifts in trade policy and tariffs.

“Every electric car needs magnets to make the motor. So we had to do a lot of work to come up with a new supply chain... We just had an abrupt slowdown in production.”
— RJ Scaringe, 05:00

• Tariffs have added roughly $2,000–3,000 cost per vehicle, even for U.S.-built cars, due to complexity.
• Sourcing dilemmas: Whether to absorb higher costs or risk heavy investment in new U.S.-based production that could get upended by future policy changes.
• Emphasis on minimizing China-reliance: “We already made the decision to not really rely [on China].”—RJ, 11:51

3. Reflections on Industry Shifts: Ford, Stellantis & the U.S. Market

• [12:04 – 23:36]
  • Ford’s $30K EV truck and new modular assembly: RJ welcomes competition for consumer choice and greater adoption.
  • The sub-$50K compelling options are still scarce; Model 3 and Model Y dominate, which is not a healthy sign.
  • Rivian’s collaboration with Volkswagen (zonally-architected vehicle software) signals the direction of modern vehicle electronics.
  • Dodge/Chrysler reintroducing V8s and ICE models—a “whiplash” for automakers amid public EV skepticism.
  • RJ’s take: This combustion-leaning is a temporary reaction to market/policy but is strategically risky for manufacturers long-term.

“Transitions like this are always tough. Peak horse was in the 1920s… right before there was no horse.”
— RJ Scaringe, 23:36

• U.S. manufacturers must avoid complacency and focus on global competitiveness as the inevitable EV transition continues.

4. Deep Dive: Car Enthusiasm, Sports Car Roots, and Rivian’s Philosophy

• [24:12 – 35:37]
  • RJ is a true enthusiast: Owns a manual Volkswagen Corrado VR6 (“first car I owned – modified the heck out of it”) and previously owned several Porsches and a Lotus Elise.
  • Early Rivian was actually developing a sports car, but pivoted to adventure-oriented trucks/SUVs as more impactful for company and market needs.
  • The "adventure" concept—Room for family, gear, and usability, while also being efficient and fun, drove product design: “We said, what if we made a vehicle designed to enable adventure but also is super efficient, incredibly fun to drive…”

“My kids are like, shocked when they’re in a car that you have to, like, change the gears. Like, dad, this is so cool.”
— RJ Scaringe, 20:37

• R1 and R2’s design and market timing: Rivian positioned itself with the right product as demand for adventure and lifestyle vehicles boomed post-COVID.

5. Electrification of Sports Cars: Future, Fun, and “Analog” Experience

• [35:37 – 40:47]
  • Hosts prompt RJ: Is the electric sports car future bleak for analog car lovers?
  • RJ draws a parallel: Electric cars offer a “different flavor,” similar to how vintage and modern sports cars differ.
  • Discusses innovations for EV sports cars—regen braking as a new form of engagement; torque vectoring and features like the “Kicksteer” mode.
  • Arguments for and against fake shifting (like with Hyundai Ioniq 5N)—EVs will develop their own unique enthusiast subculture, just like horses did after cars overtook them for daily transport.
  • The democratization of performance via EV instant torque; concerns about extraordinarily fast, heavy vehicles and manufacturer responsibility.

“You can still have fun in an electric vehicle... We’re embracing the silliness of a 2.5 second 0-60 SUV. And it’s a brand-building vehicle.”
— RJ Scaringe, 42:53

6. Brand & Product Identity: Performance, Subtlety, and the Next Gen Rivian

• [43:15 – 52:52]
  • Quad-motor R1S/R1T: Why so visually subtle? RJ: Rivian opted against conspicuous styling. “Given infinite time and resources we probably would have done maybe different front/rear fascia… We like the subtlety of this one.”
  • Safety-driven speed limiters; RJ confirms the vehicles (off paper) can go way beyond stock-limited 130mph.
  • CEO “perks”: Software updates/feature testing is the main special privilege; no CEO-only custom “one-of-one” cars.
  • Leadership style: RJ and Rivian eschew the “cult of personality”; seeks inclusivity and broad appeal, unlike Elon Musk’s approach at Tesla.
  • Auto industry at the leadership level is more collaborative than one might think.

“Our products have a lot of my personality… subtlety and quiet confidence.”
— RJ Scaringe, 52:52

7. EV Depreciation and the Used Market

• [54:46 – 60:24]
  • Used Rivians (“high mile” R1Ts for $50K–$55K) are showing relatively strong residual values for EVs.
  • Rivian actively tracks and strategizes on depreciation, including price management to avoid sudden drops for buyers and maintain lease value.
  • RJ notes: “Depreciation kind of proves what the actual interest is.”
  • Used EVs (esp. Teslas) experiencing dramatic depreciation, but RJ sees brand-building value in accessible, affordable used EVs. Rivian aims to actively participate in CPO/used vehicle sales as its fleet ages.

“With R1, you’re going to start to see people be able to afford it they couldn’t before. And then R2 will do that as well.”
— RJ Scaringe, 59:09

8. Audience Q&A: Future Product and Weird/Radical Features

• [60:27 – 66:42]
  • Removable Roofs/Doors: RJ reveals R1 was originally prototyped with a removable carbon fiber roof (fit in the frunk!), but complexity scuttled the feature. For now, R2’s drop-down rear glass and venting windows are the focus; but he teases that open-air options are “not off the table.”
  • Gasoline Range Extenders: Rivian will never do it (“0.0% chance”)—it’s counter to the company’s mission.
  • “Fun & Weird” Features: RJ recognizes as powertrains become similar, automakers will differentiate through “quirks, features, and driver engagement” (e.g., Kicksteer, flashlights, storage innovation). Examples like Chinese EVs with jumping ability are noticed, but regulatory and practicality limits exist (“fish tanks in cars probably aren’t happening”).

9. Hypotheticals & Car Culture Quick-Hits

• [66:42 – 72:02]
  • If RJ could restomod any classic vehicle onto a Rivian skateboard? “21-window VW Bus with quad motors… like 600 horsepower in the back… terrifying.”
  • If Rivian could build a ‘halo’ car with zero constraints: The design team did an internal “R1R” hypercar exploration—“looked freaking awesome… it’s the thing you really want… not financially rational for high-volume now, but maybe someday.”

10. Cars, Car Stories, and Personal Faves

• [72:02 – End]
  • Warehouse of all early Rivian concept and prototype cars exists—maybe one day it will be unveiled.
  • RJ’s favorite non-Rivian cars: Porsche Taycan, 911s; manual Corrado VR6; strong affinity for analog, lightweight cars.
  • On BMWs: “E39 M5 is the best M5. The E46 M3 is the best M car.” — RJ Scaringe, 54:13

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the unique challenges of the auto supply chain:
  “We buy 3,000 parts, put them together, but there’s actually more than 10x that in terms of discrete components that are going into the car.”
  — RJ Scaringe, 07:47

• On EV market whiplash:
  “I wouldn’t have expected a lot of the manufacturers that had started to really lean into electrification to so quickly lean back out and then reinvest in engine programs.”
  — RJ Scaringe, 18:44

• On the manual transmission’s decline:
  “It was hard to lose the manual transmission... My kids are like, shocked when they’re in a car that you have to like, change the gears. Like dad, this is so cool.”
  — RJ Scaringe, 20:15 & 20:37

• On brand design and performance subtlety:
  “We decided to not do [visual upgrades to the quad], because it was adding a lot of complexity to production… But the fact that you’re starting there, it sort of says, we don’t actually need all these scoops.”
  — RJ Scaringe, 43:54 & 44:59

• On leadership style vs. Elon Musk:
  “We’ve been more reserved just in how we've come across as a company. I'm more reserved as a person… Our products have a lot of my personality in them, in some of their subtlety and quiet confidence.”
  — RJ Scaringe, 51:13 & 52:52

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------|-------------------| | The Quail news & car reveals | 00:40 – 04:25 | | Rivian production, tariffs, Q2 | 04:35 – 11:18 | | Ford & Stellantis EV/ICE whiplash| 12:04 – 23:36 | | RJ’s car enthusiasm, early Rivian| 24:12 – 35:37 | | EV sports cars, driving fun | 35:37 – 40:47 | | Brand philosophy, subtlety, CEO | 43:15 – 52:52 | | Used EV values, depreciation | 54:46 – 60:24 | | Q&A: Future/quirky products | 60:27 – 66:42 | | Hypotheticals, dream Rivian | 66:42 – 72:02 | | Favorites & personal car talk | 72:02 – end |

Episode Tone

Friendly, insightful, and rich with car culture references. RJ comes across as approachable, thoughtful, and genuinely enthusiastic about cars—not just as a business leader, but as a car guy. The hosts maintain a conversational and sometimes playful tone.

Useful for:

• Anyone wanting a comprehensive yet lively summary of Rivian’s current and future challenges, EV market dynamics, and how a true car lover approaches running a modern automotive company.
• Listeners curious about what’s next for Rivian—both in product and strategy—and the state of the EV landscape from an insider’s perspective.
• Car enthusiasts enjoying stories, banter, and the intersection of automotive passion and business.

End of Summary