TechCrunch Mobility: Rivian’s next act

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

As I wrapped my TechCrunch Disrupt interview with Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe, I kept circling back to one question: What does Scaringe want Rivian to become? If you look at Rivian’s moves over the past year, it’s clear that Scaringe wants the company to be much more than an EV maker. But he doesn’t want to stray completely from that mission either.

Rivian is far more vertically integrated than it was just a couple of years ago. It has developed its own AI models to power its in-vehicle assistant and is building an end-to-end automated driving stack for its passenger vehicles and future robotaxis through a partnership with Uber. It’s even developing custom silicon, a 5 nm processor in collaboration with Arm and TSMC. And then there is its $5.8 billion joint technology venture with VW Group focused on electric architecture and software. 

Scaringe’s ambitions extend beyond Rivian as well, although there is always a link back. He created a micromobility skunkworks program that has since spun out into a startup called Also. And he founded an industrial robotics startup called Mind Robotics, which is now 31% owned by Rivian and counts the automaker as a prospective customer. (Scaringe announced onstage that former Ford, Apple, and Tesla executive Doug Field has been hired as president of Mind Robotics.)

Scaringe’s aspirations were on display as he talked of not only expanding the joint venture with VW to cover AI and autonomy, but also licensing Rivian’s tech to “many different brands.”

So what does Rivian look like at the end of the decade? Certainly not just a maker of electric trucks and SUVs. The term I kept coming back to was “tech supplier.” 

Hear me out. Rivian is clearing a path toward licensing its electric architecture and software as well as its AI models and autonomy stack. Meanwhile, the Mind Robotics startup it partially owns is building industrial robots to not only be used in Rivian factories, but also sold to other companies. Then there’s the robotaxi business. A successful launch with Uber could open the door to more deals.

And Scaringe is already imagining how autonomy could reshape Rivian’s own vehicles.

“Where it gets really interesting is then you think beyond R2 and R3 and start to imagine the form factors that you want to build for a personally owned autonomous vehicle. You know, it opens up all kinds of design opportunities. It can create dramatically different experiences,” he said in an interview with TechCrunch. “I’m wildly excited about what the next 10 years look like in transportation because of what this enables us to dream and think about.”

Deals!

Bedrock Robotics, a startup developing autonomous driving tech for construction vehicles, is raising $600 million, Axios reported, citing sources. 

Dot Ai completed its acquisition of electric vehicle car-sharing business Envoy Technologies in a $65 million all-stock transaction, according to a regulatory filing. 

Evos, a startup that developed AI agents to automate work for industrial businesses, including freight brokerages, raised $9 million in a pre-seed round co-led by Uncork Capital and Field Ventures.

Mana Battery, a Colorado-based startup developing anode-free sodium batteries, raised $10.15 million in a round led by Voyager Ventures. 

PlusAI, the autonomous trucking developer, and Texas Ventures Acquisition III filed a Form S-4 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission —advancing its previously announced agreement to go public

Volvois leveling up its automated driving system through an expansion of its nearly decade-long partnership with Nvidia. Neither company shared financial terms of the deal. The automaker plans to use a trio of Nvidia products to be able to offer hands-free, point-to-point driving on highways and surface streets. 

Waabi, a startup developing self-driving trucks, landed a commercial partnership with carrier Warrior Logistics. Under the deal, Waabi’s self-driving trucks will move freight between Dallas and Houston.  

Electric vehicle sales in the United States are showing signs of life.

Laplace Intelligence, one of 20 startups that competed in TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200, is building automated red-teaming that stress-tests robots and self-driving cars. 

MIT startup LNK Energies says it has created a way to convert existing heavy-duty trucks from diesel to hydrogen, slashing pollution and costs while shielding operators from price spikes.

The Paris Auto Show puts Chinese cars on center stage.  

Tesla showcased its SpaceX-powered Roadster with a theatrical kickflip stunt. The Roadster used a mix of high-powered fans and thrusters to drive up an inverted ramp, spin around, and stick a landing on the pavement below. CEO Elon Musk claims the vehicle will be on the road by 2028. But will future owners be allowed to legally deploy these maneuvers on public streets? I don’t see how. 

Waymo is expanding into Canada — specifically, Toronto — after receiving approval to participate in an automated vehicle pilot program. Waymo has also opened up its robotaxi service to everyone, meaning no more waitlists, in San Antonio, San Diego, and Tampa.

One more thing …

TechCrunch reporter Tim De Chant recently test drove the 2026Porsche Macan Turbo EV. His week with the EV has him questioning what a sports car is supposed to be. Read the full review.

Source: techcrunch.com