Watch: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe Recalls How Electric Truck Origin Story Went From 'Horribly Bad Idea' To Success In Candid Chat With 8th Graders

Rivian Automotive Inc RIVN CEO R.J. Scaringe recently sat down for an engaging interview with two eighth-grade children, Blake and Will. The conversation covered everything from Scaringe’s school days and hobbies to the origins of Rivian. 

What Happened: The heartwarming interview, filmed in July 2023 at Rivian’s Illinois manufacturing facility, was shared on the youngsters’ YouTube channel last Thursday.

Reflecting on Rivian’s early days, Scaringe fondly recalled the challenging journey, stating, “I remember so distinctly, as if it was yesterday, in 2013/2014 when we were out talking to suppliers about the idea of an electric truck or an electric SUV. It wasn’t that people thought it was a good idea; it was universally considered a horribly bad idea, even by big, well-known suppliers and thought leaders in the industry.”

See Also: Is Rivian Stock (RIVN) a Good Buy Right Now?

Scaringe, accompanied by his son Pete during the interview, also shared humorous anecdotes about testing vehicle prototypes that occasionally broke down or got stuck. 

Pete added a memorable story about his father causing a “giant traffic jam” with one of the vehicles, prompting bystanders to join in and help push it.

Throughout the conversation, Scaringe emphasized the significance of hard work and optimism when embarking on a new business venture. He noted, “The role of being the CEO or being a founder is that you have to be wildly optimistic, but you also have to recognize the areas of potential risk so that your optimism isn’t blind.”

The interview also included a fun auto industry quiz where Scaringe answered four questions correctly but stumbled on one. He couldn’t recall the mandatory car part invented by Mary Anderson — the windshield wiper.

Interestingly, Scaringe initially named the Tesla Model Y as the most popular car worldwide before Blake gently reminded him that they were discussing all types of cars, not just electric vehicles.

Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

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Photo by TechCrunch on Flickr