# RJ Scaringe

> RJ Scaringe is the American engineer who founded Rivian in 2009 and serves as its chief executive. His work spans electric trucks, SUVs, commercial vans and vehicle software, with additional ventures in micromobility and industrial robotics. After abandoning an early sports-car program, he led Rivian toward the R1T, R1S and R2.

- **Role:** Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Rivian
- **Organizations:** Rivian, Mind Robotics, ALSO
- **From:** Rockledge, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS, Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, SM, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Founded and led Rivian from its 2009 start through vehicle production and a Nasdaq listing., Rivian’s R1T received MotorTrend’s 2022 Truck of the Year award., Led Rivian into consumer vehicles, commercial vans and a technology joint venture with Volkswagen.

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Earned his mechanical engineering bachelor’s degree at RPI.
- **2007** — Earned his master’s degree at MIT.
- **2009** — Completed his MIT doctorate and founded the company that became Rivian.
- **2011** — Shelved the early sports-car program and reconsidered the product strategy.
- **2018** — Unveiled the R1T pickup and R1S SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
- **2019** — Rivian and Amazon announced plans for 100,000 electric delivery vehicles.
- **2021** — Rivian began R1T deliveries and listed on Nasdaq.
- **2024** — Rivian and Volkswagen finalized their software and electrical architecture joint venture.
- **2025** — Founded Mind Robotics; appeared with ALSO president Chris Yu to introduce the TM-B.
- **2026** — Rivian began customer R2 production and deliveries; announced an autonomy partnership with Uber.

## Achievements

- Founded and led Rivian from its 2009 start through vehicle production and a Nasdaq listing.
- Rivian’s R1T received MotorTrend’s 2022 Truck of the Year award.
- Led Rivian into consumer vehicles, commercial vans and a technology joint venture with Volkswagen.
- Selected by RPI for an honorary engineering degree in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Mind Robotics hired Doug Field as president.
- **2026-08** — Rivian described R2 deliveries underway across the US, beginning with Performance models with Launch Package.
- **2026-04** — Rivian announced customer R2 production had started at Normal, Illinois.
- **2026-03** — Rivian and Uber announced a milestone-dependent investment of up to $1.25 billion and planned R2 robotaxi deployments beginning in 2028.
- **2026-03** — Mind Robotics announced a $500 million Series A co-led by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz.

## Links

- Website: https://rivian.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rj-scaringe-58355716
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/RJScaringe
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjscaringe/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rj-scaringe
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21