According to Bloomberg, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe introduced their new project to employees at the company’s all-hands meeting held last Friday – electric bicycles. He mentioned that the startup already has a small group of engineers working on bike-related technology.
Bloomberg was unable to confirm whether the car here refers to an electric motorcycle or a regular electric bicycle, but Rivian has currently registered patents for electric bicycle components and designs. Scaringe has also previously said that Rivian eventually wants to enter the micromobility market, but details were unknown.
At present, the sales of electric bicycles in the United States are actually far more than electric cars and pickup trucks. After all, bicycles are cheaper, so more users can afford them. Therefore, other companies such as Porsche have also joined this market segment.
Rivian also announced layoffs last week, which will affect 6% of its workforce. The layoffs are the second major restructuring at Rivian in less than a year.
The company said the move is an attempt to refocus on expanding production of its R1T and R1S electric vehicles, putting Rivian on a path to long-term profitability.
