RJ Scaringe

Robert Joseph “RJ” Scaringe is an American automotive entrepreneur, executive, and engineer. He is the founder and CEO of Rivian, which develops and manufactures consumer and commercial vehicles, charging infrastructure, and energy technology.

Scaringe was born in 1983 and grew up in Rockledge, Florida on Florida’s Space Coast. The son of an engineer, he grew up with a keen interest in classic cars and by the age of 18 was committed to the idea of building his own vehicle brand.

He founded the company in Florida in 2009 after completing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the Sloan Automotive Lab at MIT. His aim was to create a line of highly desirable, environmentally friendly vehicles.

Scaringe unveiled Rivian’s first two vehicles in 2018 — the R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV — both built using an underlying architecture that can be used as a platform for a wide variety of vehicles. In 2019, Rivian announced the addition of its Amazon delivery van to its vehicle suite. All three vehicles are beginning production in 2021.

Scaringe is a married father of three, and his family splits their time between the Irvine, California area and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.