Subvolts take Rivian's CEO discusses EV pricing, competition, and future tech like CarPlay. Oct 6, 2025 - Business
- Learn about the strategic challenges and pricing decisions facing a major EV manufacturer.
- Everyday users
- Understand Rivian's plans for affordable EVs and its stance on popular features like Apple CarPlay.
A direct interview with the CEO of a significant EV startup discussing core business challenges and product strategy.
Rivian CEO on CarPlay, Lidar, and affordable EVs
Audio streams from The Verge. Your place is remembered on this device.
From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
Joanna Stern interviews Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on the Decoder podcast. They discuss challenges facing EV makers like tariffs, China, and pricing. Scaringe also shares Rivian's stance on Apple CarPlay and its competition, including Tesla's Cybertruck. The conversation follows a recent interview with the Ford CEO, exploring similar industry hurdles.
Rivian's CEO talks about making electric cars more affordable and competing with other companies. He also shares his thoughts on whether Rivian will add Apple's CarPlay system to its vehicles, a feature many drivers want.
This episode offers insights into the current state and future direction of the electric vehicle market from a major manufacturer's perspective. It's for consumers interested in EV affordability and features, and for industry observers tracking competition and strategy. The discussion on pricing and competition with Tesla touches on broader industry trends relevant to AI's role in optimizing manufacturing and consumer experience.
- HostNilay Patel
- GuestRJ ScaringeCEO, Rivian
- Guest: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe
- Show: Decoder with Nilay Patel
- Length: 51 minutes
- Rivian R2 Price Target: $45,000
- Rivian R2 Production Target: 2026
I’m Joanna Stern, the senior personal tech columnist at The Wall Street Journal, and this is my final Decoder episode filling in for Nilay while he’s out on parental leave. My guest today: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe. This is RJ’s third time on the show, and it felt like the perfect follow-up to my conversation last week with Ford CEO Jim Farley.
I loved the idea of going straight from Ford to Rivian. And if you listened to the Farley episode, this one flows nicely. RJ and I cover a lot of the same challenges: tariffs, China, EV pricing. Of course, I also asked about CarPlay.
Read the full transcript on The Verge.
Links:
- A pretty fascinating look under the hood of the Rivan R2 | The Verge
- Rivian CEO says CarPlay isn’t going to happen | The Verge
- Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says too many carmakers are copying Tesla | Decoder
- Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe isn't scared of the Cybertruck | Decoder
- Rivian breaks ground on $5 billion Georgia plant | AP
- Rivian narrows 2025 delivery guidance Q3 as production slips | WSJ
- Rivian R2 remains on track for $45,000 and 2026 production | Car and Driver
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Same guests, other shows
32 minQuestions people ask
- Will Rivian add Apple CarPlay?
- Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has stated that CarPlay is not going to happen for Rivian vehicles.
- What is the target price for the Rivian R2?
- The Rivian R2 remains on track for a price of $45,000 and production in 2026.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to The Verge.