Rivian CEO Shocked by US EV Choice, Finds It Almost as Bad as His Own Company’s Layoffs
KEY POINTS
- •On March 7, 2024, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe criticized the US for having only a few affordable EV options compared to Europe and China.
- •Scaringe highlighted Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y as the only compelling EVs under $50,000, while combustion cars offer 300 choices.
- •He praised the Trump administration’s push to revive US manufacturing and announced production plans for Rivian’s $45,000 R2 SUV.
RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s founder who apparently moonlights as the US EV market’s official grumpy prophet, revealed on March 7, 2024, in sun-and-swaggy Laguna Beach, California, that Americans are stuck with fewer than five ‘great’ electric cars around the $50,000 mark. That’s fewer choices than IKEA showrooms on a Monday morning. He called out Tesla’s Model 3 Standard at a budge-friendly $36,990 and Model Y at $39,990 as the lone ranger options, while snarking about the US having 300 combustion-engine alternatives. Meanwhile, China’s market is a wrestling ring where BYD lost 12% sales in October to nimble startups like Xpeng, Nio, and even Xiaomi, who apparently went from smartphone squishing to car making without missing a beat. Scaringe even nodded approvingly at the Trump administration’s industrial renaissance push, probably thinking, ‘If you can’t fix the market, fix the factory.’
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US EV buyers face fewer choices than vegans at a Texas BBQ. Tesla dominates, Rivian promises cheaper, but $45k SUVs aren’t exactly pocket change for the masses.
Rivian’s $45,000 SUV is ‘affordable’ if your idea of affordable includes mortgage-sized payments and avoiding oil stains.
The US EV market: one compelling choice, a hundred ways to get stuck in gas fumes. Progress, or just laziness?
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 12/10/2025 | Author: Aditi Bharade
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