Elon Musk is betting on robo-taxis. Rivian, Musk’s Irvine, Calif.-based EV rival, favors smaller, cheaper EVs. Rivian, which makes electric cars, pickups and commercial vans, is spinning out a “micro-mobility” business to “rethink small electric vehicles.”
The new company, called Also, was incubated at Rivian and leverages its engineering to produce lighter weight EVs to address mobility challenges. Exactly what the new EVs, expected next year, will look like is unclear. “Small electric vehicles will play a key role in efficient, clean and convenient mobility, opening new opportunities for people to get around quickly and with minimal impact,” said Rivian’s RJ Scaringe, chairman of Also’s board.
Green mobility
The new company attracted $105 million in funding from Silicon Valley venture firm Eclipse and plans to launch next year in the US and Europe, followed by Asia and South America.
US cities such as New York are battling traffic congestion with small, last-mile EVs. Startups like Circuit, based in West Palm Beach, Fla., are developing micro-mobility solutions (see, “Startups seek the spotlight with mobility solutions”). Circuit works in 40 US cities to reduce congestion in crowded downtown areas, via on-demand electric public shuttle minibuses.
