Lovefrom, the inventive agency based by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive, performed a job within the improvement of Rivian’s first electrical bike, in response to a number of sources who spoke to TechCrunch.
For about 18 months, a handful of LoveFrom workers labored alongside Rivian’s design workforce and engineers inside a skunkworks program led by Specialised’s former chief product and know-how officer Chris Yu. LoveFrom’s work on the micromobility challenge resulted in fall 2024, in response to the sources.
LoveFrom and Rivian declined to remark.
Rivian’s skunkworks program, which ultimately grew to a workforce of about 70 individuals hailing from Apple, Google, Specialised, Tesla, REI Co-Op, spun out earlier this 12 months with a brand new identify and $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures.
The micromobility startup, known as Additionally, has but to indicate off its first car designs. In interviews with TechCrunch, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe (who’s on Additionally’s board) and Yu had been cagey about what the brand new firm’s first car would appear to be.
“There’s a seat, and there’s two wheels, there’s a display, and there’s a number of computer systems and a battery,” Scaringe mentioned in March. He has additionally mentioned it will likely be “bike-like,” an outline confirmed by sources.
However each Scaringe and Yu spoke of a a lot larger imaginative and prescient for Additionally, one the place it may theoretically sort out nearly any possible micromobility kind issue. The brand new firm is meant to disclose its first designs at an occasion later this 12 months. An Additionally spokesperson declined to remark about its bike or any connection to LoveFrom.
When the electrical “bike” is revealed, it’s doable that Ive’s fingerprints will likely be throughout it.
Ive is best-known for being the design drive behind the iPhone and myriad different Apple merchandise, and most lately, his work with Sam Altman and OpenAI. However his collaboration with Rivian is just not his first foray into the transportation business.
The mum or dad firm of Ferrari announced in 2021 that Ive’s agency would assist develop the Italian supercar producer’s next-generation automobiles. Ive was additionally concerned with Apple’s secretive automotive challenge. He was reportedly one of the main proponents for centering Apple’s long-running automotive challenge round autonomy, whereas different individuals inside the corporate pushed for a extra conventional electrical automotive. Apple deserted that challenge early final 12 months.
Sources advised TechCrunch that Ive’s LoveFrom has acted as a guide for Rivian prior to now, together with on the corporate’s redesigned infotainment system and retail, amongst different areas, in response to two former staff with data of the connection. However its involvement in what would grow to be Additionally was a extra structured and devoted effort, one other supply aware of the connection mentioned.
The skunkworks program started taking form in early 2022 with a directive to discover whether or not Rivian’s EV know-how might be condensed down into one thing smaller and extra reasonably priced than its electrical vans, vehicles, and SUVs.
Initially, the small workforce labored with Rivian designers to develop a product that would scale to several types of automobiles. A key design problem was learn how to make the bike-like product modular whereas nonetheless sustaining the elevated aesthetics Rivian has grow to be recognized for.
By the point LoveFrom acquired concerned within the challenge in early 2023, a number of work had been accomplished, in response to sources who mentioned they helped refine the prototypes.
The connection was described as a “fairly tight” collaboration between the skunkworks workforce, LoveFrom’s workers, and the commercial designers primarily based out of Rivian’s headquarters in Irvine. This group checked out all the things together with the consumer interface and UX for the bike.
The commercial design workforce at LoveFrom, which has a number of expertise with considerate and intelligent packaging, was significantly concerned, in response to one supply, who famous the workforce introduced an interdisciplinary and worldwide perspective to the challenge.