Lovefrom, the artistic agency based by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive, performed a job within the growth 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 crew 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 mission led to fall 2024, in response to the sources.
LoveFrom and Rivian declined to remark.
Rivian’s skunkworks program, which finally grew to a crew of about 70 folks hailing from Apple, Google, Specialised, Tesla, REI Co-Op, spun out earlier this yr with a brand new identify and $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures.
The micromobility startup, referred to as Additionally, has but to indicate off its first automobile designs. In interviews with TechCrunch, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe (who’s on Additionally’s board) and Yu have been cagey about what the brand new firm’s first automobile would appear to be.
“There’s a seat, and there’s two wheels, there’s a display screen, and there’s just a few computer systems and a battery,” Scaringe stated in March. He has additionally stated will probably 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 might theoretically sort out nearly any conceivable micromobility type issue. The brand new firm is meant to disclose its first designs at an occasion later this yr. An Additionally spokesperson declined to remark about its bike or any connection to LoveFrom.
When the electrical “bike” is revealed, it’s attainable that Ive’s fingerprints can be throughout it.
Ive is best-known for being the design drive behind the iPhone and myriad different Apple merchandise, and most not too long ago, his work with Sam Altman and OpenAI. However his collaboration with Rivian isn’t his first foray into the transportation trade.
The mother or father firm of Ferrari introduced 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 mission. He was reportedly one of many major proponents for centering Apple’s long-running automotive mission round autonomy, whereas different folks inside the corporate pushed for a extra conventional electrical automotive. Apple deserted that mission early final yr.
Sources instructed TechCrunch that Ive’s LoveFrom has acted as a marketing consultant for Rivian prior to now, together with on the corporate’s redesigned infotainment system and retail, amongst different areas, in response to two former workers with data of the connection. However its involvement in what would turn out to be Additionally was a extra structured and devoted effort, one other supply accustomed to the connection stated.
The skunkworks program started taking form in early 2022 with a directive to discover whether or not Rivian’s EV know-how could possibly be condensed down into one thing smaller and extra inexpensive than its electrical vans, vans, and SUVs.
Initially, the small crew labored with Rivian designers to develop a product that would scale to various kinds of automobiles. A key design problem was how one can make the bike-like product modular whereas nonetheless sustaining the elevated aesthetics Rivian has turn out to be identified for.
By the point LoveFrom bought concerned within the mission in early 2023, a number of work had been accomplished, in response to sources who stated they helped refine the prototypes.
The connection was described as a “fairly tight” collaboration between the skunkworks crew, LoveFrom’s workers, and the commercial designers primarily based out of Rivian’s headquarters in Irvine. This group checked out every thing together with the person interface and UX for the bike.
The economic design crew at LoveFrom, which has a number of expertise with considerate and intelligent packaging, was notably concerned, in response to one supply, who famous the crew introduced an interdisciplinary and worldwide perspective to the mission.
