Electric vehicle startup Rivian is reportedly working on an electric bike. According , CEO RJ Scaringe told Rivian employees about the project during a company-wide meeting the automaker held on Friday. He said the startup had a “small group” of engineers working on a bike.
Bloomberg could not confirm if Scaringe was referring to a motorcycle or electric bike, but the outlet notes that Rivian holds patents for cycling components and designs. In the past, Scaringe has said that Rivian wants to eventually expand into the micromobility market. Rivian did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment.
The news that Rivian could be working on an e-bike comes in the same week as the company that would affect six percent of its workforce. The cuts represent the second major restructuring Rivian has undertaken in less than a year. The company said the move was an effort to refocus on scaling production of its R1T and R1S electric vehicles and, in turn, putting Rivian on a path to long-term profitability. On Friday, Scaringe reportedly told employees that Rivian had spread out by trying to do too much at once.
Trying to expand into the e-bike market when the company hasn’t turned a profit yet may not make much sense, but there’s a compelling reason for Rivian to pursue that strategy. Even the cycling market was growing thanks to the popularity of electric bicycles. In fact, electric bikes have consistently outsold electric cars and trucks. This is not a surprise, as they are significantly cheaper to produce and therefore cost less for consumers to buy. So a bike could be what Rivian needs to be profitable sooner.
All Engadget Recommended products are curated by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publication.
