The CEO of Rivian, RJ Scaringe, is hopping mad consumers have turned their backs on EVs and want to buy gas-powered cars. This comes after an election which saw President Trump swept back into the White House, in part based on a promise to end government EV mandates.
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That’s right, the guy who’s at the head of a company that sells electric cars is mad the government is no longer going to force you to buy his products. Now he has to compete with trucks and SUVs that have internal combustion engines on level ground.
While on the InsideEVs podcast, a safe space to say things like this, Scaringe expressed confusion about people rejecting electric vehicles so resolutely. This is what happens when leaders of companies surround themselves with yes-men and zealots instead of getting out and rubbing shoulders with the general populace.
We saw the writing on the wall for at least the last two years as the EV mandates were enacted both on the federal and state level. The plan was always going to backfire.
But Scaringe can’t just admit he’s upset his best laid plans have been upended. Instead, he’s going with the dramatic declaration that this reversal is “very bad for my kids and their kids, and very bad for the US auto industry."
This is similar to watching a teenager being told they will in fact have a curfew enforced for Saturday nights and there will be consequences for disobedience. They will make bold declarations, declare how outrageous the situation is, and try to skew the facts to portray themselves as victims of sheer injustice.
Perhaps Scaringe would’ve benefitted from taking the pulse of the nation instead of just staying in his elitist, pro-EV circles as they all drank the same punch. Instead, he’s now in those same circles saying, "It blows my mind this is happening," to a bunch of EV podcasters.
But there’s a silver lining: Scaringe thinks this situation will benefit Rivian since it’s already an established player in the EV niche. After all, he’s got to say the right things to protect the company’s stock valuation, even if the house is on fire.
Source: Business Insider
Images via Rivian
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