Jony Ive’s LoveFrom helped design Rivian’s first electrical bike
Lovefrom, the inventive agency based by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive, performed a task within the growth of Rivian’s first electrical bike, in keeping with 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 challenge led to fall 2024, in keeping with the sources.
LoveFrom and Rivian declined to remark.
Rivian’s skunkworks program, which ultimately 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 had 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 a couple 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 conceivable micromobility kind 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 will probably 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 dad or mum firm of Ferrari introduced in 2021 that Ive’s agency would assist develop the Italian supercar producer’s next-generation autos. Ive was additionally concerned with Apple’s secretive automobile challenge. He was reportedly one of many fundamental proponents for centering Apple’s long-running automobile challenge round autonomy, whereas different folks inside the corporate pushed for a extra conventional electrical automobile. Apple deserted that challenge early final yr.
Sources advised TechCrunch that Ive’s LoveFrom has acted as a guide for Rivian previously, together with on the corporate’s redesigned infotainment system and retail, amongst different areas, in keeping with two former staff with data of the connection. However its involvement in what would develop into 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 inexpensive than its electrical vans, vans, and SUVs.
Initially, the small crew labored with Rivian designers to develop a product that might scale to several types of autos. A key design problem was learn how to make the bike-like product modular whereas nonetheless sustaining the elevated aesthetics Rivian has develop into recognized for.
By the point LoveFrom acquired concerned within the challenge in early 2023, numerous work had been accomplished, in keeping with sources who mentioned 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 based mostly out of Rivian’s headquarters in Irvine. This group checked out every part together with the consumer interface and UX for the bike.
The economic design crew at LoveFrom, which has numerous expertise with considerate and intelligent packaging, was significantly concerned, in keeping with one supply, who famous the crew introduced an interdisciplinary and worldwide perspective to the challenge.