Rivian Automotive CEO RJ Scaringe Honored as Entrepreneur of the Year by Florida Governor
Florida Lieutenant Governor Carroll awarded Rivian Automotive CEO RJ Scaringe with the Entrepreneur of the Year honor for the company's innovation in high-efficiency performance vehicles. Rivian Automotive plans to hire 1,200 workers by 2015.
ROCKLEDGE, FL, September 16, 2011
Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll presented entrepreneur R.J. Scaringe with Florida's Entrepreneur of the Year award. Scaringe is the Founder and CEO of Rivian Automotive, an innovative automotive company that is developing fuel-efficient performance vehicles.Scaringe, who founded the company in 2009, credited the gifted team at Rivian Automotive for the recognition. "We've assembled a rock star team of talented professionals who are passionate about creating ground-breaking cars. Our enthusiasm shines through our fresh approach to designing, building and selling cars," says Scaringe, a PhD graduate from MIT's Sloan Automotive Laboratory.
Rivian plans to begin commercial sale of its coupe model in late 2013, with additional models following in 2014. The company has approximately 30 employees as well as 20 contract personnel contributing to vehicle development and expects to create 1,200 new jobs by 2015.
Rivian's innovative vehicle platform technology allows industry-leading flexibility and efficiency at an affordable price. It is compatible with a variety of vehicle designs and powertrain options including advanced gasoline, diesel-electric and plug-in electric. The lightweight platform enables a significant efficiency improvement while ensuring 5-star safety. Vehicles are expected to start at less than $30,000.
Governor's Business Diversification Awards recognize outstanding contributions toward improving and diversifying Florida's economy plus distinctive community investment efforts, particularly relating to industries targeted for economic development and high wage job growth. Rivian Automotive represents the first significant automotive industry presence in the state. The company has already begun to attract automotive industry suppliers to the area and plans to support educational opportunities through the state public and private university system with a program known as Florida Center for Automotive Research (F-CAR).
Founded in 2009, Rivian Automotive is a performance-centered green automotive company committed to redefining the way vehicles are designed, manufactured and sold. The company is focused on the development and production of affordable, ultra-efficient green performance vehicles. For more information, visit http://www.RIVIAN.com. Media contact is Caroline Kempf - media@rivian.com.