In an intriguing collaboration, LoveFrom, the design firm initiated by former Apple designer Jony Ive, has been linked to Rivian’s pioneering venture into the electric bike market, according to insiders who spoke with TechCrunch.
Over an 18-month period, a select group from LoveFrom partnered with Rivian’s design and engineering teams in a skunkworks initiative, spearheaded by Chris Yu, formerly of Specialized. The partnership concluded in the fall of 2024, sources revealed.
Both LoveFrom and Rivian have refrained from commenting on this development.
The skunkworks project, which eventually enlisted about 70 professionals from tech giants like Apple, Google, and Tesla, as well as Specialized and REI Co-Op, spun off into a new entity earlier this year. Named Also, this startup secured $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures.
Although Also has yet to unveil its initial vehicle designs, Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe and Chris Yu have been reticent about the specifics. In conversation with TechCrunch, Scaringe, who also sits on Also’s board, cryptically described the vehicle as having “a seat, and there’s two wheels, there’s a screen, and there’s a few computers and a battery.” Sources have corroborated that it is intended to be “bike-like.”
Scaringe and Yu have expressed a broader ambition for Also, hinting at the potential to explore various micromobility formats. The company plans to showcase its first designs at an event later this year, though an Also representative did not provide further details about the bike or its connection to LoveFrom.
It’s anticipated that the electric “bike” might bear the hallmark of Ive’s design philosophy.
Jony Ive is celebrated for his role in the design of the iPhone and numerous other Apple products, and recently for his collaboration with Sam Altman and OpenAI. His engagement with Rivian is not his first in the transportation sphere.
In 2021, the parent company of Ferrari announced that Ive’s firm would contribute to the next-generation vehicle designs of the Italian supercar maker. Ive was also involved with Apple’s secretive car project, where he was a key advocate for autonomy, although that initiative was discontinued early last year.
Insiders informed TechCrunch that LoveFrom had previously consulted for Rivian on various projects, including its redesigned infotainment system. However, its participation in the formation of Also was a more focused and structured endeavor, as noted by a source familiar with the collaboration.
The skunkworks initiative commenced in early 2022, with an objective to distill Rivian’s electric vehicle technology into a smaller, more affordable format compared to its larger electric vans, trucks, and SUVs.
Initially, the team worked on a scalable product that could transcend different vehicle types. A significant challenge was to create a modular design while preserving the high-end aesthetics Rivian is known for.
When LoveFrom joined the project in early 2023, a substantial amount of groundwork had been established. Sources mentioned LoveFrom’s role in refining prototypes with strong collaboration between the skunkworks team and the industrial designers at Rivian’s Irvine headquarters.
The industrial design experts from LoveFrom, known for their sophisticated packaging skills, contributed an interdisciplinary and global perspective to the project, according to one source.
Original Story at techcrunch.com