The electric automaker Rivian said Wednesday that it’s spinning off a micromobility business into its own separate startup.
The new startup is called Also. It will make “small, lightweight vehicles,” with its first product launch in early 2026. Rivian did not say what kind of vehicles that will be, although micromobility typically refers to things like bikes and scooters. Also’s product portfolio will be revealed later this year.
This micromobility work started as a “stealth” program inside Rivian several years ago, aimed at applying the company’s software, electronics and electric propulsion to smaller vehicles.
“As these efforts advanced, it became clear that Rivian’s approach had the potential to unlock a large opportunity that deserved to be its own company, optimized around different products, brand positioning and markets,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.
As for the name “Also,” Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe’s Facebook post announcing the spinoff explains it. (Also on Wednesday, Scaringe shared a video of himself riding a bike.)
“For the world to truly transition to sustainable and accessible transportation, we ALSO need a range of small electric form factors,” he wrote.
Rivian will have a “substantial” minority ownership stake in Also. Scaringe will serve as Also’s board chair. The venture capital fund Eclipse Ventures has made a $105 million investment in Also.
WGLT has asked Rivian where Also’s products will be made.
