Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe explains why EVs should not be a partisan issue
During an interview with the New York Times, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe explained why electric vehicles should not be a partisan issue. As per the Rivian executive, the transition to sustainability would definitely be difficult, but it is necessary to ensure that the Earth is as protected as possible.
Electric vehicles are still growing every year, though their pace of growth is less drastic than in previous years. Scaringe noted that when consumers are provided more options at more affordable price points, the adoption of electric vehicles should see even more momentum.
That being said, the Rivian CEO did note that he is quite sad about the fact that electric vehicles have now become a political topic. This is evident in the United States today, with some politicians frequently using anti-EV talking points and some voters actively avoiding electric cars due to the political views of EV executives.
Appreciate the @nytimes inviting me to speak at their Climate Forward event.
— RJ Scaringe (@RJScaringe) September 27, 2024
Full discussion: https://t.co/ufrysJZLPo pic.twitter.com/DmUgTCr3Qv
"I think it's really important that we don't make EVs a political thing, and I'm saddened by the fact that they are. It doesn't make any sense. It's sort of like, if you asked me to predict things 15 years ago that were gonna happen, I would have never predicted electric vehicles being talked about as a positive or negative thing based upon what political party you're in.
"And I actually think a lot of these debates, a lot of friction, is just different interpretations of what's best for our kids. And what I always try to bring it back to is we as a species, there's about 8 billion of us on the planet. There's no reasonable way in which we could live anywhere other than Earth. And it's our only home, it's a beautiful home, and we need to do everything we can to protect it.
"And that means transitioning this massive industrial complex we'e built in the last 125, 150 years to renewable energy and to things that consume renewable energy. And it's gonna be hard. It's gonna be hard because there's incumbent businesses that are gonna be disrupted as part of that. There's gonna be assets that we have to write off. New jobs have to be created, and legacy jobs that need to be transitioned. There's lots of changes. It's not easy," Scaringe said.
Watch RJ Scaringe's full talk with the New York Times in the video below.
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