{"id":1905,"date":"2025-03-17T13:21:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T13:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/17\/interview-with-rivians-design-chief-luxury-evs-meant-to-get-dirty\/"},"modified":"2025-03-17T13:21:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T13:21:36","slug":"interview-with-rivians-design-chief-luxury-evs-meant-to-get-dirty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/17\/interview-with-rivians-design-chief-luxury-evs-meant-to-get-dirty\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Rivian\u2019s Design Chief: Luxury EVs Meant to Get Dirty"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rivian\u2019s lineup will soon include the R2, R3 and R3X. Courtesy Rivian<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carabiners, the metallic hooks favored by rock climbers, might not seem like a particularly rich trove of influence for a premium car brand like Rivian<\/a>. But take a closer look at the electric vehicle maker\u2019s distinct oval headlights, and you\u2019ll see the signature shape of a climbing clip start to emerge.<\/p>\n

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\u201cGood design, especially in automotive, is: Can you close your eyes and still remember it?\u201d Jeff Hammoud<\/a>, Rivian\u2019s chief design officer, told Observer at this year\u2019s SXSW in Austin. \u201cThat\u2019s what I think we did a good job of being able to achieve here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The emphasis on outdoorsy activities shouldn\u2019t come a surprise to those familiar with Rivian\u2019s R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV, which are marketed not just as luxury EVs but rugged cars designed for adventure. The carabiner motif came about by accident after the automaker\u2019s design team brought in a climbing clip for color inspiration. Gear like backpacks and hiking shoes were also mined for material and color ideas.<\/p>\n

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Jeff Hammoud joined Rivian in 2017. Courtesy Rivian<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hammoud, who previously designed various models at Jeep before joining Rivian in 2017, became set on automotive design at the age of six after flipping through car books his father received from Mercedes Benz<\/a>. \u201cI learned in there that it was a profession,\u201d said Hammoud, who still cites the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing as one of his all-time favorite designs.<\/p>\n

In the years since, he\u2019s managed to carve out a unique design identity for Rivian. Color plays a large role. Rivian\u2019s distinct and subtle earth tones differentiate the brand from competitors. Models still come in the requisite whites, blacks and grays, but Rivian also offers tones like its limited California Dune Edition<\/a>, a pale goldish sand color. \u201cThe take rate on them\u2014and this is for any automotive brand\u2014is relatively low, but the people who get them absolutely love them,\u201d said Hammoud.<\/p>\n

Rivian\u2019s subtle shades aren\u2019t just pretty to look at\u2014they\u2019re also meant to get dirty. The beige-colored California Dune R1, for example, was specifically chosen to conceal dust from sandy terrains like California\u2019s Joshua Tree. This means Rivian\u2019s EVs aren\u2019t \u201cjust easy to clean, but stay looking clean longer,\u201d said Hammoud. The company\u2019s sensibility of enabling adventures extends to features like woven floor mats, which come in neutral tones to hide dirt residue, and a cargo tunnel designed to discretely store gear.<\/p>\n

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A view of the R1T\u2019s signature gear tunnel. Courtesy Rivian<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At price points of upwards of $70,000, Rivian\u2019s R1T and R1S don\u2019t come cheap. In order to enable widespread EV adoption, \u201cwe need choice,\u201d said RJ Scaringe<\/a>, Rivian\u2019s CEO, while speaking at SXSW last week. That\u2019s why the carmaker is pushing out more affordable models like the R2<\/a>, which will be released next year at a starting point of $45,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cI often say the R2 will be the best thing we\u2019ve ever developed,\u201d noted Scaringe, who described the model as combining the R1\u2019s \u201cmagic\u201d with \u201ctons of innovation around cost and manufacturing efficiency.\u201d Another upcoming release, the R3 and R3X, is expected to follow the R2.<\/p>\n

Design through subtraction<\/h3>\n

Designing the R2, which effectively shrunk the R1S into a mid-sized SUV with a more athletic feel, was no easy task. It also required a completely different design approach, according to Hammoud. \u201cWith R1S and R1T, it was more around design through addition. We got to throw the kitchen sink at those vehicles,\u201d he told Observer. \u201cWith R2, it\u2019s design through subtraction\u2014really trying to figure out: what are the key elements that we want to keep?\u201d<\/p>\n

The R3 and sportier R3X, on the other hand, provided an opportunity to \u201cshow how we can stretch the brand,\u201d said Rivian\u2019s design chief. Inspired by the Group B rally cars of the 1980s, the hatchback vehicles are Rivian\u2019s smallest models yet. They\u2019ll also be its cheapest, with a price point even lower than that of the R2.<\/p>\n

Innovation within a popular brand takes a delicate hand. \u201cIf you throw everything away and start over, then it\u2019s hard to really establish identity,\u201d said Hammoud. Rivian is attempting to strike a balance between the strategies of fellow auto brands, which the design chief noted typically either produce entirely different vehicles or make slight changes between models. \u201cWe\u2019d like to be somewhere in between that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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A look at Rivian\u2019s upcoming R2 model. Courtesy Rivian<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Rivian decided to forgo a hyper-realistic style for its user interface. Courtesy Rivian<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keeping an eye on competition is also what helped push Rivian to upgrade its user interface. Unlike the ultra-realistic digital renderings of vehicles that are prevalent amongst other EV brands, Rivian\u2019s touchscreen instead opts for cartoon-style cell shading. The unique visuals were inspired by Japanese manga and animation like that produced by Studio Ghibli,<\/a> according to Hammoud.<\/p>\n

Containing 3D objects that move, such as spinning windmills and waving blades of glass, Rivian\u2019s user interface changes scenes depending on drive mode. Its display of a user\u2019s car, meanwhile, is accurate down to the color of its wheels.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s software updates allow for even more whimsical design elements. Last Halloween, Rivian users turned on their touchscreens to an interface filled with flying bats, old castles and a spooky witch. The company\u2019s playful approach to the user experience is continued through silly details like Gear Guard Gary, a cartoon Yeti that acts as the company\u2019s mascot and signals that Rivian\u2019s security system is in use.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just one of those things that\u2019s kind of special,\u201d said Hammoud. \u201cWe like to have those little moments of joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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