Dive Brief:
- Rivian has named Greg Revelle as its chief customer officer effective Jan. 12, the EV maker announced in a press release Monday.
- Revelle will lead Rivian’s go-to-market strategy, including sales, marketing and operations, as the company prepares to launch its new midsize R2 SUV.
- “We are excited that Greg is bringing his deep experience across eCommerce, marketing and automotive to Rivian,” said Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe in a statement. “Greg has a proven track record of leading large teams in a dynamic environment.”
Dive Insight:
Revelle is current board member for online retailer Cars.com and is the founder of Revatek, a Wisconsin-based startup that developed alternator regulators for marine, RV and recreational off-grid battery charging. Revatek however, ceased operations on Jan. 2 after two years in business.
In addition to founding Revatek, Revelle has also held leadership roles at Best Buy, AutoNation and Expedia, per the release.
As chief customer officer, Revelle will lead Rivian’s marketing efforts at a crucial time, as the company looks to boost sales and profitability with the launch of the more affordable R2. Rivian is counting on the EV to grow its sales and boost revenue in both the U.S. and Europe as the EV market cools.
However, Revelle joins Rivian as the company faces a challenging market environment. EV demand has cooled slightly with the expiration of federal EV incentives on Sept 30. And in November, Rivian reported a Q3 net loss of $1.17 billion as well as a $130 million loss in automotive gross profit.
The EV maker said that progress on the R2 remains on track with deliveries slated to begin in the first half of 2026. The forthcoming R2 will be built at Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois.
Last month, Rivian offered a glimpse of its future autonomous driving technology and new vehicle hardware platform to support it at the company’s “Autonomy & AI Day” event in Palo Alto, California.
Among the announcements, the Gen 2 and forthcoming Gen 3 EVs are being outfitted with a more advanced AI-powered software and autonomous driving sensor suite that includes high-resolution cameras, multiple radar units and lidar for the first time. The company expects the hardware to be made available for the new R2 starting at the end of 2026.
“Rivian’s commitment to AI and software-defined vehicles is something I’ve admired for a while,” said Revelle in a statement. “I’m looking forward to helping the company scale and bring R2 to market in the coming year.”
