Rivian CEO says plenty room for Scout and Rivian to coexist after partnership
Rivian and VW have recently opened a partnership, despite the brands have very similar upcoming electric adventure vehicles with the Rivian R2 and VW Scout. But at a roundtable discussion with Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe, he said there’s more than enough room for the brands to coexist with each other.
Recent news about Rivian and VW’s software partnership, with VW investing over $5 billion into Rivian and forming a joint venture to adopt Rivian’s zonal architecture for the underpinnings of VW’s vehicle communications, has led to some interesting questions about how the details of the partnership would work out.
At the top of many people’s minds has been: isn’t it a little weird that the Rivian-like Scout brand will now essentially be competing with itself for the adventure EV market?
The question has been answered before – or perhaps more specifically non-answered – in press conferences around the official opening of the joint venture last week.
Generally, comments ran along the line of Rivian working to bring its software expertise to bear across VW’s brands, though the two companies have been a little shy to confirm whether Scout specifically would use Rivian’s software. After all, Scout is a bit of a spinoff from VW, and seems interested in showing some independence on that front, so it could be possible that they work on their own.
But in comments at a roundtable which Electrek attended today ahead of the LA Auto Show, it certainly seemed that Rivian will be working on Scout vehicles. Scaringe said that “we’re going to be supporting their full portfolio of brands – Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Scout.”
However, more importantly, Scaringe said that he’s “amused” by the focus that many have had on Scout, or those who consider it a potential threat to Rivian.
Scaringe estimates that there are “less than five” compelling EVs available for under $50k in the market today – and that’s perhaps being charitable. Meanwhile, if you go over to the gas world, there are gobs of choices out there for consumers, and yet they all manage to coexist without issue.
So Rivian has worked hard to distinguish itself from Tesla, for example, and thinks that even if Scout is inspired by Rivian, there’s still room for similar vehicles to coexist.
After all, there are many competing vehicles in many categories – some of which do indeed share underpinnings from separate companies. Just in the EV space, the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 share a platform, and the Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X are basically identical vehicles. So there has been plenty of history of companies working together to come out with similar or near-identical (rebadged) cars.
That’s not the case here, as Scout and Rivian will be very different in terms of platform and manufacturing. But sharing software shouldn’t be much of an issue – and even if we assume that Scout could cannibalize a segment of the market that Rivian otherwise had a good hold on, Rivian can still benefit from the partnership regardlessl.
Rivian’s main focus in recent years has been getting costs down. The story is that Rivian began scaling production in an extremely difficult time – trying to organize supply contracts at the historical peak of the auto industry (~2018), trying to start a manufacturing program during a global pandemic (2020/2021), and having little clout available to get on the better side of those contracts.
Now, Scaringe said, the situation is better: not only can Rivian show that it has a dominant position in its class – selling more premium SUVs than other EV and even gas brands – but it can also tout that it has support from one of the most established auto manufacturers in the world, Volkswagen. If VW – the second-largest automaker in the world – has enough faith in Rivian to invest $5.8 billion, then surely a supplier can trust that Rivian will stick around long enough to buy more than one set of parts.
Not only that, but the companies could potentially leverage their combined size for larger supply contracts. Say a certain microcontroller is needed for vehicle architecture across Rivian and also VW’s brands, then perhaps the joint venture could recognize much larger economies of scale.
The question also came up over whether Rivian might try to see if VW’s global sales network could help them to sell Rivians, but Scaringe shut that down, saying there is “no interest” in doing so. Rivian would rather stick to its plans of setting up its own stores and doing direct sales.
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Believe it or not, you can lease an EV for under $200 a month. New deals on models like the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 are hard to pass up this month.
Electric vehicles have been all over the news lately, with the Trump administration threatening to end federal incentives and introducing new tariffs that are expected to lead to higher prices.
On the positive side, new EV models are arriving, giving buyers more options and driving prices down. Many automakers reported record US electric car sales in the first three months of 2024.
GM remained the number two seller of EVs behind Tesla after sales doubled in Q1 2025. With the new Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs rolling out, Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is off to its best sales start since launching, with over 11,600 models sold in the first quarter.
With the 2025 models rolling out and about 15 new EVs arriving this year, many automakers are introducing steep discounts to move vehicles off the lot.
EVs for lease for under $200 a month in April
Although the decade-old Nissan LEAF remains one of the most affordable this April at just $149 per month, there are a few EVs under $200 right now that are worth taking a look at.
The new 2025 Hyundai IONIQ might be the best EV deal this month, with leases as low as $199. Hyundai is currently promoting a 24-month lease deal with $3,999 due at signing.
Hyundai upgraded the electric SUV with a bigger battery for more range (now up to 318 miles), a sleek new look inside and out, and it now comes with an NACS port so you can charge it at Tesla Superchargers.
The offer is for the IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range, which has a driving range of up to 245 miles. For just $229 a month, you can snag the SE RWD model, which has a range of up to 318 miles and a more powerful (225 horsepower) electric motor. It’s also a 24-month lease with $3,999 due at signing.
To sweeten the deal, Hyundai is offering a free ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 EV charger with the purchase or lease of any 2024 or 2025 IONIQ 5. If you already have one, you can opt for a $400 public charging credit.
After slashing lease prices this month, the 2025 Nissan Ariya is actually cheaper than the LEAF in some regions. In Southern California, the 2025 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD is listed at just $129 per month. The AWD model has a range of up to 272 miles.
The deal is for 36 months, with $4,409 due at signing. In April, Nissan cut Ariya lease prices to around $239 in most other parts of the country.
Kia has a few EVs available to lease for under $200 a month in April. The 2025 Kia Niro EV Wind is listed at just $129 for 24 months, with $3,999 due at signing. Kia’s crossover SUV has EPA-estimated range of 253 miles.
The 2024 EV6 may be worth considering at just $179 for 24 months ($3,999 due at signing). In California, the EV6 Light Long Range RWD is only slightly more than the Niro Wind.
In most other parts of the country, you can still find the EV6 for under $200 a month. The Light Long Range RWD trim offers up to 310 miles of EPA-estimated range.
| Lease Price | Term (months) |
Amount Due at Signing | Driving Range | |
| 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range | $199 | 24 | $3,999 | 245 miles |
| 2024 Kia EV6 Light Long Rang RWD | $179 | 24 | $3,999 | 310 miles |
| 2024 Kia Niro EV Wind | $129 | 24 | $3,999 | 253 miles |
| 2025 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD | $129 | 36 | $4,409 | 272 miles |
| 2025 Nissan LEAF S FWD | $149 | 36 | $2,629 | 149 miles |
| 2024 Fiat 500 INSPI(RED) | $199 | 24 | $2,999 | 149 miles |
And don’t forget the 2024 Fiat 500e, which is now listed at just $199 for 24 months with $2,999 due at signing. The electric hatchback offers a range of up to 149 miles.
If you are looking to spend a little more, check out our list of EVs you can lease for under $300 a month.
Ready to snag the savings while they are still here? At under $200 a month, some of these EV lease deals are hard to pass up right now. Check out our links below to find deals in your area.
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![The US’s first solar panels over canals pilot is now online [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/Project-Nexus-solar-canal.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Project Nexus, the first solar panel canopies over irrigation canals in the US, is now online in California, and there are plans to expand the project to other areas.
Project Nexus is a $20 million pilot in central California’s Turlock Irrigation District launched in October 2022. The project team is exploring solar over canal design, deployment, and co-benefits using canal infrastructure and the electrical grid.
India already has solar panels over canals, but Project Nexus is the first of its kind in the US.
The Turlock Irrigation District was the first irrigation district formed in California in 1887. It provides irrigation water to 4,700 growers who farm around 150,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley.
Project Nexus will explore whether the solar panels reduce water evaporation as a result of midday shade and wind mitigation, create improvements to water quality through reduced vegetative growth, reduce canal maintenance as a result of reduced vegetative growth, and, of course, generate renewable electricity.
The California Department of Water Resources, utility company Turlock Irrigation District, Marin County, California-based water and energy project developer Solar AquaGrid, and The University of California, Merced, are partnering on the pilot. Project Nexus originated from a 2021 research project led by UC Merced alumna and project scientist Brandi McKuin.
Solar panels were installed at two sites over both wide- and narrow-span sections of Turlock Irrigation District canals in Stanislaus County, in various orientations. The sections range from 20 feet wide to 100 feet wide. University of California, Merced has positioned research equipment at both sites to collect baseline data so the researchers can decide where solar will work and where it won’t.
In February 2023, Project Nexus announced it would also deploy long-term iron flow battery storage in the form of two ESS 75kW turnkey “Energy Warehouse” batteries.
You can learn more about Project Nexus here:
Read more: In a US first, California will pilot solar-panel canopies over canals
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