Jony Ive’s LoveFrom Collaborated on Rivian’s First Electric Bike

When former Apple chief designer Jony Ive’s creative firm LoveFrom teamed up with Rivian, the result was more than just another electric vehicle. For about 18 months, LoveFrom collaborated intensively with Rivian’s skunkworks team to design what would become Rivian’s first electric bike, a project that blends cutting-edge EV technology with sophisticated design.

This skunkworks program, initially led by Specialized’s former chief product officer Chris Yu, grew to a diverse team of about 70 experts from Apple, Google, Tesla, and more. Their mission? To explore how Rivian’s EV technology could be condensed into smaller, more affordable micromobility solutions without sacrificing the brand’s hallmark elevated aesthetics.

LoveFrom’s involvement, starting in early 2023, was described as a “pretty tight” collaboration with Rivian’s industrial designers. Their expertise in thoughtful packaging and interdisciplinary design helped refine prototypes, focusing on modularity and user experience — from the physical form to the user interface and UX of the bike.

The project eventually spun out into a new micromobility startup called Also, which secured $105 million in funding and is poised to reveal its first designs later this year. Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe hinted the vehicle would be “bike-like,” featuring a seat, two wheels, a screen, computers, and a battery — but with a much broader vision for diverse micromobility forms.

Jony Ive’s fingerprints on this project are significant given his legacy designing iconic Apple products and his previous involvement in automotive design, including work with Ferrari and Apple’s autonomous car project. His firm’s role extended beyond consulting to hands-on design collaboration, influencing Rivian’s infotainment system and retail experience as well.

This collaboration exemplifies how cross-industry expertise and design innovation can accelerate the evolution of electric micromobility. By merging Rivian’s robust EV technology with LoveFrom’s design prowess, the project aims to redefine what an electric bike can be — modular, stylish, and scalable.

For developers and businesses in the EV and micromobility space, this story highlights the power of integrated design and engineering teams working in agile, skunkworks environments to push boundaries and create breakthrough products.