Irvine-based luxury electric vehicle manufacturer Karma Automotive is partnering with the University of California, Irvine on a climate change initiative, Resilience and Adaptation Development of California (RADiCal).
The partnership, announced last month, will give Karma early consideration of climate research through the university's Beer Applied Innovation Facility and allow it to collaborate with teams on climate action and sustainability themes.
“We invite other like-minded Southern California companies to join us on this exciting journey,” UCI Chief Innovation Officer Erol Archilic said in a statement.
Karma then donated $100,000 to UCI's Proof of Product program, which provides funding to researchers seeking to commercially develop their research projects.
“Working with UCI's RADiCal initiative allows us to combine our vision for the ultra-luxury automotive market with advanced research and real-world climate action opportunities,” said Calma President Marquez McCammon. Ta.
Mr. Kalma nominated Mr. McCammon for president last April. His hire comes ahead of the company's multiyear plan to debut at least one luxury electric vehicle a year over the next two to three years, Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Wawrzyniak said last year.
Former Apple executive look to Rivian
DJ Novotney, Senior Vice President, Vehicle Programs, Rivian
Jonas Reinke, Vice President of Product Management, Rivian
Rivian Automotive Corp. (Nasdaq: RIVN) has added two former Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) executives in the past month. The new employees were hired ahead of the unveiling of the company's next electric vehicle series, the R2, scheduled for this year.
Rivian newcomers Jonas Reinke and DJ Novotny are both looking to connect with the tech giant's automotive technology division and new product development.
Reinke was announced as Rivian's vice president of product management in mid-January and was described as “helping drive our product strategy” with an eye on the new R2 model, future platforms and continued improvements to the vehicle.
He most recently served as head of products, mobility, and automotive services with a focus on “infotainment” at Apple. Mr. Reinke spent four years at Apple, which has a market capitalization of $2.9 trillion.
“We look forward to working closely together as we work on our next wave of big product launches,” CEO RJ Scaringe said on LinkedIn.
Novotny joined a week later, Bloomberg reported. He will become senior vice president of vehicle programs at automaker Irvine.
Novotny spent 21 years at Apple, working on projects such as the iPod and iPad devices. He was previously vice president of engineering, overseeing the development of new technology.
As for Rivian's new technology, the EV maker plans to produce new battery packs for all of its vehicles this year, starting with the R1 truck and SUV. R2 vehicles will be equipped with a new battery pack when production begins in 2026.
Rivian aims to reduce production costs and these upcoming EVs are intended to be a more affordable option on the market, Chief Financial Officer Claire McDonough said at a technology conference in December. Stated.
Rivian produced 57,232 vehicles in 2023, exceeding the company's updated full-year production forecast of 54,000 vehicles, up from 52,000 vehicles in November.
The company is currently Orange County's third most valuable publicly traded company, with a market capitalization of $15 billion. The stock is up 12% year-over-year and currently trades around $16.
