The top execs behind startups racing to trying to transform the auto industry, including Rivian, QuantumScape, and Aurora
- The auto industry is in the beginning stages of a transformation toward electric, self-driving cars.
- Startups are helping drive this transition.
- You can find our coverage of some of the top leaders behind these startups below.
The auto industry is in the beginning stages of a transformation that's changing the vehicles we drive — and whether we drive them at all.
A key force propelling this shift is a group of startups working on electric vehicles, automated-driving systems, batteries, and other technologies that will define the future of transportation. Insider has interviewed and profiled many of the executives behind these startups, as well as their potential leaders of tomorrow, to better understand their strategies and leadership styles.
Below, you can read more about the key players running the top automotive-tech startups.
After years of hype, this generation of EV startups is just beginning to roll out their first models. The auto industry has long been a difficult environment for startups, and in the coming years, we'll see which have the staying power to separate themselves from the pack. Rivian and Lucid Group are seen as early leaders, but they, and their rivals, have plenty of work ahead of them.
- Read more:
- Lucid insiders worry CEO Peter Rawlinson's 'vendetta' against Elon Musk could undermine the EV startup's bid to be the next Tesla
- Meet 13 power players of the electric-vehicle industry, from leading companies like Tesla, Rivian, and QuantumScape
- Meet Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, who's been called the next Jeff Bezos as he electrifies Amazon's delivery vans
- Canoo's stock price has plummeted this year amid a management shakeup and an SEC investigation. Here's how its new CEO plans to prove his doubters wrong.
The race to perfect the self-driving car has taken longer than the industry expected, but some outfits are really moving toward a world where drivers can let a computer take the wheel. An early focus on robotaxis has expanded to trucking and logistics, which are now most likely to be the first sites of mass adoption for self-driving tech, even that milestone appears to be years away.
- Read more:
- A 25-year-old college dropout just pulled in $600 million in funding for his self-driving-truck tech that could hit the road by 2024
- The world's youngest self-made billionaire is proving Elon Musk wrong by bringing lidar — and self-driving savvy — to the mass car market
- The CEO of Uber-backed Aurora reveals how the self-driving outfit can hit $2 billion in revenue by 2027 — without owning a single vehicle
- Meet the 11 power players of the self-driving industry from leading companies like Tesla, Zoox, and Morgan Stanley
Uber and Lyft are more established than today's EV and self-driving startups, but each will interact with those companies as their fleets gradually shift toward electric, autonomous vehicles. Before they reach that point, they'll have to prove they can make their businesses self-sustaining without the help of new technology. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has received praise for his role in transforming the company's culture, but some employees aren't sure if he has the vision to lead them into the future.
- Read more:
- Some Uber insiders worry Dara Khosrowshahi's leadership has made the company 'boring' and 'confused' about its future
- Inside Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's 4-year quest to root out the toxic culture that nearly sank the world's most valuable startup
- Dara Khosrowshahi is 4 years into his quest to make Uber profitable. These 17 execs are leading the company's effort to become the Amazon of transportation.
- Uber's top lawyer rejected the company's attempts to recruit him twice. Here's how CEO Dara Khosrowshahi finally won him over.
Batteries are taking on a new importance as the auto industry transitions from gas-powered to electric vehicles. The battery pack is the most expensive part of an EV, and the biggest factor in determing how far it can drive between charges. Startups have struggled for years to reinvent the battery, but a new generation is hoping it's cracked the code on cells that are safer and more energy-dense.
- Read more:
- Startups like QuantumScape are trying to kill off the lithium-ion battery. An early Tesla employee's company just achieved a breakthrough that could prove them wrong.
- The CEO of a Bill Gates-backed battery startup explains how his breakthrough solid-state system could finally make EVs affordable
- How the CEO of a Bill Gates-backed battery startup convinced the tech mogul to invest in his solid-state tech
In addition to profiling today's top transportation-startup executives, Insider has also worked to identify the potential leaders of tomorrow. Below, you can read about the brightest up-and-comers in the electric and autonomous-vehicle industries.
- Read more:
- Meet 2021's rising stars of the electric vehicle industry, from companies like Rivian, Arrival, and Solid Power
- The rising stars of self-driving vehicles, from companies like Waymo, Aurora, and Cruise
- How to break into the self-driving industry after college, according to 10 rising stars in the field