In this episode we speak with Vinaey Kalyan, Director of Powertrain at Rivian, about launching the R2 and building EV systems from clean sheet to production.

Vinaey shares his journey from electrical and mechanical engineering into turbo machinery, founding a solar startup, and spending over a decade at Honeywell before stepping into Rivian during its early growth phase.

He reflects on leading the development of Rivian’s first in house powertrain platform, the discipline required to move from concept to factory, and why vertical integration and cost ownership matter in today’s EV market.

The conversation explores software defined vehicles, autonomy, AI enabled optimisation, and how real world data helps right size hardware for future platforms. Vinaey also shares lessons on resilience from motorsport, why fundamentals still matter in the AI era, and how engineers can build long term careers in automotive.

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