Michael Accardi 
It looks like we’re on the verge of having a second set of big three American automakers. Tesla already occupies the top spot as the most valuable automaker in the world, and two more American-based electric vehicle startups have begun cementing themselves in the public domain–Rivian and Lucid. Trademark documents for Rivian Scout discovered within the USPTO database look to shed light on Rivian’s future plans for doing just that.
As the pair of startups begin to scale vehicle production and more and more product ends up in the hands of shoppers, a polished and cohesive customer service network will be needed. Sure, the new big three may be changing the traditional vehicle shopping experience, but there are some core fundamentals of vehicle distribution and after sales services that must be satisfied in order to keep mainstream consumers happy.
Rivian Scout: Future Service Centers?
Back in October, Rivian trademarked the standard character mark Rivian Scout. The filing documents indicate the mark is intended as a Service Mark, which is normally reserved for services rendered instead of goods to be sold. The document specifically lists the “maintenance, service, and repair of specialized electric automotive vehicles” as a core function. It’s likely this is some kind of service to do with vehicle maintenece, or perhaps a physical location where vehicles are repaired.
It’s unclear if Rivian Scout has anything to do with Rivian Remote Care, which is the company’s vehicle servicing and management app.
Of final note, the company also trademarked Hello Rivian as a service mark. The sole description for the service mark indicates it would cover provide podcasts, entertainment and educational services, along with “audio and audiovisual shows featuring vehicles, travel, technology, adventure and sustainability broadcast via a global communications network.”
Rivian doesn’t shy away from its work behind the scenes at the USPTO, the company has a hard to find page on its website listing all of the trademarks it currently holds. Stay tuned as there’s lots more to come from this new crop of American automakers.
