Doug Field Joins Rivian CEO's Robotics Venture After Years Navigating Auto and Tech Giants
The executive who led Tesla's Model 3 programme and Apple's car ambitions now takes the helm at Mind Robotics, signalling fresh ambition in the intersection of automation and manufacturing.
A Career Built on Hard Pivots
Doug Field has spent two decades moving between Silicon Valley and Detroit, often at moments when both ecosystems were colliding. His latest move, taking the presidency of Mind Robotics, a venture founded by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, places him at the centre of yet another convergence: industrial robotics meets vehicle manufacturing.
Mind Robotics has operated largely out of public view since its formation. Scaringe, who continues to run the electric truck maker Rivian, launched the robotics effort as a separate entity focused on automation technology. Field's appointment represents the most visible signal yet of the venture's scope and seriousness.
For Field, the role caps a career arc that has traced the ambitions and setbacks of the automotive industry's electrification push. He arrived at Tesla in 2013, leaving a senior hardware engineering position at Apple to join Elon Musk's then-struggling carmaker. His tenure coincided with the Model 3's development and the gruelling production ramp that followed its 2017 launch. The compact sedan became Tesla's first true mass-market vehicle, but reaching stable output took years of what Musk famously called "production hell". Field departed in 2018.
The Apple Detour
Returning to Apple in 2018, Field took charge of what insiders referred to as the Special Projects Group. The remit was broad, but the centrepiece was Project Titan, Apple's long-rumoured effort to design an autonomous electric vehicle. The initiative had cycled through multiple leaders and strategic resets by the time Field rejoined.
Under his watch, Project Titan shifted focus from building a complete car to developing self-driving systems that could be licensed or integrated into partners' vehicles. Yet by early 2024, Apple quietly wound down the project altogether, reallocating engineers to artificial intelligence and other priorities. The decision closed one of the tech industry's most expensive experiments in hardware expansion.
Field's stint at Ford followed in 2021, where he oversaw the automaker's push into electric vehicles and the software platforms needed to support them. Ford was in the midst of splitting its operations into distinct electric and internal-combustion divisions, betting that a startup-like structure could accelerate the transition. Field's tenure there lasted until mid-2023, when he left as Ford scaled back some of its EV spending targets amid slower-than-expected demand.
What Mind Robotics Is Building
Details about Mind Robotics' product roadmap remain scarce. Scaringe has not publicly outlined whether the venture is developing general-purpose industrial robots, specialised manufacturing tools, or automation software. What is clear is that the company sits at the intersection of two trends Scaringe knows intimately: the capital intensity of vehicle production and the rising cost pressure on EV makers.
Rivian itself has grappled with manufacturing efficiency since opening its Normal, Illinois plant. The company has worked to drive down the cost per vehicle, a challenge common to startups trying to scale production without the economies of legacy automakers. Robotics and automation represent one lever to compress labour costs and cycle times, particularly in battery assembly, where precision and repeatability matter.
Field's background suggests Mind Robotics may be targeting problems beyond Rivian's own factory floor. His Tesla experience encompassed not just vehicle engineering but also the design-for-manufacturing discipline that allowed the Model 3 to eventually reach volume. At Apple, he managed hardware teams accustomed to supply-chain orchestration at global scale. If Mind Robotics is building tools or platforms that other manufacturers might license, Field's Rolodex and credibility could prove critical.
The Talent Calculus
Hiring a figure of Field's stature signals that Mind Robotics is preparing to operate as more than an internal R&D lab for Rivian. Scaringe is effectively running two companies, a structure that invites questions about focus and resource allocation. Rivian remains unprofitable and is navigating a competitive EV market where price cuts from Tesla and new entrants from China have squeezed margins.
Yet the decision to keep Mind Robotics as a separate entity, rather than a division within Rivian, suggests Scaringe envisions a broader market. Industrial automation is a crowded field, with incumbents like ABB and Fanuc, as well as newer players building collaborative robots and AI-driven vision systems. Carving out a niche will require either a step-change in capability or a go-to-market model that leverages Rivian's manufacturing pain points as proof of concept.
Field's track record includes both high-profile successes and well-documented struggles. The Model 3 eventually became the best-selling EV in the United States for several years, validating his engineering leadership. But the Apple car project's cancellation and Ford's partial retreat from its EV roadmap underscore the difficulty of timing and execution in a sector where capital commitments run into the billions.
Manufacturing as the Next Bottleneck
The automotive industry's shift to electric powertrains has exposed new constraints. Battery cell production, for instance, demands cleanroom-like environments and precision assembly that legacy plants were not designed to handle. Labour shortages in skilled trades have worsened the problem, particularly in the United States, where union contracts and wage pressures add complexity.
Robotics companies have responded with systems aimed at tasks like battery-pack welding, adhesive application, and quality inspection using machine vision. Yet adoption has been uneven. High upfront costs and the need for custom integration mean that many mid-sized manufacturers still rely on manual or semi-automated processes.
If Mind Robotics can deliver modular, cost-effective automation that integrates with existing production lines, the addressable market extends well beyond automotive. Electronics assembly, logistics, and even construction are wrestling with similar labour and precision challenges. Field's appointment suggests the venture is positioning itself to compete in that broader arena, rather than remaining a captive supplier to Rivian.
What Comes Next
Mind Robotics has not announced a product launch timeline, customer pilots, or funding details. Scaringe's decision to tap Field may accelerate those milestones, particularly if the venture is preparing to engage with external manufacturers or seek additional capital.
For Field, the move represents a return to the startup environment where he spent his most formative years at Tesla. Mind Robotics offers a smaller canvas than Apple or Ford, but also more direct control over product direction and less bureaucratic drag. Whether that translates into a breakthrough in manufacturing automation will depend on the technology the company unveils and the execution discipline Field brings to a role that blends engineering leadership with commercial strategy.
The appointment also underscores a broader pattern in the mobility sector: the blurring lines between vehicle makers, tech companies, and industrial automation providers. As software and robotics become as important to car production as stamping and welding, the talent pool is shifting. Executives with dual fluency in hardware and software, like Field, are in high demand. His next chapter at Mind Robotics will test whether that fluency can be applied to the factory itself, not just the product rolling off the line.
