Motiv Names Scott Griffith as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member
Former CEO who scaled Zipcar from Seed through IPO & former CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles, Griffith brings decades of business strategy, automotive, mobility & venture capital experience
FOSTER CITY, Calif. MAY 16, 2024: Motiv a leading OEM of medium-duty electric trucks, today announced the appointment of Scott Griffith as its new Chief Executive Officer and board member. Griffith has spent the past 30 years founding, leading, scaling and advising leading technology-based companies that have often been market disruptors operating at the intersection of technology and mobility. Immediately prior to joining Motiv, Griffith served as CEO of Ford Motor Company’s Autonomous Vehicles and Mobility Businesses, where he oversaw the development of Level 4 autonomous vehicles as well as overseeing Ford’s portfolio of strategic investments in future mobility businesses.
As CEO of Zipcar for over 10-years, he led the nascent car sharing company from its seed stage. During his tenure at Zipcar, Scott has also been credited with shepherding the development and popularity of the entire car sharing category as he turned a small niche idea into a profitable, mainstream form of urban transportation and lifestyle brand. This led to Zipcar being referred to as “The Best New Idea in Business,” in a cover story by Fortune Magazine. During his extended tenure, Griffith raised several rounds of venture capital from top-tier investment firms, grew the business organically and through acquisitions in the US and Europe and eventually took the company public in one of the strongest IPOs of the year.
After later facilitating the strategic sale of Zipcar to Avis Budget Group, Griffith became an Executive-in-Residence at General Catalyst Partners (GCP), a leading venture and growth stage investment firm, where he was an active Chairman in portfolio companies. During his tenure at GCP, he also co-founded TrueMotion, a pioneering mobile phone and IOT-based telematics platform with a mission to increase safe driving through real-time, AI-based driver sensing and scoring. The company was merged with Cambridge Mobile Telematics and the combined businesses now power the data collection and related AI / driver scoring systems for most of the auto insurance providers in the US, and a growing number in Europe.
Griffith was recently appointed to the board at EVgo (NASDAQ: EVGO), a pioneer in the development of large-scale fast-charging networks for electric vehicles. His EVgo board role puts him at the forefront of an industry that is critical to the success of both passenger and commercial vehicle electrification.
“Most people don’t know it, but medium and heavy trucks only comprise about 10 percent of vehicles on the road but they emit over 30 percent of all harmful ground transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and that number that will only continue to grow as a result of our insatiable appetite for online shopping and same day delivery,” said Griffith. “Medium duty trucks are the lifeblood of modern commerce and they are also in the early adoption sweet spot of vehicle electrification. Motiv’s innovative products are showing that it’s possible to support the growing demand for local and short route commercial trucking in a safe, cost-effective and sustainable manner, without the need for 300+ miles of battery range or the high level of disbursed publicly-accessible charging infrastructure required to support passenger cars. I truly believe Motiv will become a large profitable operation and as we grow, we will have a big positive impact on the planet.”
Comparing its own sales and deployment data with public data published by CALSTART in its Zeroing in on Zero Emissions Trucks report, Motiv calculates that about half (45 percent) of the electric step vans in California and nearly one in five (19 percent) of the electric step vans deployed nationwide carry the Motiv nameplate.
Notably, 10 of the largest 20 medium-duty truck fleets in North America have deployed Motiv vehicles, including Purolator, Vestis (formerly Aramark), Cintas and other leading brands. Since its founding in 2009, Motiv vehicles have collectively driven 4 million miles and delivered approximately 240 million pounds of goods. In 2023, the company’s electric trucks collectively achieved a remarkable 98 percent uptime, according to Motiv diagnostic data.
Griffith takes the helm from former Ford executive, Matt O'Leary, who stepped in as interim CEO following Tim Krauskopf's departure last fall. O'Leary, who continues to serve as an active Executive Chairman of Motiv Electric’s board, has been instrumental in guiding the company through this transition period.
“Scott has an impressive track record of building teams and scaling businesses in the technology, transportation and mobility spaces,” said Matt O’Leary, Motiv Executive Chairman. “We’re expanding our installed base of trucks in large fleets like Purolator, the leading integrated freight, package and logistics provider in Canada. Scott’s background is a perfect fit for Motiv at this stage in our journey and I am thrilled to have him on the team.”
“The challenge in front of us is scale and I’m looking forward to Scott’s proven success in building strong teams and high-growth, profitable businesses,” said Jim Castelaz, Motiv’s Founder, Chief Technology and Revenue Officer.
More information about how Motiv can help electrify a fleet is available at: motivtrucks.com
About Motiv:
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Motiv is a leading OEM of medium-duty, zero-emission electric trucks that eliminate tailpipe emissions and pollution while saving customers more than 85 percent on a total cost of ownership basis.
Its purpose-built platform enables efficient production of a range of vehicles, including step vans, shuttle buses, box trucks, and work trucks basis, all of which eliminate CO2 emissions and particulate matter, while offering drivers and passengers a more comfortable, quieter and safer ride.
This combination of cost savings and environmental performance helps customers meet increasingly stringent emissions and pollution standards as well as achieve their own Net-Zero, ESG or other climate impact-related pledges and commitments.
More information about the company’s products, services, and career opportunities is available at motivtrucks.com.
