Which Automotive CEO Would Make The Best Road Trip Companion?

Come 2028, most of us will likely find ourselves asking, "Which of these primary candidates will actually do Nuremberg 2?" But back before regular people had to worry about being killed or disappeared by the president's secret police, the standard for picking the next president was much more quaint. Traditionally, the cliche question has been, "Who would I rather drink a beer with?", which doesn't necessarily mean that candidate is competent or more qualified for the job, but we'd all be lying if we said personality isn't still a major factor in our choices, even outside of politics.

Much like with politicians, if we decided to ask that same question about automotive CEOs, there's a good chance the most popular answer wouldn't be the one who increased sales or profits the most, found innovative ways to cut costs, or greenlit a series of new models that sent sales soaring, and that's also fine. Odds are, your favorite person at the office isn't also the smartest, most talented person at the company. 

But since we're already talking about cars, why not raise the stakes and make it a little more car-focused. Today, I want to know which automotive CEO you think would make the best companion on a three-day road trip. Some CEOs can probably hold a decent conversation over a beer, but what about their music taste? Navigation skills? Snack and dining preferences? Suddenly, all of that becomes way more important when you're looking at the prospect of trapping yourself in a car with someone else. 

For the sake of the question, I'll allow you to pick a CEO who's officially dead at the moment if you really want. That increases the number of possible answers and should also decrease the number of times I have to remind someone that Sergio Marchionne died back in 2018 and cannot be your hypothetical road trip companion. Definitely better to leave Sergio as a valid answer, even if he probably wouldn't be my top choice. Don't get me wrong, I loved him in interviews, but I feel like he'd probably be a little much on a three-day road trip.

Instead, I'm going to go with Rivian's RJ Scaringe. He probably couldn't pick me out of a lineup to save his own life, but we've chatted a few times, and one of my biggest takeaways is that, despite being the wealthy CEO of a major automotive startup, he still comes off as a real person who has genuine interests and the ability to hold intelligent conversations about a wide variety of topics. Sure, he's a vegan, which could potentially limit our dining options, but it's 2026. I think we'll be fine. On a multi-day drive, good conversation trumps all, and I'd never have to worry about RJ stinking up the car with beef jerky.

What about you, though? Which automotive CEO would you pick as your road trip companion? Someone whose company makes your favorite cars? Someone you think you'd enjoy talking to? Someone who doesn't speak English, so you're free to enjoy the undisturbed silence the whole time? Whoever it is, be sure to let us know down in the comments.