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The $130 Federal EV Fee Explained and How It Compares to Gas Tax

R1S Driving

The House wants EV owners paying $130 a year to the feds, and after running it against what gas drivers actually put into the Highway Trust Fund, the number is more defensible than the reaction. The real problem isn't the size of the fee, it's that they made it flat, so the person babying their R1S around town pays exactly the same as the one stacking 25,000 miles a year.

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Rivian R2 AMA, Autonomy, Audio, Heat Pump and More 

R2 Launch Green

Rivian's software and autonomy leads jumped into a Reddit AMA and ended up spilling more concrete R2 detail than we've gotten in a while. Wassym handled most of it, with James stepping in for the self driving questions. From point to point autonomy timelines and the edge compute bet to the heat pump, the charging mat retrofit, and why the premium audio actually works, here's everything worth knowing.

Read moreRivian R2 AMA, Autonomy, Audio, Heat Pump and More 

Rivian Just Quietly Dropped the R2 Self-Driving Roadmap We’ve Been Waiting For

Rivian R2-D2

Rivian's autonomy lead James jumped into today's R2 Reddit AMA and laid out the self-driving roadmap, and the big takeaway is that R2 Performance Launch Package buyers get Autonomy+ bundled in for the life of the car. He also broke down the point-to-point timeline, the stoplight and stop-sign updates coming in the next few months, and why Gen 1 owners shouldn't sweat the LiDAR question.

Read moreRivian Just Quietly Dropped the R2 Self-Driving Roadmap We’ve Been Waiting For

R2 Gets a Heat Pump Across the Entire Lineup

Rivian R2 Silver Prototype

Wassym confirmed R2 is getting a heat pump across the entire lineup, not just the top trim. The more interesting part is what Rivian built around it. A bigger compressor and a better battery-coolant handoff mean R2 can hold cabin comfort during a DC fast charge even in serious heat, which anyone who's sweated through a triple-digit charging session will appreciate.

Read moreR2 Gets a Heat Pump Across the Entire Lineup