11 Rivian R2 Accessories You Can Buy Now From EV Sportline
EV Sportline's R2 catalog now runs eleven products deep, from flow forged wheels and a 1.6-inch bolt-on lift to precut PPF, DIY tint, and a CarPlay screen that leaves no…
The Sunday Drive, Rivian Week in Review, May 18 to May 24, 2026
Software week. RivianOS 2.0 got confirmed for R2 at launch, Wassym ran an R2 software AMA on Thursday, the self-driving roadmap we’d been waiting on finally dropped, and it turns out the entire R2 lineup is getting a heat pump.

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

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

R2 Gets a Heat Pump Across the Entire Lineup
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.

Rivian Connect+ Free 60-Day Trial Brings Rivian Assistant to All Owners
Rivian just rolled out a 60-day free trial of Connect+ to all owners, which means you can finally try Rivian Assistant without paying for it. Update to 2026.15 to turn it on, and here’s what you get before the $14.99 a month kicks in.

RivianOS 2.0 Coming to R2 at Launch, R1 Later This Year
RivianOS 2.0 is launching on R2 first, with R1 vehicles getting it later this year. Rivian’s goal is one core operating system that feels the same across the lineup no matter how different the hardware is, which means R1 owners aren’t getting left behind on an old build.

Rivian R2 Configurator Is Live but You Cannot Build the Cheap One Yet
The R2 configurator is live and you can finally price one out, but the only trim you can build is the $57,990 Performance, and the roughly $45,000 R2 we were all sold on is nowhere on the page yet. Add in colors that mostly cost extra and a Performance that lands dollar for dollar with a Model Y Performance, and the attainable Rivian still feels like a future-tense thing.

Rivian R2 Software AMA With Wassym Bensaid Set for Thursday May 21
Rivian’s Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid is back for his third Reddit AMA this Thursday, May 21st, and this one is focused specifically on the R2 software platform. He’ll be live from the Palo Alto office between 11:30am and 3pm PST.

Why Rivian Stock Keeps Falling Despite R2 Launch and Q1 Earnings Beat
R2 production officially started in April, Q1 came in ahead of estimates with a third straight quarter of positive gross profit, deliveries grew 20 percent year over year, and Volkswagen raised its stake to 15.9 percent. RIVN is down 31 percent on the year anyway. The gap between what Rivian is doing and what the market is pricing in has rarely been this wide.

Why Rivian’s AI-Defined Vehicle Push Actually Matters
Rivian’s AI-defined vehicle framing sounded like marketing theater when Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid first dropped it on stage at Autonomy and AI Day back in December. Five months later, with Rivian Assistant actually shipping and a wider AI strategy coming into focus across voice, autonomy, and the Volkswagen joint venture, it’s a lot harder to write off as buzzword theater.









