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Jose Castillo Founder and Editor
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Jose Castillo is the founder and editor of RivianTrackr, an independent publication he started to cover Rivian from an owner's point of view. He has followed the company since early in its consumer history and has owned and leased several Rivians over the years, including multiple R1T and R1S vehicles. Today he drives an R1S and an R2 in Florida and uses Universal Hands-Free for his daily driving.

Most of his coverage comes from firsthand access rather than press releases. He was at the R2 First Drive in Park City for hands-on time with the production R2 and RivianOS 2.0, and he reported from SXSW when Rivian revealed the full R2 lineup. He has spoken directly with Rivian leaders like Wassym Bensaid and James Philbin about where the company is taking its software and autonomy work.

Before RivianTrackr, Jose worked at Apple as a software developer, which is part of why he follows Rivian's software and autonomy side as closely as he does. He has also helped more than 400 people order their own Rivians through the site. The whole thing stays independent, written by an owner for other owners.

Rivian Autonomy+ Co-Steer

Rivian Has Nothing to Share on Autonomy Right Now

I asked Rivian for an update on Universal Hands-Free 2.0 this week and got a one line answer. With Q3 ending September 30, the real question is whether 2.0 is still its own release or already part of Point to Point.

Rivian Autonomy+

Universal Hands-Free 2.0 Has Three Weeks Left In Q3

Universal Hands-Free 2.0 was promised for the third quarter and the quarter ends September 30 with stop light response, Auto Park, and On-Ramp to Off-Ramp still missing. Point to Point is still on the books for end of 2026, but it quietly became a limited rollout with everyone else waiting on 2027.

How Rivian Software Updates Roll Out to Your Vehicle

How Rivian Software Updates Roll Out to Your Vehicle

Rivian rolls software out in waves, not all at once, so a truck that hasn't gotten the update yet almost certainly hasn't been skipped. Here's what actually happens between the release going live and the install prompt showing up on your screen.

ALSO TM-B

Rivian Spinoff ALSO Delays TM-B E-Bike to November

ALSO has pushed the TM-B again. Launch Edition bikes now arrive in waves between now and early November, and regular reservation holders wait until after those clear, which puts them in November through the end of the year. Here is the full timeline of slipped dates and why it matters for anyone who reserved on the strength of the Rivian name.