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Jose Castillo Founder and Editor
Rivian Rivian R2 Rivian R1T Rivian R1S
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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 R2

Rivian Grew in Q2 While the EV Market Fell Over 20%

The overall EV market fell more than 20% year over year in Q2. Rivian went the other way, up 7.6%, with early R2 deliveries already in the mix. Growing while the rest of the market shrank, just as the R2 begins its ramp, says more than the raw number does.

R2 Rear drop glass

Rivian R2 Invite Windows Are Moving Up for Reservation Holders

Some R2 reservation holders are reporting their invitation windows suddenly shrinking, with one owner watching a four to eight week estimate drop to one to two weeks. It does not mean the truck shows up that fast, but it does move the whole timeline forward, and it hints that Rivian is feeling good about the ramp.

New Orlando Service Center for Rivian

Rivian Care Coverage Guide for R1 and R2 Owners

Rivian Care is not one plan, it is two, and they cover completely different things. Here is a plain breakdown of what the Vehicle Service Contract and Preferred Vehicle Protection each include, what they leave out, and how to get a quote.

R1T LiDAR Ground Truth Vehicle

Rivian R1T With LiDAR Spotted Testing in Italy

A Rivian R1T rigged with LiDAR and autonomy sensors was spotted this morning on the streets of Bolzano, Italy. It is almost certainly a mapping and ground truth vehicle laying groundwork for the R2 in Europe, not a sign the R1T is heading overseas.

R2 Catalina Cove NACS Port

R2 Fast Charging Test Beats Rivian’s Own 29 Minute Claim

Tom Moloughney of State of Charge ran the first independent 10 to 80 percent charging test on a Rivian R2 and it finished in 26.9 minutes, two minutes ahead of Rivian's official 29 minute estimate. Peak power hit 226 kW, and there is a warning for owners planning to fast charge through an adapter.