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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.

R1S vs. R2

Rivian R2 Dimensions: How It Compares to the R1S

The Rivian R2 is meaningfully smaller than the R1S, but the numbers tell a more interesting story than just a shrunken sibling. The R2 is 15 inches shorter, 10 inches lower, and rolls on a tighter wheelbase, yet somehow has more rear legroom than the R1S. Here's the full side-by-side breakdown, including where the R1S still wins.

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe

RJ Scaringe Didn’t Actually Make $403 Million in 2025

RJ Scaringe’s headline $403 million pay package isn’t actually money in his pocket. Most of it is grant-date fair value on stock options that only pay out if Rivian’s stock more than doubles, the company hits real profitability targets, and he stays CEO long enough to see it through. The cash he actually took home in 2025 looks more like $25 million, and most of that came from selling existing shares back to the Also spinout.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Rivian R2 Rear Wiper

First Video of the Rivian R2 Rear Wiper in Action

The first video of the production R2's rear wiper is here, and it works exactly like you'd hope it would. Whether that hidden pocket holds up against snow, mud, and trail debris is the real test, and that one is still ahead.

Jenny Lewis, VP Marketing at Rivian

Rivian Hires Jenny Lewis as New VP of Marketing and eCommerce

Rivian has filled its top marketing seat. Jenny Lewis, formerly CMO at The Knot Worldwide, is joining as VP, Head of Marketing and eCommerce, ending the stretch where RJ Scaringe had been holding the role in an interim capacity since October 2025. The hire lands right as Rivian heads into its biggest marketing push yet with R2 first drives, the Block Party tour, and a wider brand expansion all on deck.