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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.

2027 Rivian R1S Captain's Chairs Slate Sky

2027 Rivian R1S With Captain’s Chairs Arrives at Service Centers

The first 2027 R1S builds with second row captain's chairs have started arriving at service centers and spaces as customer deliveries and demo units. Here is a closer look at the pass through, the fold-flush armrest, and the pop-out cup holder now that the configuration can be seen in person.

R2 Performance in Catalina Cove

R2 VIN Assignments Hit the 9400s as Delivery Gap Closes

R2 VIN assignments have climbed into the 9400s, with one day one reservation holder going from confirmed order to assigned VIN in just ten days. The pace has held near 115 a day since June, and the gap between assignment and handover finally looks like it is closing.

Rivian Sunshade Vs. VION Sunshade

Rivian’s Mesh Sunshade vs VION: Which One to Buy

Rivian now sells its own mesh roof sunshades for the R1, at $150 for the R1S against $89 for the VION set. I ran both on my R1S. Same coverage, but the mesh lets noticeably more heat through, and the VION costs you the glass roof view to fix that.

R1S vs. R2

R2 Features the Next-Gen Rivian R1 Needs

After a month with the R2, the newer and cheaper Rivian keeps winning on details the R1 never got right. Mirrors, wheel, vents, audio, and a 4695 pack that makes the R1 battery feel dated.