Jose Castillo – RivianTrackr

Jose Castillo Founder and Editor

Rivian Rivian R2 Rivian R1T Rivian R1S

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 Plans Major R2 Delivery Push This Week

R2 config emails spiked last week without many deliveries to show for it yet. Owners are now telling me Rivian is lining up a big delivery push this week, with dates already on the calendar into early July.

Rivian R2
June 28, 2026

The Sunday Drive – R2 Crosses 2000 VINs, R1 Lineup Shuffle, and IONNA

R2 crosses 2,000 VINs as deliveries ramp, Rivian drops the R1 Dual Standard configuration, and I share two years with my Gen 2 R1T and how I ended the lease early. Plus a trade-in PSA and IONNA crossing 115 sites.

Rivian
June 28, 2026

Rivian R2 Crosses 2,000 VINs as Deliveries Ramp

A 20xx VIN from a friend taking delivery this week shows Rivian has built past 2,000 R2 vehicles. Built does not mean delivered though, and here is why.

Rivian R2
June 27, 2026

Two Years With My Gen 2 R1T and How I Ended the Lease Early

Two years with my Gen 2 R1T, the service experience, and how I ended my lease early to move into the R2.

Video
June 27, 2026

Rivian R2 Test Mule Spotted in British Columbia, Canada

An R2 test mule was spotted out in British Columbia, one of the first R2 sightings in Canada. A good sign for buyers up north as the US rollout cools off this week.

Rivian R2
June 25, 2026

IONNA Hits 115 Charging Sites Across 30 States With New Seffner Opening

IONNA is opening its new Seffner Rechargery near Tampa this Friday, pushing Florida to 17 locations with more under construction. The Friday ribbon cutting is invite only, but customer clinics across Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, and Miami are open to everyone that weekend. Then from July 2 to 5 the whole network drops to $0.20/kWh for the holiday. Here is what it means for Rivian owners.

EV Charging
June 25, 2026

Why You Would Still Order an R1 Over an R2 Today

Everyone assumes the R2 is the smart buy because that is where the new tech lives. Most of that tech is coming to the R1 anyway. The real reason to order an R1 today is the bigger body, the third row, the towing, and the range, none of which an update can ever add, and it makes you wonder why Rivian has not refreshed the R1 yet.

Editorial
June 24, 2026

Rivian R1 Configurations Explained, Dual Large to Quad Max

The R1 order menu is down to four configurations. Here is how Dual Large, Dual Max, Tri Max, and Quad Max compare across every color, wheel, interior, and drive mode, and which ones unlock as you move up the lineup.

Rivian R1S, Rivian R1T
June 23, 2026

Rivian Officially Drops the R1 Dual Standard Configuration

Rivian has stopped selling the R1 Dual Standard on the R1T and R1S, ending the last LFP battery option in the R1 lineup and widening the price gap between R1 and R2.

Rivian R1S, Rivian R1T
June 23, 2026

Can Rivian Hit an 80% Mobile Service Target?

Rivian is doing nearly 60% of service via mobile vans and trucks, aiming for 80% to beat service center bottlenecks. Having experienced this with three Rivians, it’s incredibly convenient. However, pushing complex repairs to driveways just to hit a target risks hurting quality.

Software
June 23, 2026