Rivian is back as the headline sponsor of SXSW 2026, and this year it's all about R2. From off-road passenger rides to panels with RJ Scaringe and Kara Swisher, here's everything happening at the Electric Roadhouse in Austin from March 13 through 18.
Rivian's R2 will be one of the first vehicles in the world to launch with GSMA SGP.32-enabled eSIM technology, partnering with Giesecke+Devrient and AT&T to build a 5G connectivity platform designed to scale globally without hardware changes.
Rivian has officially launched the Rivian Adventure Department, or RAD, its extreme testing and performance engineering team that feeds real world data directly into production vehicles. RAD Tuner, which debuted in December 2025 with update 2025.46 for Gen 2 Quad owners, is one of the clearest examples of that philosophy in action, and now the team is making its public debut at the 2026 FAT Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana with the new Quad R1S.
Rivian has partnered with Mark Rober and CrunchLabs to create fun, educational content that breaks down EV technology, safety, and engineering, starting with a live SXSW session and expanding into videos and events throughout the year.
Rivian has partnered with ALLDATA to bring official OEM repair and diagnostic information to independent repair shops nationwide, expanding service access and helping reduce repair delays for owners.
Rivian is partnering with EnergyHub to expand access to utility managed charging programs across North America, allowing owners to save on charging costs while helping stabilize the electric grid through smarter, automated charging.
Rivian says its service experience is evolving to be faster, more proactive, and increasingly mobile, with 50+ new Service Centers planned, a major expansion of Mobile Service, and AI powered diagnostics designed to reduce wait times and keep owners out of the service bay altogether.
The RivianTrackr Tire Guide just received its biggest update yet, introducing user reviews, AI powered tire recommendations, improved mobile usability, new comparison tools, and over 190 Rivian compatible tires with R2 readiness built in.
The Illinois Solar Education Association is raffling off a 2025 Rivian R1T or R1S to fund solar and energy storage education, with only 2,500 tickets available.
Rivian’s 2026.03 update officially introduces Autonomy+, marking the transition of advanced hands free driving features into a subscription service while keeping all core safety systems standard and free for owners.
