California signs SB 168 and the price cap exemption matters for Rivian buyers, R2 VIN assignments climb into the 4100s, and R1 inventory discounts show up. Plus an R2 pickup canceled over a bumper color.
An R2 owner's pickup got cancelled six hours before delivery after the service center caught his front bumper finished in the wrong grey, a color not even offered on R2.
Atlanta Fire Rescue has added an all-electric Rivian R1T to its fleet, converted by Patrol EV into a Quick Intervention vehicle built to reach medical calls fast without rolling out a full-sized engine. The upfit includes a dedicated auxiliary power system, a full Federal Signal lighting and siren package, custom bed storage for patient gear, EV Sportline running boards, and Team 1EV steel wheels, with the vehicle now entering regular service.
A friend of the site had his R2 VIN assigned in the low 4100s, a sign Rivian keeps moving reservation holders forward. Deliveries still look slower than expected though, with plenty of R2 sitting in Normal and some owners left waiting on vague "final checks" while software update 2026.24 begins rolling out.
Rivian is offering discounts of $1,000 to $5,000 on in-stock 2026 R1T and R1S models as they get ready for the 2027 lineup.
California's new $3,500 instant EV rebate has a $50,000 price cap, and Rivian is written straight out of it. Here is what that means for R2 buyers, and why existing owners are shut out.
Good week. From July 6 through July 12, we got a real R2 fast-charging test, invite windows started moving up, and Launch…
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.
Wassym teased Launch Mode coming to the R2 Performance, and the clip shows a 0 to 60 of 3.45 seconds, quicker than Rivian's own stated 3.6.
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.
