The AC compressor in my R2 failed within the first month, in the middle of a Florida heat wave, and how Rivian handled it tells you a lot. Here is the full story, the service invoice, and what the containment hold on that part could mean for your own R2.
Claire McDonough is leaving Rivian after nearly six years, with her final day set for October 30, 2026. Derek Mulvey, currently VP of Finance, is expected to step in as interim CFO while Rivian searches internally and externally for a permanent replacement. Here is what the timing means heading into the R2 ramp.
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.
ZEVcentric has released the Aspira Forge AF-10, one of the first 18-inch aftermarket wheels built specifically for the Rivian R2. It is fully forged, weighs 23 lb per wheel, fits tires from 255 to 275, and RivianTrackr readers get $100 off a set.
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.
RivianOS 2.0 is coming to R1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 in the 2026.31 update, with Waze speed camera and police alerts landing in the same OTA. Rivian is also telling some R2 owners to pause DC fast charging, Forest Green orders opened, and my own R2 lost its HVAC.
EV Sportline's R2 catalog now runs eleven products deep, from flow forged wheels and a 1.6-inch bolt-on lift to precut PPF, DIY tint, and a CarPlay screen that leaves no marks. Here's what's in it and which pieces are actually worth your money.
Uber CFO Balaji Krishnamurthy says RJ Scaringe gave him a preview of the upcoming version of Rivian Autonomy+, which drove from Sunnyvale to Cupertino and back without issue. He also traded in his car for a Launch Edition R2.
Rivian is adding real time Waze alerts to R1 and R2 navigation, starting with speed cameras and police reports in the 2026.31 OTA. It is the same update bringing RivianOS 2.0 to R1, and the screenshot Wassym shared hints at something else worth noticing.
ALSO, the Rivian spinoff behind the TM-B e-bike, closed a $150 million Series D led by Prysm Capital, with the money going toward its autonomous vehicle platform and multiple autonomous form factors at once. TM-B Launch Edition bikes are shipping now, with Performance and Standard deliveries starting this fall.
