RivianOS 2 release notes dropped, Rivian lost its CFO the same day, and my own R2 spent part of the week at service on this week’s Sunday Drive.
2026.31 is in beta now and carries RivianOS 2, a full rebuild designed to match R2. Vertical status bar, redesigned Media app with Apple Music and TIDAL, Weather app under Connect+, universal search in Settings, Waze style police and speed camera reports in Navigation. Gen 1 R1 is included. Also a long list of climate and battery fixes, including the driver seat defaulting to heat instead of vent above 100 degrees. Rivian Software Update 2026.31.
Claire McDonough is leaving. Last day October 30, Derek Mulvey steps in as interim. She has been there since January 2021 and ran point on the $13.7 billion IPO. Relocating to the East Coast for family, with two months of handoff built in. Rivian CFO Claire McDonough Is Stepping Down.
R2 VINs are in the 9400s. One day one reservation holder went order to VIN in ten days, against mid July when the 4100s landed with no delivery date attached. Pace has held around 115 a day since late June. A VIN in the 9400s does not mean 9,400 R2 exist. R2 VIN Assignments Hit the 9400s.
The AC compressor in my R2 failed inside the first month, in 98 degree South Florida heat. Rivian sorted it fast and it cost me nothing. My R2 AC Broke After One Month, How Rivian Handled It.
A month with the R2 has me thinking about what the next R1 should take from it. Dry mirror cameras, the halo wheel, vent placement, the 4695 pack. Not the interior materials. R2 Features the Next-Gen Rivian R1 Needs.
Rivian put its own mesh roof shades up, so I ran them against the VION set on my R1S. VION is $89 against $150 for the same coverage and blocks heat where the mesh filters it. You give up the glass roof to get there. Rivian’s Mesh Sunshade vs VION.
ZEVcentric released the Aspira Forge AF-10, one of the first 18 inch wheels for the R2. $2,400 a set, 23 lb each against 26.7 for the factory 20 inch. Code RIVIANTRACKR takes another $100 off. ZEVcentric Launches Forged 18-Inch Wheels for the Rivian R2.
No public release date on 2026.31 yet. Catch you on the next Sunday Drive.
