The Sunday Drive, Rivian Week in Review, May 4 to May 10, 2026

Back for round two. Lighter on hard news than last week, heavier on the kind of stuff that matters if you actually pay attention to where Rivian’s headed. Let’s get into it.

Volkswagen quietly bumped its stake in Rivian to 15.9% following a joint venture milestone. It’s the kind of move that doesn’t make front page headlines but says a lot about how confident VW is in the partnership. Full breakdown in Volkswagen Boosts Rivian Stake to 15.9% Following Joint Venture Milestone.

RJ also teased R2X and additional R2 variants coming out of the Georgia plant, which is the first real public confirmation that R2 is going to spawn a family rather than just stay a single trim line. More in RJ Scaringe Teases R2X and Additional R2 Variants From Georgia Plant.

Wrote a longer piece this week arguing that Rivian’s in-house RAP1 chip is its Apple Silicon moment, and the more I think about it the more I’m convinced this is the most underrated story in the company. Full take in Why Rivian’s RAP1 Chip Is Its Apple Silicon Moment.

On the autonomy side, R2 could end up being the first US EV with domestically built lidar, which would be a pretty big deal both for the supply chain story and for the Autonomy+ roadmap. Details in Rivian R2 Could Be the First US EV With Domestically Built Lidar.

Also dug into how Rivian is scaling the Adventure Network ahead of R2 deliveries, which is going to matter a lot for the wave of new owners about to hit the network. Full piece in How Rivian Is Scaling the Adventure Network for R2.

Software update preview dropped too. Rivian 2026.15 is bringing the Rivian Assistant along with a handful of other improvements. Worth a read in What’s Coming in Rivian 2026.15 Including Rivian Assistant.

Bit of a mixed bag on the awards front. Rivian topped Consumer Reports but missed out on the S&P loyalty awards. Full context in Rivian Tops Consumer Reports but Misses S&P Loyalty Awards.

And one small but important note for current R1 owners thinking about adding an R2 to the garage. Your existing R1 cargo crossbars are not going to transfer over, which Rivian has now officially confirmed. Quick read in Rivian Confirms R1 Cargo Crossbars Will Not Fit the R2.

That’s the week. R2X teases, a bigger VW stake, a chip story that’s going to age well, and Rivian Assistant on the way. Catch you on the next Sunday Drive.