RJ Scaringe went on Masters of Scale and put fresh dates on Rivian's autonomy rollout, with supervised Point-to-Point arriving this year and eyes off driving next year. Here is what he confirmed on the VW deal, Uber robotaxis, and Mind Robotics, plus where I land on whether the timeline actually holds.
The R2 does not come with a traditional FM tuner. It leans on iHeartRadio instead, streaming your local stations over the internet for free. For most owners that is a non issue, since FM usage on the R1 was already sitting in the single digits. The real catch is what happens once you drive past the last bar of signal.
I talked R2 autonomy with Rivian's James Philbin at the media event, from UHF 2.0 and automatic parking to point to point, and walked away thinking the buy now versus wait question has a clearer answer than it used to.
Rivian has pushed the first over-the-air update to R2, the introductory release that brings the vehicle's software up to its launch feature set. The update headlines RivianOS 2.0, a reimagined operating system that unifies Navigation, Media, Energy, and quick controls, along with the Haptic Halo Wheels, Universal Hands-Free across 3.5 million miles of roads, Lane Change on Command, and Google Maps-powered navigation with built-in charging. Rivian Assistant, the Gear Guard suite, vehicle hotspot, and garage door opener are not in this release and are expected in a later OTA.
Rivian has filled the Gear Shop with its first full run of R2 accessories, from two wheel and tire sets and a compact spare to crossbars and a HEST camping mattress. Here is everything that dropped and what each one costs.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe just gave the first real timeline for the R3X, confirming the rally-inspired model is coming but still "a couple of years away." Here is what he told The Drive in Park City, and what that phrasing actually narrows down.
The thing that stuck with me on the R2 was not the range or the price. It was the software. RivianOS 2.0 is a full rewrite, and the first thing you notice is how quick it is.
Universal Hands-Free 2.0 arrives in Q3 and finally takes the system off the highway, adding stop light and stop sign response, automatic lane changes on surface streets, Auto Park, and On-Ramp to Off-Ramp routing. It is the groundwork Rivian needs before Point to Point shows up in late 2026.
Rivian's R2 Performance Launch Edition lease numbers are out, and they land right on top of the Tesla Model Y Performance. Both start at $57,990, with monthly payments within about sixty bucks of each other. Here is the full breakdown against the Model Y and the entry R1S, including where the Tesla still wins and where the residuals actually flip.
The R2 will launch without several software features R1 owners use regularly, including Rivian Assistant, Climate Hold, and Pet Mode, with Rivian indicating some will not arrive for at least the first month of ownership.
