Rivian Recap: 02/06/2026
Hey there,
Here's your weekly Rivian Recap for February 6th, 2026.
The media fleet of R2's hit the road, a recent R1 color goes missing, 0% financing offers, Tesla kills Model S/X, and what R2 must get right.
Let's dive in!
Software
When it comes to software, Rivian is one of the very few North American automakers who have a vertically integrated approach to software.
Other than Tesla, Rivian is one of the few organizations equipped to control the software on their little computers (known as ECU's) which in theory is great.
After all, this vertically integrated approach is exactly why Volkswagen auto group (VW, Audi, Porsche, etc) made the biggest auto investment in history by investing $5.8 Billion dollars into a new joint venture.
We are going to see even more of this as their in-house silicon starts shipping later this year (I have a really deep video coming about that specifically).
But it's not all rainbows and unicorns.
There are real concerns around the stability and reliability of not only the core software we all think of, but the decisions down the stack that impact the overall driver experience.
The software gap is one of the key items I covered in the 6 things I think Rivian absolutely must get right on the imminent customer release of R2.
While the drop off to any other North American automaker not named Tesla is quite significant, Rivian is directly competing against the reliability of the software stack that exists when someone, say, buys a new Model Y.
There are just many small paper cuts and unforced errors that don't need to exist that could easily be bucketed into "software".
Some quick examples:
- The R1 shop listings are broken in Chrome (the most popular browser 🫠).
- It took them more than 12 months to make Gen2 "premium audio" not suck.
- Pet Comfort Mode is good, but not great, and hasn't really improved in years.
- The Connect+ music streaming falls on it's face driving away from WiFi.
- Mobile cabin conditioning takes ages compared to when you're in the seat.
I don't want to come across as overly negative here, it's easy to only dial in on the negatives. Rivian has conversely done so much right.
Wins over the past 1-2 years:
- Replacing MapBox with Google Maps (even if Google nav a few issues)
- Better route charging, pre-conditioning, and network selection
- Improved charge times through software
- Digital Key was a massively quality of life improvement
- UI direction for the in-car displays has come a *really* long way
But will those be enough for the R2 to handle the expectations of the mass market? The rough edges give me pause for someone like my mom.
When the R2 was first shown off ~2 years ago, the UI design direction was quite different than what was shipping in R1 at the time.
Ultimately, a version of this came to R1, including the delightful Camp Mode animated background.
Here are a few screenshots from the CNBC interview with RJ (more on that below when we get to hardware), of the new UI direction.
I think this is a nice evolution on the existing design, but the overlapping elements in the top left will probably need more polish.
Hardware
We are finally seeing what appear to be the media R2 fleet driving around.
Based on a comment on the Inside EVs podcast, it looks like the embargo lifts on February 10th, so strap in for the land rush of content.
Having an embargo on the 10th is interesting, because Rivian just did an exclusive interview with RJ and the blue R2D2 themed build I saw first hand at the Autonomy & AI day.
Here's the infotainment board that powers the R2, and may be what we see in 2027 model years of R1S and R1T.
The CNBC video was pretty good in that it actually gave us a look at the infotainment screens and a different design direction of the UI.
Side note: Would you like to have a prediction video from me about what I think may be in 2027 R1's? It may be useful if you're thinking about picking up one of the 2026 model year offers. Hit reply and let me know!
Rivians recently announced "Borealis" color has lived a short life.
Recently announced as a new featured color for Tri and Quad variants, it has been quietly removed from the configurator.
While not my jam (pun intended), I do like them taking more chances on color than your standard gray/white/black (which RJ apparently doesn't want to make anyway, but people keep buying it).
So if Borealis didn't live long... did it die due to poor sales?
I have to imagine Limestone sold far better than Borealis. 🤷♂️
There are a few R1S and R1T in Borealis left in the shop if it caught your eye, these are probably the last available for at least some time.
Community
Fellow content creator and friend, Mike Kantorski, dropped a really well done video this week recapping some of the production changes we expect in R2.
Great job, Mike!
A sad part of the EV history is that Tesla has announced the end of production coming soon for the Model S and X.
While they've been barely touched for a number of years as sales continue to slip in favor of the 3 and Y, I'm still sad to see this happen.
Here's a photo I took being struck by one in mid 2013, thinking it would be my next vehicle if I could ever get to a point to afford one.
I also have found memories of going to the prototype tour of the original Model S back in May 2011. I wish I had been better at getting content back then.
This was a very small showing to a tiny group of nerds like me, some of which were qualified to buy and others who were just excited about the future.
Being 6' 4" and much heavier back then, I even managed to squeeze into an original Roadster which was hilarious trying to get out of.
And why is the Model S and Model X dying? Supposedly for Optimus (robot) production in Fremont, CA.
Times are clearly changing for Tesla and the company they want to be. But if you can put the politics and dogma aside for what is closely tied to the brand in 2026, losing the Model S, the one that really started mass market EVs, is sad.
Thankfully we are pretty spoiled with some excellent vehicles today, and with the rate of improvement for software, driver assistance, and battery technology...
...well, things are still bright.
Even if we are losing an iconic vehicle. 🥲✌️
Next, over the coming week there are a few local Rivian community events you may want to be aware of.
02/07 - Florida Rivian Club - SoFlo Monthly meetup Coffee, Drive, and Lions (Safari Park).
Worth Checking Out - VION
I've had our VION sunshades in both our R1S and R1T for months now. They're custom-fit for Rivian's expansive glass roof, and honestly, they can make a big difference on hot days or when the vehicle is parked.
VION sponsored my 1-year review video, and they're offering Rivian Recap readers 10% off anything site wide with code "TRAVIS".
Check out their sunshades, carbon activated air filters, and more:
VION Sunshade // VION Air Filters
My thanks to VION for helping make this newsletter possible.
Latest Deals
We finally got new deals, including 0% financing on the following models:
Dual Large w/Performance <- Best lease value right now
Dual Max w/Performance
Tri Max
Quad Max
Notably, this is the first time 0% has been offered on Gen2 Quads.
But is the cheap financing really the best deal?
Those dual large/max with the Performance Upgrade get a $6,500 lease bonus cash offer. This is exactly why I built the lease vs buy comparison tool.
TLDR; 0% financing works out best for Tri and Quad variants that have zero in lease bonus cash, but the trade off for leases still wins on all other trims.
Avoid the Dual-Standard for now. It has a comparatively high interest rate and far worse lease terms. After a push at the end of 2025, this is a poor value now.
Here are my top suggested builds with the current incentives:
Dual Large w/Performance (LEASE):
2026 R1S Dual-Large w/Performance (Premium Audio)
2026 R1T Dual-Large w/Performance (Premium Audio, Utility V2 Tonneau)
Dual Max w/Performance (LEASE):
2026 R1S Dual-Max w/Performance (Premium Audio)
2026 R1T Dual-Max w/Performance (Premium Audio, Utility, V2 Tonneau)
Get 0% financing for 60 months on these builds:
Tri-Max (PURCHASE):
Quad-Max (PURCHASE):
If you're seriously considering a quad, and are interested in the R1T, there are a few inventory Launch Edition quads with Lifetime Autonomy+ and Connect+.
Launch Green w/black mountain interior. They aren't showing up in the web shop, so if you want one of these last few either reach out directly to Rivian sales or I can put you in touch with a rep to get you figured out.
All referrals also get 3 months of free charging on the Rivian Adventure Network, which is handy when the cold weather impacts range.
I hope enjoyed this weeks edition of the Rivian Recap. Let me know what you'd like to see more of in future editions!
Even if you just want to say hi, hit reply – I'd love to get to know you 👋
Stay curious ✌️,
Travis Ketchum
P.S. Thinking about buying a new Rivian?
Make sure you use a referral code. A friend, a neighbor, or someone who has helped you along the way.
Here's mine: TRAVIS4699411