Rivian Recap: 08/08/2025
Hey there,
Here's your weekly Rivian Recap for August 8th, 2025.
A rough Q2 earnings call, a big push for the end of EV tax credits and updates offers for new Rivians.
Let's dive in!
R1
There appears to be a fairly widespread campaign to replace the 12v batteries on Gen2 models, to replace the battery and the mounts.
Not doing to can lead to cracked batteries and totally dead vehicles.
If you got the text message, be sure to get it scheduled ASAP as you don't want to get caught stranded somewhere unsafe or inconvenient.
The Q2 results were about as bad I expected, but definitely worse than Wall Street had projected. It turns out the "Big Beautiful Bill" changes wiping out the demand for ZEV credits has already begun.
I'll have more about this and the 18 months ahead in my next video which drops very soon. It's going to be a a serious test for Rivian in how they navigate their remaining liquidity in their race to scaled R2 and the start of R3 production.
R2 + Beyond
R2 was spotted driving around with the rear glass down, which is our first look into that feature on a validation build.
And @Hillbe spotted a new job posting that includes mentions of steer-by-wire, which could mean we see some interesting new systems on future vehicles.
Perhaps R3X gets steer-by-wire for some interesting steering response changes as you drift it in Rally Mode? 🚀
Autonomy
The big news this week in the world of autonomy is that Tesla is disbanding it's Dojo project that was recently hailed as their solution to self driving.
It sounds like not only has the leader left the company, but many former employees have gone off to start their own AI based compute solution.
Community
I came home from a trip to the north woods of Wisconsin to find a Rivian Space t-shirt swap waiting for me along with a neat drawing from a subscribers kid.
This kind of stuff makes the community fun ✌️.
Thanks Stephanie and Jojo!
Latest Deals
Fresh offers just hit TODAY.
Here's the quick breakdown, some while supplies last:
Some of the best deals are unsurprisingly on the remaining 2025 model years, but the sneaky update here is that the 2025 and 2026 dual-standards got a notable bump in their offer quality.
Here are the supported builds with offers + my recommended upgrades on audio, tonneau, etc.
2025-2026 Dual-Standard (the standout deal for most! I'd go for a 2026, personally)
I would highly encourage everyone to lease so you can claim the incentive, even if you plan to buy out immediately.
Here's my video about lease vs buy to help better understand the numbers.
I hope enjoyed the 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