Rivian Recap: 10/24/2025
Hey there,
Here's your weekly Rivian Recap for October 24th, 2025.
Halloween mode is finally in full swing, Rivian goes through their 2nd round of layoffs in two months, and the e-Bike reveal from ALSO. is finally unveiled.
Let's dive in!
R1
Last week Rivian teased the Halloween mode update.
But now 2025.38 is finally rolling out to the fleet with just one week to go until Halloween officially is arrives.
Friend of the channel @Hilbe recorded some quick videos to give you a sneak peek if you haven't had a chance to download and install the update.
Rivians official Halloween tour looked like a fun way to experience R1 for the first time for quite a few people.
R2 + Beyond
While not directly related to R2, it is a sign of just how intensely Rivian is focusing on R2 above everything else.
A 2nd round of layoffs in 2 months, with what appears to be a massive drop in sales due to pull forward from the EV tax credit ending and an uncertain macro economic future.
Here's a link to the Wall Street Journal article.
I've been most surprised at who was in this round of cuts as there were a number of names who I've seen be incredibly smart, driven people.
Wishing everyone who was let go the best of luck in their next opportunity.
Rivians spin-off micro mobility company called ALSO. (I hate the name btw), has finally announced their first products.
I was firmly in the camp that thought Rivian being involved in anything bike related was really silly.
After watching the release event I'm happy to say... I think I was wrong.
There do seem to be some tangible innovations here that we haven't seen in the e-Bike space to date, and that's super interesting to me.
The two wheel version seems quite fun and should provide a very smooth ride given the full suspension and pedal by wire.
Meanwhile, their 4-wheel version announced with a partnership for Amazon who plans to use them as localized delivery similar to how Europe does already for competing products.
I'm sure some will take issue with the approximately $4.5k price point for the launch edition bikes (launching next spring), but I can tell you that is firmly mid-market pricing on a high quality class 3 speed bike.
ALSO. will be competing with the likes of Tern and other well built, carbon belt driven cargo bikes. They aren't trying to compete with the budge bikes, and yet they are roughly half the price of ultra premium products such as Riese & Muller.
The biggest advantage here is the fact that the products are all designed in-house vs being off the shelf parts like every other e-bike maker out there.
Other novel features such as the swappable seat posts for different uses cases seem genuinely great. My only real complaint has to do with the weight being 80-90 pounds.
Compare that to something like the Specialized Vado SL, which clocks in at just 39 pounds and is also a class 3 speed bike (up to 28mph).
What do you think? Are you interested in a software defined... bike?
Autonomy
GM has been in the news a bit more this week with some big restructuring (sadly, including shuttering their BrightDrop commercial vans).
But a piece that caught my eye was that they are promising "level 3" eyes-off autonomy for the Escalade IQ in 2028.
Based on the team running their SuperCruise division being some holdovers from the previous Cruise robotaxi service that was shut down, I'll be curious to see what stack they are running to achieve eyes-off.
As many of you know, making the jump to "eyes off" in any scenario, even if it's divided highways as suggested in this piece, is a big step.
Once we get to that level, the automaker assumes legal responsibility for any accidents that may occur, so they are cautious in doing so. Tesla has famously NOT taken legal liability without a safety driver present in the vehicle.
Another little tidbit is that GM appears to be following suit by announcing in-car Gemini AI support in 2026. Their approach differs though because it will seemingly be available as an app for OnStar equipped vehicles from 2015 or newer.
Not only do I expect Rivian to beat them to the punch here with the Gemini powered AI control (later this year it seems), but Rivian's approach is likely to be far more elegant and neatly integrated.
I guess AI will consume the world, but in and out of the cabin between autonomy and voice commands.
Community
While we still have a week left before Halloween hits, I think Carlos has made a case for one of the best modifications for the holiday.
Check out this Zombie Response unit / California Dune Edition.
Nice job, Carlos!
Latest Deals
The financing deals that Rivian has been promoting are ending soon. But there is also a sneaky lease surprise 👇
You can now get 1.99% financing for all 2025 R1's or 3.99% financing for all 2026's.
Must place your order by October 31st.
2025 R1S with suggested options @ 1.99%
2025 R1T with suggested options @ 1.99%
2026 R1S with suggested options @ 3.99%
2026 R1T with suggested options @ 3.99%
The lease surprise is that some lease deals have actually gotten BETTER since the EV tax credit ended, thanks to money factors improving.
Your hands down best lease deal is on a dual-standard (with premium audio upgrade of course).
2026 R1S dual-standard (with premium audio)
2026 R1T dual-standard (with premium audio, tonneau, utility panel)
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