Rivian recently got the Tesla treatment. An X user, @hilbe, found some code on the Rivain website and displayed it for the world to see. This accidental reveal gave us a sneak peek of Rivian’s upcoming R2 SUV. Set to be officially unveiled tomorrow, March 7th, the R2 is poised to be Rivian's entry into the increasingly competitive small SUV market, directly challenging Tesla's Model Y, the current best-selling vehicle globally.
***BREAKING NEWS***
Rivian R2 Specs Leaked!!!
- Starting price $47,500 - Range up to 330 miles - 0 to 60 in 3 seconds - Seats 5 - Length 185.6 in - Width 75 in - Width with Mirrors 84.4 in - Height 66.9 in - Max Ground Clearance 9.8 in - Wheelbase 15.6 in - Wheel and Tire… pic.twitter.com/VcB13HW2lh
The R2 builds on the legacy of the R1 series, including the R1S, R1T, and their electric delivery van. This new model is set to redefine expectations with a starting price of $47,000 and promises up to 330 miles on a single charge.
The inadvertently slip on the website reveals more key features, such as a 0-60 mph acceleration time of just 3 seconds, seating for five, and unique charging capabilities compatible with both NACS and CCS stations. Additionally, the R2 will feature innovative storage solutions, including a spacious front trunk and a convenient bike mount system designed for ease and accessibility. It has a launch year pegged at 2026.
Rivian's strategy to leverage insights from its R1 program aims to produce a vehicle that balances performance, utility, and affordability. With dimensions that echo those of popular SUVs like the Honda CR-V and the Model Y, the R2 is expected to appeal to a broad audience seeking an EV that does not compromise on space or capabilities.
Competition is Good; Leaks Can be Too
It is certainly not the mythical Tesla Killer, Rivian simply lacks the production capacity of Tesla, however the introduction of the R2 is a welcome new addition to the company that started with the first electric pickup truck.
Rivian's experience with leaks now aligns it with Tesla, a company frequently in the spotlight for similar reasons. This initiation into the big leagues of leaks is a rite of passage in the EV industry, reflecting the high public and media interest in upcoming models. While leaks can sometimes spoil the surprise, they also underscore the anticipation and excitement surrounding new releases.
While Rivian executives may see this as a spoiled surprise, the early reveal has actually provided more coverage. It’s not like there won’t be any additional articles about the March 7 event. Given the social media chatter, the company now has an early preview about how the R2 will be accepted as it appears the majority of commentators view the product as a positive step forward for the company.
If you enjoy hearing about Rivian news and software features, be sure to check out our new site dedicated to Rivian.
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Winter is here, and temperatures are dropping, so one of the most common Tesla questions is about to resurface.
If you’ve landed here after frantically searching about “smoke” coming from your Tesla while Supercharging, take a deep breath—it’s completely normal.
Tesla Smoking While Charging
If you’re Supercharging in freezing weather—even with preconditioning—you might notice steam rising from your Tesla. But rest assured, your car isn’t smoking.
Your Tesla’s heat pump is hard at work warming both the cabin and battery to keep you comfortable and ensure optimal charging temperatures. Over time, condensation and ice build-up in the heat exchanger coils.
Why Does It Happen?
When you reach a Supercharger with your vehicle, the heat pump is still running hot, but without the cold air from driving to keep the heat exchanger coils cool, the ice and condensation quickly start to evaporate—creating what looks like smoke.
Since this typically happens near the front of the vehicle, where a car would traditionally have an engine, new vehicle owners can be startled by the discovery. However, rest assured that it’s just water vapor and it’s completely normal in cold weather.
In fact, this behavior can be experienced in any EV with a heat pump in cold climates. So, if you saw steam coming out of your vehicle and panicked, don’t worry—you’re not alone.
Now that you know what’s happening, go ahead and Supercharge with confidence.
Tesla made a lot of improvements in the 2024 Holiday Update, including more than 15 undocumented improvements that were included in the release. One of these was a stealthy performance improvement to the YouTube app.
Several people have mentioned they’ve seen improved performance on YouTube since this year’s Holiday Update - and there’s an interesting reason why.
YouTube Improvements
The improved YouTube performance in Tesla vehicles comes from an unexpected source—Tesla actually rolled back support for YouTube’s newer AV1 video encoding. Instead, vehicles now default to the older VP9 encoding standard.
While AV1 is highly efficient in terms of bandwidth, it requires considerably more processing power to decode and display videos. VP9, on the other hand, is less computationally demanding but uses more bandwidth to achieve the same video quality. This trade-off means smoother playback and better overall performance, even if it comes at the cost of slightly higher data usage.
Intel Inside
The VP9 video codec that the YouTube app is now using is much easier to decode, making it less taxing on the vehicle’s processor. This change is particularly beneficial for Tesla vehicles with Intel processors, which previously struggled to stream video at just 720p. When using AV1, these vehicles often experienced stuttering, sometimes forcing the YouTube app to automatically downgrade playback to 480p.
With this update, Intel-based Teslas should now be able to stream at 1080p smoothly. Streaming at 1440p is also possible, although occasional stutters still occur as the system keeps up with the decoding process.
Intel-based vehicles are the big winners with this change, but this appears to affect AMD Ryzen-based infotainment units as well, providing even smoother playback.
Chromium Web App
Tesla’s Theater apps aren’t native applications; instead, they run as chromeless web apps, leveraging the open-source browser built into Teslas known as Chromium (the open-source version of Chrome). Although this works quite well, there is a severe limitation - Chromium hardware acceleration isn’t supported on Linux, the operating system Tesla uses for their OS.
As a result, Tesla vehicles rely on software decoding instead of hardware decoding, which would otherwise handle video playback far more efficiently. A potential solution could be for Tesla to transition away from Chromium-based web apps in favor of a Mozilla Firefox-based browser, as Firefox does support hardware acceleration on Linux. This switch could also open the door to better streaming performance and the possibility of expanding Tesla’s in-car entertainment options.
However, Tesla’s choice of Chromium likely stems from Digital Rights Management (DRM) requirements for streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix, which rely on DRM-enabled playback. Firefox on Linux has had inconsistent support for DRM due to codec availability and variations in operating system versions.
We’re hopeful that Tesla will either adopt Firefox or develop a fully native application to improve video streaming, rather than continuing with the current web-based Tesla Theater. This shift could also pave the way for additional in-car applications built on Tesla’s native Linux environment—perhaps even reviving the long-rumored Tesla App Store.
Regardless, this update is a welcome improvement, particularly for YouTube, which remains one of the most widely used Theater Mode apps due to its accessibility, free content, and mix of short and long-form videos. It remains to be seen whether similar improvements are made for Netflix, Disney+, or other streaming platforms.
If you’ve noticed improved performance in Theater Mode, now you know why.