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CarCast+Edmunds - All about the new Rivian R2

CarCast+Edmunds - All about the new Rivian R2

CarCast Mar 16, 2026 48 min
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About this episode

Alistair Weaver shares insights from his recent trip to Texas and South by Southwest, where he experienced the unveiling of the new Rivian R2. The discussion covers Rivian's design philosophy, the R2's size and performance specs, and how it compares to competitors like Tesla's Model Y. Key points include the R2's lighter weight, premium feel despite a lower price point, and clever aerodynamic features. The episode also touches on Rivian's challenges and hopes for the R2 as a critical vehicle for the brand's future.

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Brand

Rivian

"This weekend was supposed to be like a chill weekend after a week in Texas with Rivian. ... I spent three days at South by Southwest with Rivian, which was really interesting."

Rivian makes electric trucks and SUVs that are designed for outdoor adventures. They use batteries instead of gas engines to power their vehicles.

Car

Rivian R2

"... luck. Good luck with that. All right. So Rivian R2, this is probably one of the more anticipated ve..."
Car

Rivian R2

"All right. So Rivian R2, this is probably one of the more anticipated vehicles for the year. I think it's an important vehicle for Rivian now that the R1 has been out for a while and the dominance of Tesla with Model Y..."

The Rivian R2 is a new electric car made by Rivian. It's smaller and cheaper than their first trucks and SUVs, and it helps Rivian compete with other electric cars like Tesla's Model Y.

Car

Tesla Model Y

"...and the dominance of Tesla with Model Y, not to mention so much backtracking with so many companies..."

The Tesla Model Y is a small electric SUV made by Tesla. It is very popular because it can go far on a charge and has lots of cool technology.

Term

EV space

"So there's actually a lot to unpack in the EV space as we move forward. But let's just get into a little bit of your trip out there..."

The 'EV space' means all the companies and products related to electric cars and trucks.

Term

chief creative officer

"...spent some time with Jeff Hamoud, who's a great guy. He's the chief, think his official title is chief creative officer, but basically chief designer to you and I..."

The chief creative officer is the person in charge of how the company's products look and feel, like the design of cars.

Term

AI companies

"...including RJ Skirinju, who was the CEO. Not just a Rivian these days, he's also got interesting AI companies and robotics and all sorts of things..."

AI companies work on smart computer programs that can learn and do tasks, like helping cars drive themselves or robots work better.

Term

all-wheel drive

"It's a 656 horsepower all-wheel drive. It's got tons of kit."

All-wheel drive means the car can send power to all four wheels at the same time, which helps it drive better on slippery or rough roads.

Term

horsepower

"It's a 656 horsepower all-wheel drive. It's got tons of kit."

Horsepower is a way to measure how strong a car's engine is. More horsepower usually means the car can go faster or accelerate quicker.

Car

Toyota 4Runner

"And it's actually got a long wheelbase and something like a Toyota 4Runner. And what that means is there's actually really good space inside."

The Toyota 4Runner is a type of SUV that is good for off-road driving and has plenty of space inside.

Term

aerodynamics

"Keep it aggressive, looking, improve aerodynamics. I would imagine with the current model being out for several years now..."

Aerodynamics is about how air moves around a car. If a car is designed well, it can move through the air easier, which helps it use less energy and go faster.

Concept

vehicle weight reduction

"Ford has been outspoken about it going, we may have over-engineered a bunch of our EVs, right? So now we need to reduce weight, improve aerodynamics."

Making a car lighter helps it use less energy and drive better. Car makers try to reduce weight to make their cars faster and more efficient.

Car

Rivian R1S

"I mean, the R2, because the R1 is really heavy, right? That's right."

The Rivian R1S is a big electric SUV made by Rivian. It's heavier and bigger than the newer, smaller R2 model.

Term

two-row

""...it's a much smaller vehicle. It's a two-row, not a three-row...""

Two-row means the car has two sets of seats, usually for four or five people to sit in.

Car

Rivian R1

""...they learned an awful lot from the R1 to the R2... they actually said that they designed the R2 first... scaled up the R2 to create the R1...""

The Rivian R1 is a bigger electric car with three rows of seats. It was designed after the smaller R2 and is heavier.

Term

light bar

""...those very distinctive headlights with the light bar that spans the width of the nose... at the back, you get the same, you know, same broad light bar with a big Rivian branding...""

A light bar is a long line of lights on the front or back of a car that helps it look unique and be seen better.

Term

two-box design

""...because you don't really see it at first glance, because they wanted to keep this kind of upright aesthetic, this sort of two box, as they call it, two box design...""

Two-box design means the car looks like it has two big parts: one where people sit and one for carrying stuff, making it look box-shaped.

Term

aero wheels

""...I said, look, you haven't got aero wheels on here, presumably there's more stuff you could do to make it more aerodynamic...""

Aero wheels are special car wheels shaped to help the car move through the air easier, saving energy.

Car

Rivian R1T

"and the other thing about it is, you know, they, the R1 T when it was launched, had quite a few, you know, it was Rivian's first vehicle, Edmunds bought one."

The Rivian R1T is an electric pickup truck made by Rivian. It's their first big vehicle and can drive off-road using electricity instead of gas.

Concept

software and hardware updates

"We had a quite, you know, there's quite a few updates to both the software and the hardware. So I think, you know, getting into the market with the, with the launch tradition, sort out some of that teething trouble, which everybody has."

Sometimes cars get better after they are sold by updating their computer programs or parts. This helps fix problems or add new things to the car.

Term

teething trouble

"getting into the market with the, with the launch tradition, sort out some of that teething trouble, which everybody has. Yeah. And I think this second generation car will be better than the first."

When a new car comes out, it sometimes has problems at first. These early issues are called teething troubles and usually get fixed over time.

Car

BMW X3

"it's interesting because I think they've, I was looking at, they had a big thing on the wall about all the different rivals, GLCs, BMW X3s, then, you know, some of the more off-road focused vehicles as well."

The BMW X3 is a small luxury SUV that drives well and has a nice inside. It's a popular choice for people who want a sporty but practical car.

Car

Mercedes-Benz GLC

"it's interesting because I think they've, I was looking at, they had a big thing on the wall about all the different rivals, GLCs, BMW X3s, then, you know, some of the more off-road focused vehicles as well."

The Mercedes-Benz GLC is a fancy small SUV that is comfortable and has a nice interior. It's a popular luxury car for families and daily driving.

Concept

EV write-offs

"there is a counter at the moment. And this year alone, there's been over $70 billion worth of write-offs and manufacturers saying we're pulling back on EVs, we're cancelling those, we're cancelling that."

Sometimes car companies lose a lot of money or stop making certain electric cars because they don't sell well or cost too much. This is called a write-off.

Concept

supercar

"And now we've got to find ways to make that money back and maybe a new super car, which is, you know, super high margin potentially could be super high margin if it's a multimillion-dollar car."

A supercar is a very fast and expensive sports car that is special and rare. Car makers can make a lot of money selling these cars because they cost so much.

Brand

Porsche

"You know, Porsche, as we know, like still trying to work out, you know, the box to Cayman, I don't think they've actually come out and said they're definitely not doing it, but they're trying to figure out what their strategy is."

Porsche is a famous car company from Germany that makes fast and fancy cars. They are working on electric cars too.

Car

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

"enough as a product to make me want to switch out of gasoline because the S-Class is fantastic, the E-Class is great."

The S-Class is a fancy and comfortable car made by Mercedes-Benz. It's known for having lots of cool features and being very smooth to drive.

Car

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

"enough as a product to make me want to switch out of gasoline because the S-Class is fantastic, the E-Class is great."

The E-Class is a smaller luxury car from Mercedes-Benz that is comfortable and good for everyday use.

Car

Mercedes-Benz EQE

"you know, let the, actually, actually it was 35 grand, like an EQE or something makes a lot of sense."

The EQE is a fully electric car from Mercedes-Benz. It looks like their regular E-Class but runs on batteries instead of gas.

Concept

oversupply in EV market

"the other thing that's difficult at the moment for both Rivian and Lucid coming into the market is everybody else has got into problems of oversupply or too much stock, whatever. So they're doing a fire sale and they're just basically throwing money at the EVs and trying to make it back with their gas cars."

Sometimes, car companies make more electric cars than people want to buy. This makes them lower prices to sell the extra cars.

Term

oil crisis

"And whenever there's an oil crisis, everybody looks to cheaper alternatives and that could be hybrid, plug-in hybrid."

An oil crisis happens when there isn't enough oil or it gets very expensive. This makes gas cost more and people look for other ways to fuel their cars.

Term

plug-in hybrid

"...and that could be hybrid, plug-in hybrid. But also you might see this sudden swing back to EVs because people are saying..."

Plug-in hybrids are cars that can be charged by plugging them in, like an electric car, but they also have a gas engine for longer trips.

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