Rivian R2 first drive, BYD goes nuts on flash charging, Donut Lab's miracle battery is dead, and more

The Dodge Charger is a full-size American four-door sedan known for strong performance and a long-running history in muscle-car culture. It often comes up in podcasts when discussing driving impressions, upgrades, or what makes it “beneficial” or appealing compared with other options. In this episode context, it sounds like the Charger is being evaluated as part of a practical test or comparison.

Off-roading is driving on unpaved or uneven terrain where traction and suspension travel matter more than on-road grip. Mentioning it alongside highway driving implies the R2 was evaluated for both everyday road manners and rough-surface capability.

In EV talk, “charging” means replenishing the battery by plugging into a power source. The context here suggests they sampled the EV’s ability to add energy during the event, not just driving it around.

Tesla Model Y is a mainstream electric crossover used as a benchmark for efficiency and real-world range. In this segment, the hosts compare the Rivian R2’s efficiency and range against the Model Y’s published/expected numbers.

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery is a measure of how much electrical energy the battery pack can store. More kWh generally means more potential range, assuming efficiency is similar.

Off-road tires are designed with more aggressive tread patterns to grip on dirt, sand, and uneven surfaces. They usually increase rolling resistance on pavement, which can reduce efficiency and range compared with street-oriented tires.

Street tires are road-oriented tires optimized for pavement grip, comfort, and lower rolling resistance. In this discussion, the hosts connect tire choice to efficiency and range, noting that “street” tires can still be more efficient than smaller-wheel off-road tires.

“400 volt” refers to the vehicle’s high-voltage electrical system level. Higher-voltage EV architectures can reduce current for a given power level, which can help charging performance and reduce heat in cables/components.

Kilowatts (kW) measure charging power—how fast energy is delivered from the charger to the battery. The hosts cite expected charging power in the 220–240 kW range, then compare it to what they actually saw.

CCS (Combined Charging System) is the common fast-charging standard for many EVs in North America and Europe. “CCS combos” refers to the specific CCS connector/port configuration used at charging stations.

The Ford Bronco is a rugged SUV designed for off-road capability, with features that emphasize open-air driving and trail readiness. The podcast mention about feeling like a Bronco with the windows open points to its character—how it can feel more “outdoorsy” than a typical SUV. It’s a common topic when discussing comfort, driving feel, and the experience of using the vehicle’s removable/opening roof options.

The Chevrolet Silverado is a full-size pickup line, and here it’s referenced as another size benchmark. The host is comparing the Rivian’s packaging to how big a typical Silverado is.

The Ford F-150 Lightning is Ford’s electric version of the F-150 pickup. In this segment it’s used as a size and practicality benchmark, with the Rivian being described as smaller than the Lightning.

The Rivian R1S is an all-electric SUV built on Rivian’s electric platform, aimed at combining everyday usability with off-road ability. The podcast notes that it felt smooth on the highway but “a little bit jerky” compared to something else, which is the kind of real-world driving feedback people care about with EVs. It’s discussed because it’s a flagship model and its ride/drive behavior is a key part of the ownership experience.

In this context, autonomy means the vehicle’s ability to drive itself using sensors and onboard computing. The host is saying the hardware in the car (what you’re buying) limits how capable the autonomy can be, even for launch editions.

Vehicle to grid (V2G) is a system where an electric vehicle can send electricity back to the power grid (not just charge from it). The host groups it with “vehicle to X,” implying broader bidirectional energy use beyond just the grid.

Vehicle to X is an umbrella term for bidirectional charging where the car can provide power to something other than the grid—like a home, building, or other electrical loads. It’s mentioned alongside vehicle-to-grid to frame the broader “bidirectional energy” idea.

A car’s inverter converts electricity between AC (house/grid) and DC (battery). If it’s “bidirectional,” it can both charge the battery from AC and also export power from the battery back out to AC for home or grid use.

“Level 3” refers to SAE automated driving levels, where the car can handle most driving tasks in certain conditions, but the driver must be ready to take over when prompted. This is more capable than driver-assist, but it’s not full autonomy where the driver never has to intervene.

A LiDAR sensor uses laser pulses to measure distances and build a detailed 3D map of the surroundings. In advanced driver-assistance and self-driving systems, LiDAR can improve object detection and depth perception, which is why some versions of vehicles are marketed as having it.

Rivian R2 is an upcoming Rivian electric vehicle, and this segment focuses on how its hardware and software roadmap affects buyers. The discussion specifically contrasts an earlier R2 configuration versus a later version that adds LiDAR, which can change buyer demand and what owners can sell the car for later.

An order book is the list of customer orders a company has received for a product, often used to gauge demand and production planning. The hosts suggest that enough interest in the Rivian R2 could fill the order book even if some buyers don’t care about LiDAR.

Resell value is the price an owner can realistically get when selling the car later. Here, the hosts argue that introducing a LiDAR-equipped version later could reduce what early R2 buyers can get, because the newer hardware makes earlier cars less desirable.

FSD (Full Self-Driving) is Tesla’s driver-assistance software package that’s marketed as enabling more automated driving behaviors than basic cruise control. In this discussion, the host argues about how Tesla and other automakers should think about autonomy “levels,” and how misuse can be dangerous.

“Level four” is a higher SAE autonomy level where the vehicle can perform the driving task without expecting driver takeover within defined conditions. The host’s point is that level three and level four differ in how the handoff works, including the delay between automation and driver control.

BYD is the automaker discussed for unveiling a flash-charging technology with very high power output. The hosts emphasize both the technical capability and the rollout/deployment rate, framing it as a major challenge to existing charging leaders.

“Zero to 70” is shorthand for charging from 0% battery state-of-charge up to about 70% in a stated time. It’s a common way to compare fast-charging performance because the early part of a charge session is where high-power charging is most valuable.

The Supercharger network is Tesla’s network of high-power public fast-charging stations. In this segment, it’s used as a benchmark for charging availability and deployment scale, with the hosts contrasting it against other networks in Europe and China.

In this context, a station is a charging site that may contain multiple stalls/connectors. The host emphasizes that BYD’s “station” is not directly comparable to Tesla’s because BYD has fewer charging cables per station.

A stall is a single charging position at a station—one car can charge there at a time. Comparing “stalls” is more meaningful than comparing “stations” because different networks may have different numbers of charging connectors per site.

Deployment rate here means how quickly charging infrastructure capacity is being added or scaled. The speaker ties it to power delivered per month and compares that scaling pace between Tesla and BYD.

Megawatts (MW) measure electrical power, not energy. “Megawatts per month” is being used as a proxy for how much charging capacity is being added each month—i.e., how much total charger power the network can deliver after expansion.

Gigawatts (GW) are a larger unit of electrical power (1 GW = 1,000 MW). The speaker uses total gigawatt figures to compare the overall scale of Tesla’s and BYD’s charging capacity.

“Superchargers” refers to Tesla’s fast-charging network. The speaker contrasts the number of Tesla superchargers with the number of BYD flash-charging stations, then argues that total power capacity (gigawatts) is the more meaningful comparison.

In EV context, “range” means how far the car can drive on a full battery charge under a specified test or driving conditions. Range claims matter because they determine whether an EV can realistically cover daily trips and longer routes without charging.

“Kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers” is the metric version of EV efficiency, showing energy use for 100 km. It’s the same idea as kWh/100 miles, just using kilometers instead of miles, and it’s used to compare efficiency across EVs.

“Kilowatt hour per 100 miles” is an EV efficiency metric that describes how much electrical energy the car uses to travel 100 miles. Lower kWh/100 miles generally means the EV is more efficient, which helps extend real-world range.

“Elevation” matters for EV range because climbing uses more energy than flat driving, while descending can partially recover energy (depending on regen). That’s why test routes with significant altitude change can produce different efficiency and range results.

The BMW i3 is a compact electric car that BMW offered in multiple versions during its production run. The podcast mention about “added three versions” suggests they’re discussing how the i3 lineup evolved over time. It’s often brought up when talking about EV history, model changes, and what buyers should know when shopping older electric cars.

“Autonomously ride” here means the vehicle can operate without a human driver, using autonomous driving technology to navigate and control the car. The host uses it to describe the Rivian R2’s role in a potential Uber robo-taxi scenario.

“Robo taxi” refers to a ride-hailing service where the vehicle drives itself using autonomous driving systems. The host frames it as something Uber could deploy with the Rivian R2, while also questioning why it wouldn’t be offered more broadly.

Donut Lab is a company working on battery technology, and the host says its “miracle battery” story has been followed for a long time. In this segment, the host notes that the battery is “dead,” implying the technology or its promise didn’t pan out as expected.

A solid state battery is a type of lithium battery that uses a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid electrolyte found in most today’s EV packs. That design can enable higher energy density and potentially safer operation, but it’s also harder to manufacture reliably at scale.

Energy density is how much electrical energy a battery can store for a given mass (here, watt-hours per kilogram). Higher energy density generally means more driving range for the same battery weight, or less weight for the same range.

“Cycles” refers to repeated charge-and-discharge events, and “capacity” is the battery’s usable energy storage. A claim like “100000 cycles of capacity” is an endurance metric intended to show how long the battery can keep delivering near-usable performance before significant degradation.

Fast charge and discharge describes how quickly a battery can accept energy (charge) and deliver energy (discharge) without excessive heating or rapid degradation. In EVs, this matters for charging speed and for how well the battery can handle repeated high-power demands.

NMC (often written as NMC) refers to a lithium-ion battery chemistry that uses nickel, manganese, and cobalt in the cathode. It’s a common EV battery type because it balances energy density and cost, but performance depends heavily on cell design and manufacturing quality.

Screen printing is a manufacturing method where a pattern (often a coating or conductive layer) is deposited through a mesh screen. In battery contexts, it can be used to apply electrode coatings or functional layers with controlled thickness and patterning—so it matters whether the claimed process actually produces measurable cell improvements.

“Economic production” refers to whether a battery technology can be manufactured at scale for a cost that makes sense commercially. Even if lab results look impressive, the episode argues that realistic scaling and cost-effective manufacturing may be “further out” or not possible.

The Subaru Trailseeker is a trim/package aimed at buyers who want more capability and adventure-focused features. The podcast calls it “pretty sweet” and suggests it’s a strong option in its category, likely due to how it’s set up for outdoor use. It’s mentioned because trim levels like this can change how the vehicle fits different lifestyles.

The Subaru R2 is a small, compact vehicle that’s being discussed as having a place in the market alongside other similar offerings. The podcast comment suggests there’s room for both models, implying the R2 targets buyers who want a small, practical car. It’s mentioned because its positioning and appeal are part of the broader lineup conversation.

“Ultra-fast chargers” are high-power DC fast-charging stations designed to add a lot of battery range in a short time. In practice, the exact benefit depends on the car’s charging hardware and how much power the station can deliver at that moment.

The “250” here is shorthand for a high-power charging rate (commonly 250 kW-class) that can significantly reduce charging time versus lower-power stations. Whether you actually get the full 250 kW depends on the EV’s maximum charging capability and battery state.

A lift kit raises a vehicle’s ride height by changing suspension components. On an EV crossover like the Tesla Model Y, the host is saying it’s unnecessary (and potentially counterproductive) for light off-road use because the suspension geometry and tires are still the limiting factors.

Washboard roads are surfaces covered with repeated ridges that cause the vehicle to bounce and vibrate. They’re especially punishing on suspension setups not designed for off-road compliance, which is why the host is cautious about taking a Model Y off-road.

The California Sequoias refers to the Sequoia area in California, used here as an example of a remote region where charging coverage can be limited. The host contrasts it with places that have “working chargers everywhere.”