{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Rivian R2, Lucid counter attack, and Tesla's 'Digital Optimus'","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/rivian-r2-lucid-counter-attack-and-tesla-s-digital-optimus","audioUrl":"http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/03/Electrek_428.mp3","description":"\nIn the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Rivian R2, Lucid's counterattack, and Tesla's 'Digital Optimus'.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.\n\n\n\nAs a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.\n\n\n\nAfter the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:\n\n\n\n\nApple Podcasts\n\n\n\nSpotify\n\n\n\nOvercast\n\n\n\nPocket Casts\n\n\n\nCastro\n\n\n\nRSS\n\n\n\n\nWe now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.\n\n\n\nHere are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:\n\n\n\n\nMusk confirms xAI-Tesla joint ‘Digital Optimus’ project — after saying Tesla didn’t need xAI\n\n\n\nRivian reveals full R2 lineup and pricing, starting at $57,990 with a $45K RWD model coming later\n\n\n\nRivian is phasing out the R1S Dual Standard, its most affordable SUV, ahead of the R2\n\n\n\nLucid (LCID) reveals Cosmos and Earth SUVs as first midsize EVs, starting under $50,000\n\n\n\nLucid takes aim at the Tesla Cybercab with Lunar, a two-seat EV robotaxi concept\n\n\n\nBMW’s flagship i7 EV is getting a Neue Klasse upgrade: Here’s our first look\n\n\n\nBYD is open to building cars in Canada and acquiring a rival automaker\n\n\n\nBYD’s luxury EV with 5 min fast charging and nearly 500 miles of range is headed overseas\n\n\n\nHonda is scrapping three of its most important EVs for the US, including the Acura RSX\n\n\n\nAptera (SEV) raises $6.3M through warrant exercise to fund solar electric vehicle validation\n\n\n\n\nHere’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:\n\n\n\n\nhttps://www.youtube.com/live/aLUDy28zGmw\n\n"},"annotations":[{"startTime":943.9,"endTime":951.58,"type":"car","title":"Tesla Model X","url":"/cars/tesla/model-x","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Tesla_Model_X_100D_1X7A6736.jpg","quote":"... is not a, you know, car that's jacked up  like a model X, right? That's a, you know, all wheel drive off r...","canonicalId":"car:tesla:model x","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":984.48,"endTime":990.68,"type":"car","title":"Tesla Model Y","url":"/cars/tesla/model-y","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Tesla_Model_Y_%282025%29_MYLE_Festival_2025_DSC_9565.jpg","quote":"... So it's a fully  featured SUV. It's not like the model Y is extremely well designed vehicle and very  uter...","canonicalId":"car:tesla:model y","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1540.54,"endTime":1546.26,"type":"car","title":"Rivian R2","url":"/cars/rivian/r2","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Rivian_R2.jpg","quote":"...at, um, yeah, the Rivian announcing their,  their R2, their next generation mid-sized cheaper vehicle,...","canonicalId":"car:rivian:r2","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Mikew4191 (CC BY 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1575.06,"endTime":1581.92,"type":"car","title":"Lucid Gravity","url":"/cars/lucid/gravity","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Lucid_Gravity%2C_GIMS_2024%2C_Le_Grand-Saconnex_%28GIMS0047-3-RR%29.jpg","quote":"...rth.  So obviously you have the air, you have the gravity. I have Cosmos and earth. And these vehicles  del...","canonicalId":"car:lucid:gravity","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)"}},{"startTime":1575.06,"endTime":1581.92,"type":"car","title":"Lucid Air","url":"/cars/lucid/air","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Lucid_Air_Bahrain_Front.jpg","quote":"...os, uh, and the earth.  So obviously you have the air, you have the gravity. I have Cosmos and earth. A...","canonicalId":"car:lucid:air","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"ToyGTone (CC0)"}},{"startTime":1874.42,"endTime":1882.86,"type":"car","title":"iX3 (G08)","url":"/cars/bmw/ix3-g08","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/BMW_iX3_%28G08%29_China.jpg","quote":"...show that's coming?  I'm going. Yeah. Look at the iX3 interior. It's, it's wild. It looks like it's dis...","canonicalId":"car:ix3:(g08)","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2062.1,"endTime":2067.56,"type":"car","title":"Z9 Denza Z9","url":"/cars/denza/z9","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Denza_Z9_GT_005.jpg","quote":"...alked a few weeks ago about the unveiling of the  Denza Z9 GT, so it's the first vehicle to use the next gen...","canonicalId":"car:z9:","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"JustAnotherCarDesigner (CC0)"}},{"startTime":2143.48,"endTime":2151.9,"type":"car","title":"Seagull","url":"/cars/byd/seagull","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/2023_BYD_Seagull_%28front%29.jpg","quote":"...n for BYD for example, things that will work, the seagull.  So BYD can load them up in Canada and also brin...","canonicalId":"car:seagull:","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"User3204 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2180.3,"endTime":2185.2,"type":"car","title":"Honda Prologue","url":"/cars/honda/prologue","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/2024_Honda_Prologue.jpg","quote":"...I saw that there was a denial from  Honda for the prologue. So apparently the prologue is not dead. They say...","canonicalId":"car:honda:prologue","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Wlb5V (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2185.2,"endTime":2192.68,"type":"car","title":"Blazer Ss","url":"/cars/chevrolet/blazer","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/1988_Chevrolet_Blazer_C10_Hardtop.jpg","quote":"...gain, the prologue is a GM car basically. So it's Blazer SS with CarPlay.  Yeah, exactly. So the RSX, the Acu...","canonicalId":"car:blazer:","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"ArildV (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2193.32,"endTime":2200.14,"type":"car","title":"Acura RSX","url":"/cars/acura/rsx","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/02-04_Acura_RSX_.jpg","quote":"...'s Blazer SS with CarPlay.  Yeah, exactly. So the RSX, the Acura RSX, which was brand new, the first Ac...","canonicalId":"car:acura:rsx","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"IFCAR (Public domain)"}},{"startTime":2251.06,"endTime":2256.36,"type":"car","title":"Acura ZDX","url":"/cars/acura/zdx","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/2010_Acura_ZDX_--_03-15-2010.jpg","quote":"...kind of backing down on the prologue and the  the ZDX, but they know the ZDX is the prologue for us. So...","canonicalId":"car:acura:zdx","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"IFCAR (Public domain)"}},{"startTime":2275.16,"endTime":2280.22,"type":"car","title":"Cadillac Lyric","url":"/cars/cadillac/lyriq","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/CADILLAC_LYRIQ_China.jpg","quote":"...u know, with Apple cars, which is also a Cadillac lyric. So there's like this one car is  like 17 differe...","canonicalId":"car:cadillac:lyriq","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2477.18,"endTime":2483.46,"type":"car","title":"Ford Lightnings","url":"/cars/ford/f-150-lightning","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/2022_Ford_F-150_Lightning_Rear.jpg","quote":"... pretty clear that optimist is also  the price of lightnings. Yeah, because it's going away. It's going away. ...","canonicalId":"car:ford:f-150 lightning","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2582.82,"endTime":2588.34,"type":"car","title":"Ford F150","url":"/cars/ford/f-150","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/2022_Ford_F-150_Lightning_Rear.jpg","quote":"...d also like R1 is a big, I mean, it's not like an F150, but it's a pretty big vehicle.  You can have one...","canonicalId":"car:ford:f-150","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2740.44,"endTime":2744.4,"type":"car","title":"Nissan Leaf","url":"/cars/nissan/leaf","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/2017_Nissan_LEAF_%28ZE0_MY17%29_hatchback_%282018-11-02%29_01.jpg","quote":"...here was like a,  they had it for like the Nissan Leaf. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.  I don't remember which on...","canonicalId":"car:nissan:leaf","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"EurovisionNim (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2801.66,"endTime":2810.16,"type":"car","title":"Ford Maverick","url":"/cars/ford/maverick","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/1972_Ford_Maverick_Sprint_%28616806978%29.jpg","quote":"... All right. I have an all wheel drive hybrid Ford Maverick. I would  consider changing it for a smaller size...","canonicalId":"car:ford:maverick","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"dave_7 from Lethbridge, Canada (CC BY-SA 2.0)"}},{"startTime":2936.58,"endTime":2945.36,"type":"car","title":"Rolls-Royce Phantom","url":"/cars/rolls-royce/phantom","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/1936_Rolls-Royce_Phantom_III_Landaulet%2C_Classic-Gala_2025%2C_Schwetzingen_%2820250906-P1049456%29.jpg","quote":"... test of the discharge, the another, not even the phantom dream on it and a certain  temperature, which was...","canonicalId":"car:rolls-royce:phantom","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)"}},{"startTime":3276.5,"endTime":3280.24,"type":"car","title":"Fisker Oceans","url":"/cars/fisker/ocean","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Fisker_Ocean%2C_BAS_24%2C_Brussels_%28P1170330-RR%29.jpg","quote":"... sense.  All right, Gandalf asks, why are all the Fisker oceans in New York City? I see  your half dozen minimum ...","canonicalId":"car:fisker:ocean","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)"}},{"startTime":3355.1400000000003,"endTime":3364.54,"type":"car","title":"Rivian R1S","url":"/cars/rivian/r1s","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Debut_of_the_Rivian_R1S_SUV_at_the_2018_Los_Angeles_Auto_Show%2C_November_27%2C_2018.jpg","quote":"...able to do that. And I would note that  my Rivian R1S, if you put it in range mode, it would actually o...","canonicalId":"car:rivian:r1s","priority":0.7,"confidence":1.0,"source":"fuzzy","data":{"imageAttribution":"Richard Truesdell (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"9to5Mac","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/rivian-r2-lucid-counter-attack-and-tesla-s-digital-optimus/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}