Episode 550: Rivian R2 Gets Glowing First Reviews

Rivian's first high-volume, more affordable vehicle – the R2 – is getting closer to release, and the initial reviews are extremely positive. Plus: Ferrari's first-ever full-BEV has a very unique interior designed by longtime Apple designer Jony Ive, Toyota gets a bit more serious about electrification with its just-announced Highlander EV, and more! If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at and consider a monthly or (10% discounted!) annual pledge. Every little bit helps, and you can support for just $5 per month. And there are stacking bonuses in it for you at each pledge level, like early access to each episode at the $5 tier and the weekly Lightning Round bonus mini-episode (AND the early access!) at the $10 tier! And NO ADS at every Patreon tier ! Also, don't forget to leave a message on the Ride the Lightning hotline anytime with a question, comment, or discussion topic for next week's show! The toll-free number to call is 1-888-989-8752. INTERESTED IN A FLEXIBLE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR YOUR TESLA? Be a part of the future of transportation with XCare, the first extended warranty designed & built exclusively for EV owners, by EV owners. Use the code Lightning to get $100 off their "One-time Payment" option! Go to to find the extended warranty policy that's right for you and your Tesla. P.S. Get 15% off your first order of awesome aftermarket Tesla accessories at AbstractOcean.com by using the code RTLpodcast at checkout. Grab the SnapPlate front license plate bracket for any Tesla at (don't forget the coupon code RTL too!). Enhance your car with cool carbon-fiber upgrades from RPMTesla.com and use the promo code RTLPOD+ for 10% off your next purchase. And make your garage door foolproof with the Infinity Shield – get yours at infinity-shield.com and use the promo code RTL at checkout for a $35 discount.

You can listen to Episode 550: Rivian R2 Gets Glowing First Reviews online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 550: Rivian R2 Gets Glowing First Reviews is an episode from Ride the Lightning: Tesla Motors Unofficial Podcast by Ryan McCaffrey.

This episode is 01:43:37 long.

This episode was published on Feb 15, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Ride the Lightning: Tesla Motors Unofficial Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.