

News
Rivian Amazon delivery vans delivered more than 430k packages during pilot program
Rivian reported delivering more than 430,000 Amazon packages with its Electric Delivery Van (EDV) during the vehicles’ pilot deployments. Amazon officially rolled out Rivian’s EDV vehicles last month.
In July 2022, Amazon announced that Rivian EDVs would be deployed in locations across the United States, including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis. Rivian and Amazon worked closely together to design the EDV vehicle.
“A close development partnership with Amazon and its delivery drivers enabled us to optimize the EDV features and design for last mile delivery. This process included delivering more than 430,000 packages through multiple pilot deployments that began in early 2021 – these pilots enabled a rapid refinement of a range of features,” stated Rivian in its Q2 Shareholders Letter.
Rivian EDV Features
Rivian explained each EDV feature, providing a reason behind each design decision. For instance, the EV automaker equipped the electric delivery van with rear roll-up doors so it would be easier to load bulky warehouse items. Rivian’s Amazon Delivery Van also has a tall roof, so drivers can easily walk through it. Plus, Amazon EDV vehicles work with Rivian’s fleet management system, called FleetOS.
The EV automaker also highlighted how closely Rivian engineers worked with Amazon employees to optimize EDV features.
“To ensure optimal temperature, Rivian engineers spent time in the vans during delivery routes, which helped the development of an HVAC system optimized for driver comfort and efficiency,” noted Rivian.
One Amazon delivery driver already provided his first impression of Rivian’s EDV via his YouTube channel Friday Adventure Club. He was impressed with the EDV and listed its advantages over ICE delivery vehicles.
Amazon deployed Rivian EDV 700s in July. Rivian has two other variants for its electric delivery van: the EDV 500 and the EDV 900. The EV automaker announced that it started production validation for the EDV 500 in Q2 2022.
Check out an Amazon Drivers review of the Rivian EDV below!
Are you an Amazon delivery driver who’s driven Rivian’s EDV? I’d like to hear from you, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.
News
Japan paves the way for Tesla Full Self-Driving domestic rollout
Tesla’s vehicles are allowed to be retrofitted with a software update that could enable the activation of self-driving features.

Japan seems to be taking some serious steps to pave the way for the domestic rollout of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system in the country.
This was hinted at by a decision from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.
FSD update
As noted in a report from Nikkei, Tesla’s artificial intelligence-powered vehicles are allowed to be retrofitted with a software update that could enable the activation of their self-driving features. These features would be rolled out through an over-the-air (OTA) software update for vehicles that have already been sold to consumers.
Previous reports have indicated that Tesla Japan has started the testing of FSD technology on public roads. At the time, reports indicated that Tesla Japan employees have been conducting the tests, and the company is planning to release its FSD software to consumers in the near future, at least pending compliance with safety standards and guidelines.
New guidelines
In a comment on X, former Tesla Board Member Hiro Mizuno explained that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry’s decision is no small matter, as it could pave the way for the smooth rollout of features like FSD to Tesla consumers in Japan.
“The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s decision to allow retrofitting of autonomous driving through software updates is significant. Currently, Tesla is the only manufacturer actively pursuing this, but I had thought that if actual autonomous driving were to begin, it would be impossible to keep up if the approval process had to be repeated for every software update. As a result, this decision will make it easier for all manufacturers to introduce autonomous driving in Japan,” he wrote in a post on X.
News
Tesla Cybercab lead engineer shares optimistic update
The Tesla engineer shared the update following the one-year anniversary of We, Robot.

The principal mechanical design engineer of the Tesla Robotaxi has provided a rather exciting update about the upcoming all-electric autonomous two-seater. The Tesla engineer shared the update following the one-year anniversary of We, Robot, when Elon Musk took the wraps off the Cybercab and the Robovan.
Cybercab, one year in
Tesla has done an excellent job keeping the details of the Cybercab under wraps since its unveiling last year. Apart from brief showcases at Tesla stores and sightings at Gigafactory Texas, the Cybercab’s development has been quite a mystery. In recent weeks, however, drone footage from Giga Texas showed the Cybercab being worked on at the factory’s crash testing facility.
One year is a substantial amount of time, and considering Tesla’s reputation for consistently improving its vehicles well after they are unveiled, developed, and released, expectations were high that the company had also been busy refining the Robotaxi over the past year. This was confirmed by Tesla Cybercab lead engineer Eric E., who noted in a reply on X that the autonomous two-seater has made a lot of progress in the past year.
“It’s sooo good, and way better than it was a year ago as well,” the Tesla engineer wrote in a post on X.
Cybercab expectations
Elon Musk has been very optimistic about the Cybercab, with the CEO previously stating that the vehicle’s production line would likely resemble a high-speed consumer electronics line instead of a conventional automotive assembly line. Other Tesla executives such as VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy and Senior Design Executive Franz von Holzhausen have also shared in interviews that the company is targeting a battery pack under 50 kWh for the vehicle, which should still be able to provide almost 300 miles of real-world range.
Despite its small size, the Cybercab is still very spacious, offering probably the biggest legroom among the company’s current vehicles. Its trunk is also very large enough to fit an enormous amount of cargo. Musk has also mentioned that Tesla should ultimately be able to produce a Cybercab every five seconds.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk may rethink his charity pledge after Peter Thiel’s Bill Gates warning: report
Musk reportedly took Thiel’s suggestion seriously.

Reports have emerged suggesting that Elon Musk might be rethinking his promise to give away most of his fortune. This was reportedly due to his longtime friend Peter Thiel, who told the world’s richest man to withdraw from the Giving Pledge because his wealth could end up “in left-wing nonprofits chosen by Bill Gates.”
Thiel shared the story during a private lecture series in San Francisco in September. As noted in a Reuters report, Musk reportedly took Thiel’s suggestion seriously.
Thiel warned Musk about his fortune going to Gates-backed causes
Thiel said he even ran the math to make his point. By checking actuarial tables, he calculated that if Musk died within a year, his pledge would effectively direct $1.4 billion to Bill Gates. Musk reportedly said, “What am I supposed to do, give it to my children? You know, it would be much worse to give it to Bill Gates.”
Musk signed on to the Giving Pledge in 2012, two years after it was co-founded by Gates and Warren Buffett, as noted in a Daily Beast report. The initiative asks billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes either during their lifetime or through their wills. Gates’ foundation has focused on global health, education, and gender equality, areas Thiel has described as “left-leaning.”
Spokespeople for Thiel, Musk, and Gates have not issued a comment about the matter.
Elon Musk and Bill Gates
Thiel, who co-founded PayPal with Musk in 2000 before launching Palantir and becoming Facebook’s first outside investor, has maintained close ties to the Tesla and SpaceX CEO over the years. Musk, for his part, continues to donate through the Musk Foundation, which funds education, clean energy, and scientific research.
Elon Musk and Bill Gates’ relationship has taken a nosedive in recent years, especially amidst news that the Microsoft co-founder had taken a short bet against Tesla. Musk seemed to have taken Gates’ Tesla short personally, considering that the EV maker is fighting for sustainability, a cause that the Microsoft co-founder has supported.
Gates has also been skeptical of Tesla’s projects such as the Tesla Semi, which Gates noted was not feasible due to the limitations of battery technology. More recently, the two billionaires butted heads when Gates claimed that the cuts initiated by Musk’s DOGE initiative would cost 2 million lives. In a post on X, Musk responded by stating that “Gates is a huge liar.”
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