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Rivian partners with Meridian Audio for premium sound in its EVs
Electric vehicle company Rivian has chosen British audio pioneer Meridian Audio to provide branded audio systems for its electric vehicle platform. The two companies began their partnership more than a year ago, but it became public after the two companies announced the partnership on Tuesday, March 2nd.
Rivian is planning to launch its first vehicles in just a few months, with its first deliveries scheduled for June 2021. With its all-electric R1T pickup truck heading to customers in such a short period of time, Rivian has finally chosen a premium sound supplier for its vehicles in Meridian. Meridian has been around since 1977 and has a reputation for delivering premium quality sound systems in both residential, commercial, and automotive settings.
The two companies have been in collaboration for over a year, according to a press release from Meridian. Rivian and Meridian have been working on designing, engineering, and turning high-performance audio systems that will “embody Rivian’s ambitions to rethink mobility and shape the way people live, work, and play for the better.” Rivian is the first all-electric automaker to come forward that primarily focuses on the outdoor experience with its vehicles. While other automakers focus on the luxury segment, Rivian is delivering vehicles that will fit the bill for someone who plans to spend their time in the wilderness and in the great outdoors, where the company’s all-electric powertrains will thrive in nearly any setting thanks to its quad-motor powertrain.
The partnership is welcomed by John Buchanan, CEO of Meridian, who had high praise for Rivian’s mission to promote all-electric passenger transportation while keeping sustainability and environmental consciousness in mind.
Buchanan said:
“We were thrilled to have won the opportunity to work with such an exciting new company and to have been selected to engineer the in-car audio experiences for Rivian’s electric vehicles, Meridian is demonstrating itself to be the premium audio brand and technology partner of choice for automotive brands seeking market-leading sound solutions. Rivian’s goal to redefine expectations in the automotive industry through the human-centric and nature-conscious application of innovation and technology makes Meridian the perfect partner for them. We are delighted that the renowned Meridian sound experience now extends to the Rivian R1T and R1S electric vehicles, and we are excited about the future with Rivian.”
Credit: Rivian and Meridian Audio
Meridian’s design for Rivian’s vehicles is set to ensure that the audio will actually enhance the entertainment experience for every occupant within the vehicle. “Meridian has designed an audio system that provides both the driver and the passengers with a truly immersive listening experience,” Buchanan said. Meridian developed certain technologies that are tailored for the future automotive market, which could be filled with electric vehicles within the next decade. Among the key features of Meridian’s powerful audio systems, four specific technologies are tailored for the R1T and R1S specifically.
Meridian Digital Precison
Meridian Digital Precision technology ensures that all the finest details and emotions of the performance are delivered, regardless of the format used.
Meridian RE-Q
Meridian RE-Q is a Cabin Correction technology that removes unwanted cabin resonances, preserving the natural rhythm and timing of the performance. Bass becomes smooth, deep, and balanced.
Meridian Horizon
Meridian Horizon is an upmixing technology providing immersive multichannel audio from two-channel stereo content, configured for any loudspeaker layout. Providing a truly enveloping and immersive listening experience.
Meridian Intelli-Q
Meridian Intelli-Q is Data-Driven Equalisation that optimizes audio playback within the cabin based on data available from the vehicle such as speed, window state, occupancy, and audio source. This ensures all occupants in the vehicle enjoy optimal audio experience at all times.
Meridian’s full press release announcing its official partnership with Rivian is available here.
Tesla analyst Gary Black of The Future Fund claims that the company is making a big mistake getting rid of the Model S and Model X. Instead, he believes another vehicle within the company’s lineup should be discontinued: the Cybertruck.
Black divested The Future Fund from all Tesla holdings last year, but he still covers the stock as an analyst as it falls in the technology and autonomy sectors, which he covers.
In a new comment on Thursday, Black said the Cybertruck should be the vehicle Tesla gets rid of due to the negatives it has drawn to the company.
The Cybertruck is also selling in an underwhelming fashion considering the production capacity Tesla has set aside for it. It’s worth noting it is still the best-selling electric pickup on the market, and it has outlasted other EV truck projects as other manufacturers are receding their efforts.
Black said:
“IMHO it’s a mistake to keep Tesla Cybertruck which has negative brand equity and sold 10,000 units last year, and discontinue S/X which have strong repeat brand loyalty and together sold 30K units and are highly profitable. Why not discontinue CT and covert S/X to be fully autonomous?”
IMHO it’s a mistake to keep $TSLA Cybertruck which has negative brand equity and sold 10,000 units last year, and discontinue S/X which have strong repeat brand loyalty and together sold 30K units and are highly profitable. Why not discontinue CT and covert S/X to be fully…
— Gary Black (@garyblack00) January 29, 2026
On Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla planned to transition Model S and Model X production lines at the Fremont Factory to handle manufacturing efforts of the Optimus Gen 3 robot.
Musk said that it was time to wind down the S and X programs “with an honorable discharge,” also noting that the two cars are not major contributors to Tesla’s mission any longer, as its automotive division is more focused on autonomy, which will be handled by Model 3, Model Y, and Cybercab.
Tesla begins Cybertruck deliveries in a new region for the first time
The news has drawn conflicting perspectives, with many Tesla fans upset about the decision, especially as it ends the production of the largest car in the company’s lineup. Tesla’s focus is on smaller ride-sharing vehicles, especially as the vast majority of rides consist of two or fewer passengers.
The S and X do not fit in these plans.
Nevertheless, the Cybertruck fits in Tesla’s future plans. Musk said the pickup will be needed for the transportation of local goods. Musk also said Cybertruck would be transitioned to an autonomous line.
In a groundbreaking new report from Reuters, SpaceX is reportedly discussing merger possibilities with xAI ahead of the space exploration company’s plans to IPO later this year, in what would be a blockbuster move.
The outlet said it would combine rockets and Starlink satellites, as well as the X social media platform and AI project Grok under one roof. The report cites “a person briefed on the matter and two recent company filings seen by Reuters.”
Musk, nor SpaceX or xAI, have commented on the report, so, as of now, it is unconfirmed.
With that being said, the proposed merger would bring shares of xAI in exchange for shares of SpaceX. Both companies were registered in Nevada to expedite the transaction, according to the report.
On January 21, both entities were registered in Nevada. The report continues:
“One of them, a limited liability company, lists SpaceX and Bret Johnsen, the company’s chief financial officer, as managing members, while the other lists Johnsen as the company’s only officer, the filings show.”
The source also stated that some xAI executives could be given the option to receive cash in lieu of SpaceX stock. No agreement has been reached, nothing has been signed, and the timing and structure, as well as other important details, have not been finalized.
SpaceX is valued at $800 billion and is the most valuable privately held company, while xAI is valued at $230 billion as of November. SpaceX could be going public later this year, as Musk has said as recently as December that the company would offer its stock publicly.
The plans could help move along plans for large-scale data centers in space, something Musk has discussed on several occasions over the past few months.
At the World Economic Forum last week, Musk said:
“It’s a no-brainer for building solar-powered AI data centers in space, because as I mentioned, it’s also very cold in space. The net effect is that the lowest cost place to put AI will be space and that will be true within two to three years, three at the latest.”
He also said on X that “the most important thing in the next 3-4 years is data centers in space.”
If the report is true and the two companies end up coming together, it would not be the first time Musk’s companies have ended up coming together. He used Tesla stock to purchase SolarCity back in 2016. Last year, X became part of xAI in a share swap.
Tesla has announced it has hit a major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions, shortly after it said it would exclusively offer the suite without the option to purchase it outright.
Tesla announced on Wednesday during its Q4 Earnings Call for 2025 that it had officially eclipsed the one million subscription mark for its Full Self-Driving suite. This represented a 38 percent increase year-over-year.
This is up from the roughly 800,000 active subscriptions it reported last year. The company has seen significant increases in FSD adoption over the past few years, as in 2021, it reported just 400,000. In 2022, it was up to 500,000 and, one year later, it had eclipsed 600,000.
NEWS: For the first time, Tesla has revealed how many people are subscribed or have purchased FSD (Supervised).
Active FSD Subscriptions:
• 2025: 1.1 million
• 2024: 800K
• 2023: 600K
• 2022: 500K
• 2021: 400K pic.twitter.com/KVtnyANWcs— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 28, 2026
In mid-January, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would transition away from giving the option to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, opting for the subscription program exclusively.
Musk said on X:
“Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. FSD will only be available as a monthly subscription thereafter.”
The move intends to streamline the Full Self-Driving purchase option, and gives Tesla more control over its revenue, and closes off the ability to buy it outright for a bargain when Musk has said its value could be close to $100,000 when it reaches full autonomy.
It also caters to Musk’s newest compensation package. One tranche requires Tesla to achieve 10 million active FSD subscriptions, and now that it has reached one million, it is already seeing some growth.
The strategy that Tesla will use to achieve this lofty goal is still under wraps. The most ideal solution would be to offer a less expensive version of the suite, which is not likely considering the company is increasing its capabilities, and it is becoming more robust.
Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk
Currently, Tesla’s FSD subscription price is $99 per month, but Musk said this price will increase, which seems counterintuitive to its goal of increasing the take rate. With that being said, it will be interesting to see what Tesla does to navigate growth while offering a robust FSD suite.
Tesla analyst claims another vehicle, not Model S and X, should be discontinued
SpaceX reportedly discussing merger with xAI ahead of blockbuster IPO
