On the grounds of the historic Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles on Monday night, Rivian, a US-based electric vehicle startup, unveiled its first vehicle to a small, quaint crowd. Food was served, and calming music befitting a Four Seasons Hotel serenaded members of the press and the event’s guests, which included social media influencers and even a number of celebrities from Hollywood. Amidst the chill vibe, though, a sense of excitement permeated the air, thanks to the centerpiece of the night’s event — a futuristic, rugged, vehicle that has the potential to disrupt the US’ highly lucrative pickup truck market.
The Rivian R1T, with its large off-road wheels, imposing stance, and adventure-themed design flourishes almost stood as a stark contrast to the unveiling’s quaint atmosphere. Quite unlike Tesla, whose unveiling events feature large numbers of people and a modern, high-energy setting, Rivian’s unveiling event for its R1T pickup truck was composed and almost restrained. The enthusiasm in the air, though, was palpable.
The R1T could be described as a luxury adventure vehicle. The pickup truck is designed from the ground up to be at home both on the pavement and off the beaten path, but the vehicle maintains an air of sophistication nonetheless. While Rivian did not allow test drives during the event, the truck on display was very well put together. It was evident that a lot of thought went into the vehicle’s interior design, from its luxurious seats, its all digital instrument panel, and its unique floormats which were made from a lightweight, thin material that almost seemed like carbon fiber.
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- Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe presents the R1T all-electric pickup truck. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- The Rivian R1T’s interior is plush with technology. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- The Rivian R1T features a functional bed with a number of clever features. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- The luxury aspect of the Rivian R1T is reflected in the vehicle’s seats, which are made of premium materials. [Credit: Teslarati]
Rivian unveils its R1T all-electric pickup truck. [Credit: Teslarati]
Speaking before an audience comprised mainly of Rivian employees, select media and even some A-list celebs, CEO RJ Scaringe presented the R1T’s key features and capabilities. Rivian confirmed that they are using 2170 battery cells for the R1T pickup truck and the R1S SUV, which is set to be unveiled on Tuesday. The company noted that it would not be producing its own batteries at this stage of its operations, though their long-term strategy also includes the possibility of establishing a dedicated battery manufacturing facility like Tesla’s Gigafactory 1. Rivian aims to be a battery manufacturer like Tesla eventually, and it aims to license and sell its cells to other manufacturers in the future.
There’s no question that the vehicle’s target demographic are buyers who love luxury and the outdoors. As such, we were impressed by some of the pickup truck’s features that are aimed at making the ownership experience effortless. Among these were its automatic liftgate, and a thin, black lining that automatically protects cargo on the bed with the press of a button. We also found some of the R1T’s quirks — such as headlights that double as a green progress bar when the vehicle is charging — clever and fun. Finally, we liked the vehicle’s storage options, from its “gear tunnel” to its 11.7 cubic foot (330 liter) frunk, which is larger than those found in other premium electric vehicles like the Tesla Model S and Model X.
Rivian noted that it intends to develop self-driving capabilities for the R1T. As such, the truck is equipped with the hardware necessary to make this a reality. These include a suite of cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, high-precision GPS technologies, and even a LiDAR. In the future, the company notes that the vehicle should be able to meet its driver at the end of a hiking trail or river run. The company did not provide details as to how it intends to accomplish this, though considering its focus on the outdoors, there is a good possibility that Rivian could be mapping popular trails across the country.
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- The Rivian R1T has a distinct front fascia. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- Rivian’s “skateboard” for the R1T, which holds the pickup truck’s 2170 battery modules. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- The Rivian R1T all-electric pickup truck has a seating capacity of 5. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- The Rivian R1T’s “gear tunnel,” which is specifically designed to store items like fishing roads and golf clubs. [Credit: Teslarati]
Rivian unveils its R1T all-electric pickup truck. [Credit: Teslarati]
After operating in stealth for the most part of the past decade, Rivian has decided to come out with a bang, renting out one of the most historic landmarks in LA to unveil a vehicle that could very well be equally historic if produced and ramped successfully. The R1T starts at $69,000 for its base trim, which is equipped with four electric motors and a 230+ mile range from its 105 kWh battery. The all-electric truck is still pricier than mainstays of the US’ pickup truck market such as the Ford F-150, which starts at a more affordable $29,650. That said, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe made it clear that the company is going for a very specific niche with its first two vehicles — those that love the outdoors, and those that love luxury. For this niche of buyers, the Rivian R1T might just be the perfect vehicle.
Production of the Rivian R1T is expected to begin in 2020 in the company’s factory in Normal, Il, which it acquired from Mitsubishi in January 2017 for $16 million. The company plans to manufacture the pickup truck’s higher-end variants first, followed by the R1T’s $69,000 version within 12 months from the start of production. Rivian has also started accepting pre-orders for the R1T, with interested buyers being required to place a refundable deposit of $1,000 for the vehicle.
With assistance from Christian Prenzler.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk gives his most telling Tesla-SpaceX merger conversation yet
Elon Musk hinted a Tesla-SpaceX merger could be coming, and Wall Street is taking notice.
Elon Musk gave his clearest signal yet that Tesla and SpaceX could eventually combine, telling the All-In Summit in Los Angeles that the two companies’ deepening collaboration makes the question worth asking. Sawyer Merritt first surfaced the highlight on X Tuesday.
Asked directly why Tesla and SpaceX remain separate given how closely they already work together, Musk told hosts at the summit: “Great question there. With all this collaboration, on so many levels, who can imagine what action one might take when there’s so much close collaboration in so many areas.” SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, who joined Musk on stage, added that SpaceX personnel have already moved into xAI to fill leadership and engineering gaps, saying the businesses are integrating “faster than I thought,” though “not fully integrated yet,”
The comments landed on top of merger speculation that has been building on Wall Street for months. JPMorgan has called a tie-up “strategically coherent on paper,” pointing to overlapping ambitions in AI, robotics, energy, transportation and space. Jefferies went further, estimating Musk could retain roughly 55.3 percent voting control in a deal structured without a premium, a scenario that would still leave room for Tesla shareholders to come out ahead. On Kalshi, traders now put the odds of a merger before 2028 at 66 percent.
Tesla’s stake in SpaceX, still under one percent, traces back to its earlier investment in xAI, which converted to SpaceX equity after SpaceX absorbed the AI company. The two are also jointly building Terafab, a chip facility in Austin meant to serve both Tesla’s AI computing needs and SpaceX’s satellite ambitions. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives has stood by a 2027 merger timeline for months, and Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest recently floated a similar case, an idea Musk pushed back on directly at the time.
Another Tesla SpaceX merger prediction by ARK Invest has Elon Musk talking
The timing adds another layer. Tesla has scheduled an October 1 unveiling for its next generation Roadster at a venue near SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas test site, using the phrase “Go for launch” in its promotional material. Both stocks dipped roughly 2 percent Monday before recovering slightly in premarket trading Tuesday, with SpaceX shares up about 0.4 percent and Tesla essentially flat.
Musk stopped short of confirming anything is in motion. But unlike his past denials of a corporate restructuring, this response didn’t rule one out, and it came with Shotwell sitting next to him describing an integration that’s already underway.
The Tesla Roadster unveiling is getting hyped up by the company’s CEO Elon Musk, who has been a big reason the product has such high expectations due to delayed timelines and a constant need to make it even more insane than before.
Tesla announced on September 12 that it would officially unveil the Roadster in Waco, Texas, on October 1, ending years of patience for fans and reservation holders who have waited for the all-electric supercar to enter production since 2017.
Musk has said that this event will be well worth the wait on several occasions, and last year on the Joe Rogan Experience, he said that there should be a closing chapter to supercars- the end of cars that aren’t focused on safety.
He said:
“Whether it’s good or bad, it will be unforgettable. My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I think if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one. I think it has a shot at being the most memorable product unveil ever. This is some crazy technology in this car. Let’s just put it this way: if you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it’s crazier than that.”
Musk’s teases have continued, and now that the event is roughly two weeks away, it seems like Roadster is finally going to show up and blow some minds:
It’s out of this world
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 13, 2026
Excitement guaranteed
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 13, 2026
Tesla has definitely dragged out the development of the Roadster, but there is a good reason for it.
Tesla has been working on many other projects, most notably self-driving efforts to increase passenger safety, and those simply took priority over the Roadster, a low-volume, high-performance sports car that has a lightning-fast acceleration rate of 0-60 MPH in just 1.1 seconds, could potentially fly, and contributes very little to the company’s mission.
However, many people have the Roadster on pre-order through the referral program or with their own money, and it is time that Tesla delivers on that.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has big plans for Las Vegas by year’s end
Elon Musk’s Boring Company says Vegas Loop stations will double by year end once again.
The Boring Company says the Vegas Loop’s station count will double by the end of the year, tying the target to a hiring push for drivers and operations managers in Las Vegas. “Vegas Loop is getting bigger – the station count will double by end of year!” the company wrote in a post on X, attaching listings for a Loop driver and a senior Loop operations manager.
The number checks out against what’s already public, with the Vegas Loop currently running 14 operational stations, while the Boring Company’s own project page lists 28 as the target for the end of 2026.
Vegas Loop is getting bigger – the station count will double by end of year!
Urgently hiring exceptional and enthusiastic Drivers and Ops Managers.
Apply here!
Driverhttps://t.co/ZUPXBYTONb
Senior Loop Ops Managerhttps://t.co/mV6V22V8jH pic.twitter.com/IZ9FqIw8WY
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) September 14, 2026
Much of that growth is tied to tunnels that are already built and waiting on an opening date. A roughly two-mile dual tunnel system under Paradise Road, connecting Westgate to a planned station at 4744 Paradise Road, is expected to open in stages over the coming weeks, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority chief executive Steve Hill told the Review-Journal last week. New stations at 4744 Paradise, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and the former Gordon Biersch site would come online with it, several of them built to speed up rides to Harry Reid International Airport ahead of Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Clark County entitled Vegas Loop for 123 stations after approving 19 more in August, as Teslarati reported at the time. Entitlement and construction move at different speeds on this project, so county approval alone does not guarantee a station opens on any particular schedule.
Clark County approved 18 additional stations back in 2023, part of a plan that pushed the system’s target to 69 stations across 65 miles, doubling the network on paper for the first time. The target kept climbing after that, to roughly 93 stations by the end of that year and 104 by last year, before August’s vote pushed it to 123. This week’s announcement is the first time that doubling language has been attached to stations actually running rather than stations merely approved on a county map.
Ridership gives some sense of what a denser network could carry. Boring Company executive Mike Baier said in July that the Vegas Loop already moves around 40,000 passengers on busy convention days, a total that tops most light rail systems in the country despite the system running on a fraction of its planned tunnel mileage. Company leadership has projected ridership could triple or quadruple once the airport connector tunnels fully open.
Boring Company did not say which stations beyond those already under construction would open by year end, or whether the hiring push points to a fleet expansion alongside the new stops.
Elon Musk gives his most telling Tesla-SpaceX merger conversation yet
Tesla Roadster unveiling is getting hyped up by Elon Musk
