Rivian revealed the prices and release dates for its R1T electric pickup truck and the R1S SUV. The company also announced that its configurator would be available to preorder holders on November 16. Rivian will send preorder holders an email to unlock early access to its configurator, which will be accessible to the public by November 23.
Launch Edition
Rivian will kick off deliveries in the Unites States with its limited R1T and R1S Launch Edition on June 2021 and August 2021, respectively. It plans to start R1T and R1S Launch Edition deliveries in Canada by November 2021. The company encourages preorder holders who are interested in acquiring the Launch Edition vehicles to reserve one as early as possible because supplies will be limited.
The R1T and R1S Launch Edition will come with Rivian’s premium Adventure Package and special interior badging. Launch Edition vehicles will also feature a unique paint option called “Launch Green,” as well as 20” All-Terrain or 22” Sport Wheels at no additional cost. The debut vehicles will offer an estimated 300+ mile range, suggesting that the vehicles will feature Rivian’s 135 kWh battery pack.
Rivian’s Equipment Packages
Rivian will be offering two equipment packages in its configurator named “Adventure” and “Explore.” Both equipment packages feature the same drivetrain and quad-motor configuration, as well as independent air suspension, active damping, and electro-hydrualic roll control.
They both also come with a panoramic all-glass roof, vegan leather seats, WiFi and 4G capabilities, and a 1000-lumen flashlight on the driver’s side door. Each package does have its own defining features.
- Adventure Package
The Adventure Package is essentially the Launch Edition minus the the special Launch Green paint option, interior branding, and free wheel upgrade. It comes standard with Rivian’s Off-Road Upgrade, which features a reinforced underbody shield and an on-board air compressor. A powered tonneau cover is also included, as well as the company’s “Gear Guard” remote monitoring system.
Inside the vehicle, the Adventure Package comes with heated and cooled perforated vegan seats, a cabin with natural-grained ash wood, and the electric truck maker’s Rivian Elevation 360° audio system featuring a removable Bluetooth speaker. Deliveries for the R1T and R1S Adventure Package that are not part of the Launch Edition will start January 2022.
- Explore Package
Rivian’s Explore Package is the most affordable trim listed by the electric car maker. It features a “sport interior” with matte black finishes throughout the cabin and heated vegan leather seats. The Explore Package also comes with a standard surround sound audio system.
Unlike the Adventure Package, the tonneau cover of the Explore Package is manual. Although, the tonneau cover’s panels are designed to lock together to double as a camp table. Rivian will start delivering its Explore Package trim will on January 2022.
Rivian hasn’t revealed all the specs for the R1T EV pickup truck or the R1S SUV. However, the clean energy automaker did share some information about the R1T and R1S vehicles battery packs and driver-assist system, named Rivian Driver+. More details about the specs and features of the R1T and R1S might be released once the company’s configurator is live later this month.
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Elon Musk has updated his timeline for when humans will walk on Mars and for when ships will simply get there.
The objective of getting to Mars has been one of Musk’s biggest goals since becoming a serial entrepreneur and realizing that time on Earth is limited. Musk has said several times he hopes to die on Mars, and not by impact.
Musk now believes that people will be on Mars in “roughly 5 to 7 years.” He said that a Mars lander will get there “a few years sooner.”
People on Mars in roughly 5 to 7 years.
Mars lander a few years sooner.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2026
The response from Musk comes after NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that SpaceX’s biggest priority is the Moon and not Mars. Because of this, Isaacman conceded that he believes nuclear power and propulsion investments will provide “potentially the pathway with the fewest miracles required to put four people on Mars in the next 10 to 15 years.”
Of course, this is what NASA can do through taxpayer funding and nuclear investments, he added.
Musk’s grand ambitions are much more optimistic than most, and it is certainly a double-edged sword. This is not the first time timelines for Mars have been somewhat lofty, especially to those normal thinkers like you and me, not super geniuses like Musk.
In fact, the SpaceX and Tesla frontman has said on at least a dozen occasions that we could be on Mars in the coming years. Musk said 2020 would be the big year as early as 2009. In 2020, he was “highly confident” of a landing in 2026, and had even said 2024 in a best-case scenario.
The point is, the range has varied, and it’s anyone’s guess when we’ll get there. This latest adjustment to the timeline is typical of Musk, and while the Moon has seemingly taken priority over Mars, it is still worth mentioning that the ultimate goal is to make life multiplanetary, and it starts potentially with the Red Planet.
SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) got an absolutely crazy price target rating from Raymond James after the company experienced a tough first few weeks following its Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Despite the tumultuous start, SpaceX has plenty of believers, and the company’s massively successful Starship launch last Friday, its 13th test flight of the massive rocket, went so smoothly that Raymond James analysts pushed its price target on the company to roughly 7 times its current trading level.
SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before
The firm officially put a “Strong Buy” rating and an $800 price target on the stock. It currently trades at around $113. Its all-time high is $225.64, reaching this trading level shortly after shares first went public.
Raymond James’ price target is tied to the firm’s confidence after Starship’s 13th test flight. Analysts at the firm said it was an incremental step that reduces engineering risks, citing the widely successful heat shield test that CEO Elon Musk recently detailed, the smooth deployment of Starlink V3 satellites, and a successful in-space engine relight.
SpaceX also managed to see Starship splash down safely in the Indian Ocean, while the Super Heavy Booster fell down to the Gulf of America with no incidents.
It is interesting to see these launches have such a tremendous impact on the stock and what investors think of it. After SpaceX initially delayed the Starship launch last week, shares fell tremendously. Most probably did not realize that the stand-down is a standard practice, especially if everything is not perfect.
The mission was initially aborted due to an issue with Raptor engines. This was resolved, and Starship launched last Friday after another delay on Thursday, which was caused by weather.
Now that analysts have seen what SpaceX launches are capable of and how impressive the feat is, firms are adjusting their price targets accordingly, making it known that they have high expectations for the space exploration company.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded to reports that Volvo is officially discontinuing the LiDAR sensor on two of its cars.
Volvo announced that it would officially scrap LiDAR systems on its EX90 and ES90 vehicles in various markets. In Norway, owners will get a €1,800 compensation for features that will never arrive due to this decision. There will be no option to remove the unit from vehicles, either.
The issue stems from Volvo’s supplier, Luminar, and its bankruptcy filing. Luminar will no longer be able to supply LiDAR units to Volvo for the EX90 and ES90, effectively axing any use the unit has on vehicles. Volvo will phase out the data collection processes via the LiDAR system, and it will not be utilized whatsoever.
Musk saw the story on X and responded, stating:
“I did try to warn them. Humans drive using neural nets and optical sensors. Same is true for robot cars.”
I did try to warn them.
Humans drive using neural nets and optical sensors. Same is true for robot cars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2026
Musk has been publicly vocal about his disdain for LiDAR systems, once calling them “a fool’s errand,” as he has consistently kept the outlook that they are not needed for effective self-driving.
The typical example used as evidence for this by Musk is humans themselves: made with only eyes and memories, humans are capable of navigating a car by using what they can see and what they’ve personally experienced on the road.
Elon Musk argues lidar and radar make self driving cars more dangerous
“Same is true for robot cars,” Musk says, as Teslas have eight exterior cameras that help see everything surrounding the vehicle, and a neural network that analyzes behavior and tendencies with every mile driven.
Tesla is a vision-only self-driving company that ditched sensors and radar several years ago in favor of cameras. Behind this effort, the company has established a reputation for having one of the most robust self-driving platforms in the world.
Musk’s big bet with Tesla on its self-driving program’s strategy has widely paid off. Other companies continue to utilize things like LiDAR, radar, and sensors for effective self-driving, but Tesla has shown that there is more than one way to give consumers a strong and accurate driver assistance suite.
The real question is: who will be the first company to take Musk’s advice and attempt a self-driving platform based on cameras only, or even license FSD for themselves?
Elon Musk updates the SpaceX timeline for Mars
SpaceX gets an absolutely crazy price target after rough IPO
