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Rivian R1T trucks spotted in Argentina for EV adventure travel show: report

(Image: Autoblog Argentina)

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Getting a glimpse of any Rivian vehicle outside their show models is pretty rare, and even then it’s usually just a test mule with another manufacturer’s body wrap. However, Rivian fans are in for a treat this week as two additional R1T all-electric trucks were spotted in Ushuaia, Argentina.

The white-bodied pickup models recently arrived in the country and are reportedly going to be part of an adventure travel show starring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. Previous projects by the duo involved trekking through various locations around the world on motorcycles, one titled Long Way Round, the other Long Way Down. This newest show will be called Long Way Up and involves electric motorcycles, specifically the Harley-Davidson LiveWire, and it will document McGregor and Boorman traveling from Argentina through Los Angeles, according to Argentinian publication Autoblog. The trip will possibly go as far as Alaska, depending on various factors.

Rivian R1T pickup trucks spotted in Argentina. (Credit: Juan Guillermo/Instagram)

A few new R1T features seen were noted by RivianForums user jimcgov3 who posted images of the truck originally from Juan Guillermo Bauer’s Instagram side-by-side with Rivian’s images. First, the two models seen in Argentina appear to be prototype models vs. the show models specifically described as what the R1T will look like in final production by various Rivian team members. The one photo showing the inside of the truck’s cabin has generic buttons throughout both the steering wheel and the center console. Next, the charge port on the vehicle is on the driver’s side after being on the passenger’s side in Rivian’s concept images. Tow hooks have also been added to the front bumper, and the “Black Mountain” interior coloring seems to be appearing for the first time. Finally, an R1T tailgate logo looks to have made its debut for the long trip.

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Rivian R1T pickup trucks spotted in Argentina. (Credit: Autoblog Argentina)

A video posted by Autoblog of the R1T trucks arriving in Ushuaia had a bit of a Jurassic Park-style feel to it, tying well with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe’s prior references to self-driving ‘Jurassic Park’ tours with their vehicles, although the lack of velociraptors in the shipments ties for both cool and uncool. It does appear that a gas-powered caravan will be following the show, but a Ford F-150 Raptor isn’t part of the crew. For the record, an F-350 will be tagging along for support as well as a few vans. Filming is said to begin next week.

As Rivian gears up for full production, a few features of the upcoming R1T have been teased as has factory progress. In July, the company’s official Twitter account touted its manufacturing progress with photos of several stamped metal frames for the truck hanging on racks inside one of their facilities. “Busy making metal!” the company posted as a caption alongside three images. Also revealed in the photos was Rivian’s logo stamped on the parts, a nod to their attention to detail.

Earlier this month, the company’s Twitter account also revealed several roof options that would be available for the R1T. “We will offer multiple roof styles including electrochromic glass (which turns from opaque to transparent on demand), a fixed glass panel, a two-piece removable composite roof and a standard fixed roof,” the company replied in response to a related question. The electrochromic roofs on the current demo R1T and R1S are controlled from the main infotainment screen, as has been shown by Rivian team members during trade and auto show appearances.

Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk says Tesla Cybercab future is ‘obvious to anyone with eyes and a brain’

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Elon Musk said the Tesla Cybercab will perform “a majority of all passenger miles” where it is allowed to operate and that point is “obvious to anyone with eyes and a brain.”

Musk used the point to double down on the company’s decision to ax the cult-favorite Cybertruck, as its production space will be removed and transitioned into additional Cybercab lines. The move has catalyzed a polarizing conversation on whether its right or wrong.

Whatever side you are on — it’s happening.

Regardless, Musk seems to be getting to the point that he is done talking about the choice. At some point, you have to think that this was truly a difficult decision for him and the company as well, and this is not something he took lightly. In fact, he’s probably a little bit disappointed with it, too.

But the point remains that the Cybertruck is gone. Musk’s focus is purely on developing an autonomous platform that the world will utilize for transportation, and he’s telling you that anyone “with eyes and a brain” can see it:

Tesla is betting that all of its passengers in the future will be okay with not owning their own personal cars and will be fine with ride-hailing for the rest of their lives. Every dinner, every errand, every trip to the airport and transportation thereafter, will all be operated by ride-sharing, and in Tesla’s perfect world, it will happen in a Cybercab.

As of now, Cybercab is only active in Austin, but it has been spotted all over the country with a driver behind the wheel in those prototypes. In Austin, the car has no steering wheel or pedals for people to control the vehicle.

The Cybertruck dilemma is one that has truly come across the entire Tesla community and while it seems to be a great idea to keep it because people love it, the business side of things is steering Musk and Tesla in another direction.

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Tesla slims Cybertruck offerings to only its most expensive trim

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Credit: u/dregonzz/Reddit

Tesla has slimmed its Cybertruck offerings to offer only its most expensive trim: the Cyberbeast.

After announcing that the Cybertruck would no longer be produced and the company would wind down manufacturing sometime in the middle of 2027, Tesla started to eliminate some of the configurations offered to customers.

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Now, only one remains: the $109,990 Cyberbeast. This is truly what seems like Tesla’s last effort to deter any remaining orders from coming in: eliminate the cheap trims and leave only the high-dollar vehicle within the lineup of Cybertruck options.

Those who want to take advantage of this last-ditch opportunity to own Tesla’s symbolic pickup have to pay to play.

Tesla says the reason for the wind down is truly because of Cybercab and its importance to the future.

Despite cries for Tesla to continue production of the pickup, Musk says it is too difficult to ramp a high-volume line instead of ending the truck altogether. He also says Cybercab is what will take passengers around for the “majority of all miles in any jurisdiction where it is not prohibited by law.”

Tesla is going all in on autonomy, and that’s never been a secret. But the commitment to a two-door, two-seat Cybercab truly limits people from having options for labor or hobbies. It also limits people from having their entire family in a single car.

Parents with even a single child will be required to take multiple vehicles if Cybercab is truly the only option Tesla plans to have.

Elon Musk keeps justifying Tesla Cybertruck’s cancelation, but it’s confusing

Tesla has stated the Robovan will also be in production eventually, but it still does not seem like the most ideal vehicle to own. It seems like it is geared more toward commercial uses, but Tesla might have something in the pipeline for families.

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Tesla exec hints at a wild fix for Robotaxi’s biggest weather problem

Tesla VP Lars Moravy says focused lasers could keep robotaxi cameras clear instead of wipers.

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Tesla Cybercab in a rainy Austin, Texas rendering

Tesla may one day use lasers instead of wiper blades to keep its robotaxi cameras clear. Lars Moravy, Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, floated the idea in a new episode of Jay Leno’s Garage released Monday, where he and design chief Franz von Holzhausen walked Leno through the Model Y L.

“If you fire them in a focused area, you can clean the sheet of water and create a barrier,” Moravy said. “When you think about autonomy, it might be a good solution to only clean the area where the camera is.” He added that clearing an entire windshield would take too many lasers to be practical.

The comment brings back one of Tesla’s stranger patents. The company filed for “Pulsed Laser Cleaning of Debris Accumulated on Glass Articles in Vehicles and Photovoltaic Assemblies” in May 2019, and the U.S. Patent Office granted it in September 2021. An updated divisional version was granted on March 31, 2026. The system detects debris on the glass, identifies what it is, and pulses the laser at a calibrated rate so the beam never penetrates deeper than the glass itself. The filing names windshields, side windows, camera lenses and solar panels as possible targets.

Lasers were once rumored for the Cybertruck, which appeared at its November 2019 unveiling with no wipers at all. Tesla eventually settled on a single oversized blade, and Elon Musk admitted the wiper was the part of the truck that troubled him the most. That production line is now scheduled to shut down around mid 2027 to make room for more Cybercab output.

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What has changed since then is who is in the vehicle. A privately owned car has a driver who can notice a smeared windshield and do something about it. A Cybercab heading to its next pickup has nobody on board to check. Tesla has been chipping away at that problem with conventional hardware. Model Y Robotaxis in Austin were spotted with washers on their side repeater cameras in January, and a lens cleaning patent granted in May describes a fluid and wiper assembly for vehicle cameras and Optimus’ eyes. A laser would remove the fluid and the blades, both of which need regular replacement across a fleet.

The same episode gave Leno his first ride on Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The Model Y L pulled over on its own when an ambulance approached with its sirens on. “We got it on self-driving mode! I’m not touching anything,” Leno said. Moravy and von Holzhausen also explained that owners remain responsible while using FSD (Supervised), while Tesla takes responsibility for Robotaxi rides because it acts as the operator. Tesla launched the Model Y L in the U.S. in July at $61,990.

Moravy gave no timeline, and he described the laser setup as something Tesla is considering rather than a confirmed feature. The fleet it would serve keeps getting bigger, though. Tesla launched unsupervised Robotaxi service in San Antonio on Monday, its eighth city, and expanded its Austin service area to roughly 443 square miles on the same day. Several of those markets, including Houston, Miami and Tampa, see heavy seasonal rain.

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