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Rivian unveils R3 and R3X following launch of R2
Rivian unveiled two additional vehicles following the launch of the highly-anticipated R2, as it rolled out the R3 and R3X.
The R3 and R3X, which is the Performance configuration of the R3, came as an unexpected surprise for viewers as CEO RJ Scaringe explained the changes it had made for the R2 from the R1 platform. Nobody expected Rivian to roll out another vehicle and show off its high-end, performance-geared edition, as well.
Rivian R2 unveiling: Features, specs, price, release date revealed
The R3 is an even more compact version of the R2 and is slightly similar in looks to 1980s-era rally vehicles. Its small, compact design is coupled with a hatchback-style rear door that features multiple entry points for more cargo space, especially for long, outdoor items like surfboards and skis.
R2 is just the beginning. Say hello to R3. pic.twitter.com/zHaWUOE7vP
— Rivian (@Rivian) March 7, 2024
Rivian kept most of the introductory details of the R3 and R3X, like price, specific performance specifications, and availability, under wraps. The R2 is, without a doubt, taking priority for Rivian moving forward due to its low price and potential to bring the automaker toward a more stable financial situation.
Despite the lack of key specs, Rivian was sure to detail the inspiration for the R3, and it appears rally vehicles were exactly what the company was after when the vehicle came to fruition:
R3X is a rally-inspired crossover designed for whatever you throw at it.#RivianR3X pic.twitter.com/zBzKzi8Ilg
— Rivian (@Rivian) March 7, 2024
R3 is described by Rivian as “a midsize crossover that is tidy on dimensions but delivers big in terms of performance, off-road capability, passenger comfort, and storage.” The company expects the R3 to be priced “below the R2, making Rivian vehicles more accessible to more people.”
Configurations
Both the R2 and R3 vehicles will feature three configurations: a Single, Dual, and Tri-Motor variant. The Tri-Motor will enable 0-60 MPH in under three seconds.
R3 is our take on what a crossover can be — built on the same midsize platform as R2, but smaller and at a lower price point.#RivianR3 pic.twitter.com/V6nDXbF95F
— Rivian (@Rivian) March 7, 2024
Structural Battery Pack
Each R2 and R3 build will also feature a structural battery pack with an all-new 4695 battery cell. These new batteries are set to enable over 300 miles of range on a single charge in each car. They will be DC fast-charging capable with both the NACS and CCS inlets and will charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes.
Self-Driving
Rivian plans to utilize 11 cameras, five radars, and a new, more powerful computing platform to help it achieve autonomous driving capabilities.
Interestingly, Rivian is employing both cameras and radars for its self-driving quest, differing from Tesla, who switched to camera-only.
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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) reported its earnings for the first quarter of 2026 on Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what the company reported compared to what Wall Street analysts expected.
The earnings results come after Tesla reported a massive beat on vehicle deliveries for the second quarter, delivering 489,126 vehicles and building 451,758 cars during the three-month span.
This was a major shock for those on Wall Street as they anticipated somewhere around 400,000 deliveries for the quarter, and showed Tesla still has plenty of demand for its vehicles around the world and in the U.S. despite losing the $7,500 EV Tax Credit last year.
Tesla Q2 2026 Earnings Results
- Non-GAAP EPS – $0.33 reported vs. $0.53 expected
- Revenues – $28.236 billion reported vs. $26.4 billion expected
- Free Cash Flow- -$1.092B
- Profit -$ 4.751B
Tesla (beat/missed) analyst expectations, so the market response to the company’s quarter is what we will look for next.
Tesla shares closed today down just over 1 percent, trading at $374.01.
In the past, it has been anyone’s guess with what Tesla shares will do after they report earnings. Strong quarters have resulted in sharp drops, while lackluster quarters have seen the stock shoot up considerably.
Tesla will hold its Q2 2026 Earnings Call in about 90 minutes at 5:30 p.m. on the East Coast. Remarks will be made by CEO Elon Musk and other executives, who will shed some light on the investor questions that we covered earlier this week.
You can stream it below. Additionally, we will be doing our Live Blog on X and Facebook.
Q2 2026 Earnings Call https://t.co/zZS6ii2TWK
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 22, 2026
Tesla is about to make parking in busy parking lots at businesses and other points of interest less stressful than ever by allowing drivers more control over where they park and how, CEO Elon Musk confirmed on X.
Tesla has been working to improve the parking performance of vehicles utilizing the Full Self-Driving suite, but now it is looking to add more customization, allowing drivers to choose the specific space they park in, but also potentially the orientation the car pulls into the spot:
It’s coming soon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2026
Musk has reiterated on X twice over the past several weeks that Tesla is working to make things with the FSD suite based more on the driver’s specific preferences and behaviors that were seen in past drives.
Essentially, it sounds like if you tend to park away from a business to avoid other vehicles, Tesla FSD will soon recognize that preference of yours and start parking further away as well. Additionally, the prospect of assigned parking spaces has been something many owners have voiced concerns about.
Living in a community with assigned parking spaces makes using FSD incredibly difficult as it will rarely park in the correct spot when there are so many to choose from. This is also pertinent in work settings where there are sometimes assigned parking spaces.
The updates to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite in terms of listening to driver preferences with parking are also extending to routing. Tesla announced yesterday that with the release of its 2026 Summer Update, it was adding Automatic Navigation and Preferred Routes:
Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more
Tesla has always maintained the idea that any human input is bad input, and that, ideally, Tesla Full Self-Driving will always make the right decision. Of course, this is all in theory, but the issue is that so many of Tesla’s interventions have come because it does something that is not necessarily wrong, but perhaps not what the driver would prefer.
Taking these preferences into account will help Tesla alleviate some of the potentially unnecessary interventions that drivers perform.
Tesla is starting to prepare for the launch of the Optimus robot in its smartphone app, new coding strings show. Elon Musk has referred to Optimus as what will be the greatest-selling product of any kind of all time, and now, Tesla is getting ready for its launch.
Tesla’s smartphone app had several first-time mentions of the Optimus program, according to Tesla App Updates, who intially reported on the appearance. Here’s what they found:
A Dedicated “Robot” Phone Key Authentication
Tesla is working on a Bluetooth Low Energy, or BLE, authentication that is specifically for robots. This does not only apply to Optimus, though, as Robotaxi, which is Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, might also identify vehicles within the fleet as robots as well.
Tesla shows rapid teardown of Model S and X lines, paving the way for Optimus at Fremont
Essentially, pairing your phone as a key to anything Tesla identifies as a robot to a “whitelist” of authorized devices. Optimus, Robotaxi, or other products that fall into this category will only respond if the device trying to communicate with it is authorized.
This is a great security feature that will eliminate at least face-value and low-level threats.
Home Data Collection and System Alerts
This appears to be somewhat of a neural network for Optimus within your house. There will be a dedicated screen that asks for consent to collect both video and spatial data while Optimus performs in-home tasks. Everything from vacuuming, washing dishes, dusting, and other activities will be tracked.
There will also be a comprehensive alert system that will track everything from low battery to mechanical issues.
Other Changes
Most of the changes tracked in this particular app update are related to Tesla’s 2026 Summer Update, and include things such as image assets for new features, a preview of the new custom wraps feature, and other unique features.
You can check out our coverage on what is included with the 2026 Summer Update here:
Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more
Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2026 earnings results: miss on EPS, beat on revenue
Tesla is about to make parking in busy lots less stressful than ever
