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Rivian’s polarizing ‘stadium’ headlights actually look great when activated in the wild
Rivian’s electric vehicles have been received very warmly, but there is one aspect of the R1T and the R1S that has drawn polarizing reactions from the automotive community as a whole—their “stadium” headlights, which are, simply put, unlike anything on the road today.
Both the Rivian R1T and R1S feature a long horizontal light bar that wraps around the front of the vehicle. This long light bar is studded by two headlights that Rivian calls “stadium lights,” likely due to their shape. This gives the R1T and the R1S a very distinct, if not approachable, look.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has admitted that the R1T and R1S’ stadium headlights may turn off some buyers because they look so different from any other headlights out there. But in a statement to Inverse back in March 2019, Scaringe suggested that the stadium headlights could actually be a compelling feature, especially since it has a great Easter egg.
“When the vehicle is charging, that middle portion (of the cross-car daytime running light) goes green,” he said. When the cross-vehicle headlight becomes green, the vehicle’s battery would be fully charged. This should make it easy for R1T and R1S drivers to see if their vehicles are ready to go.
Here’s a previously unreleased shot from the archive:@MinimalDuck and I caught this R1T leaving @Rivian HQ just after sunset a few weeks ago – Our first chance to see #Rivian’s headlights and taillights at night and they look EPIC! #Rivian #R1T #Prototype #EV pic.twitter.com/ytEiFTIFgq
— The Kilowatts 🚗⚡️ (@klwtts) March 24, 2021
Needless to say, it is not uncommon to find electric vehicle enthusiasts airing their criticism of the R1T and R1S’ unique headlights, with some noting that the vehicles would actually be perfect without them. Despite these sentiments, a recent sighting from electric vehicle enthusiast group The Kilowatts has indicated that Rivian’s stadium headlights actually look pretty darn good at night.
The EV group was driving close to a Rivian facility when they saw an R1T prototype testing in the wild. It was nighttime by then, so the electric car fans were able to get a great look at the upcoming all-electric pickup truck. The stadium headlights look very attractive when they’re engaged in the wild, making the R1T stand out among the vehicles on the road.
In the electric pickup market, the R1T is largely considered a vehicle with a relatively safe design, save for its headlights. This makes the R1T the middle ground of sorts between an unashamedly futuristic pickup like the Tesla Cybertruck and a traditional-looking pickup like the Lordstown Endurance.
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News
Tesla rolls out new life-saving feature for kids in Europe
On average, 37 children die every year from being left in vehicles unattended.

Tesla is rolling out a new life-saving feature in the European market, one that has been available in the United States for some time and can be considered potentially invaluable.
One of the most preventable causes of death for children is being left in cars unattended. On average, 37 children die every year after being left in hot vehicles. The cause of death is usually heatstroke, and it is incredibly avoidable.
Tesla rolls out new crucial safety feature aimed at saving children
However, there are instances where kids are left in vehicles and lose their lives, something that many companies have tried to fight with alerts and features of their own.
Tesla is one of them, as it has rolled out features like ultrasonic sensors to detect heartbeats, interior cameras to detect movement, and alerts to notify parents if they leave someone in the car.
A few months ago, Tesla rolled out a new feature called “Child Left Alone Detection” in the United States. It was described as:
“If an unattended child is detected, the vehicle will flash the exterior indicator lights, play an alert tone, and send a notification to your Tesla app. This will repeat at regular intervals until you return to your vehicle. Cabin data is processed locally and is not transmitted to Tesla.
This feature is enabled by default. To disable, go to Controls > Safety > Child Left Alone Detection.”
This feature was only rolled out in the U.S. at the time. It is now making its way to the European market, according to Not a Tesla App, which detected the rollout in the 2025.32.6 software update.
The rollout of this feature could specifically change many unfortunate situations. For many of us, it seems hard to think about leaving something as precious as another human life in a hot car. Many of us won’t leave our vehicles without our cell phones, so it seems unlikely that someone would do it without a child.
News
Tesla gets another NHTSA probe, this time related to door handles
“Although Tesla vehicles have manual door releases inside of the cabin, in these situations, a child may not be able to access or operate the releases even if the vehicle’s driver is aware of them.”

Tesla is facing another investigation into its vehicles by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this time related to an issue with its door handles.
In a new Open Investigation named “Electronic door handles become inoperative,” the NHTSA says that it has received nine complaints from owners of the 2021 Tesla Model Y stemming from “an inability to open doors.”
These issues were reported after “parents exited their vehicle after a drive cycle in order to remove a child from the pack seat or placing a child in the back seat before starting a drive cycle.” Parents said they were “unable to reopen a door to regain access to the vehicle.”
Tesla door handles become unlikely hero as they stump road rager
Four of the nine complaints ended with having to break a window to regain access to the cabin.
🚨 Model Year 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles are under a preliminary investigation by the NHTSA due to a potential issue with door handles, with nine owners reporting an inability to open doors from the outside
“The most commonly reported scenarios involved parents exiting the… pic.twitter.com/u0qBBiu9LT
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 16, 2025
The NHTSA goes on to explain that, while Teslas do have a manual door release inside the cabin, a child may not be able to access it:
“Although Tesla vehicles have manual door releases inside of the cabin, in these situations, a child may not be able to access or operate the releases even if the vehicle’s driver is aware of them. As a result, in these instances, an occupant who remains inside a vehicle in this condition may be unable to be rapidly retrieved by persons outside of the vehicle.”
It appears that the agency is attributing the issue to a low voltage in the vehicle’s 12V DC battery. This would mean there needs to be some sort of notification to the driver that the battery is running low on power and should be replaced to avoid this issue.
The NHTSA estimates that 174,290 vehicles are potentially impacted by this issue. It plans to assess the scope and severity of the condition, the agency says. The NHTSA also wants to see what approach Tesla uses to supply power to door locks and the reliability of the applicable power supplies.
News
Tesla won’t implement strange Grok character as Musk dispels rumor
It is nice to see that Tesla is not forcing this kind of character upon owners of their vehicles, especially considering that many people had a real problem with it.

Tesla is not going to implement a strange character as a Grok assistant in its vehicles, as CEO Elon Musk dispelled the rumor, which seemed to truly invoke some quite polarizing reactions.
Yesterday, there was some controversy within the Tesla community as rumors of a Grok assistant, named Mūn (pronounced like Moon), being implemented into the vehicles started to circulate.
It had some legitimacy. It was initially posted by an employee, and it appeared to be a relatively confirmed development.
However, it really did rub some people the wrong way. Mūn was an Anime-style female dressed in promiscuous clothing, so it was not everyone’s style, and I’m sure not everyone’s significant other’s cup of tea. It seemed a very strange decision to add it, especially considering that, at the time, there was no confirmation to dispel the arrival of the Grok assistant.
That was until Tesla CEO Elon Musk stepped in to put the speculation to bed once and for all.
🚨 Elon has confirmed the Grok assistant rumor with the character Mūn is untrue https://t.co/EC7absBZSj pic.twitter.com/1Skhvy9USQ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 16, 2025
It was somewhat strange that this type of issue arose in the first place, but given that it was initially released by an employee, the entire situation is self-explanatory.
It is nice to see that Tesla is not forcing this kind of character upon owners of their vehicles, especially considering that many people had a real problem with it. Many owners did not shy away from the fact that they would like the option to opt out:
I want something family friendly…like an Optimus avatar or something.
— FSD (Unsupervised) Test Pilot (@j32pmxr) September 16, 2025
For now, Grok remains a part of Tesla vehicles, and personally, it is very nice to have in my Model Y to answer some quick questions I might have or even to entertain some people in the car.
Nevertheless, I am relieved I won’t have this character forced upon me in my vehicle.
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