News
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.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
News
Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Swedish union Vision has withdrawn its sympathy blockade against Tesla’s planned service center and showroom in Kalmar. As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Vision’s decision to pull the blockade
Vision announced the blockade in early December, stating that it was targeting the administrative handling of Tesla’s facility permits in Kalmar municipality. The sympathy measure was expected to start Monday, but was formally withdrawn via documents sent to the Mediation Institute and Kalmar Municipality last week.
As noted in a Daggers Arbete report, plans for the strike were ultimately pulled after employer group SKR highlighted potential illegality under the Public Employment Act. Vision stressed its continued backing for the Swedish labor model, though Deputy negotiation manager Oskar Pettersson explained that the Vision union and IF Metall made the decision to cancel the planned strike together.
“We will not continue to challenge the regulations,” Petterson said. “The objection was of a technical nature. We made the assessment together with IF Metall that we were not in a position to challenge the legal assessment of whether we could take this particular action against Tesla. Therefore, we chose to revoke the notice itself.”
The SKR’s warning
Petterson also stated that SKR’s technical objection to the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla strike framed the protest as an unauthorized act. “It was a legal assessment of the situation. Both for us and for IF Metall, it is important to be clear that we stand for the Swedish model. But we should not continue to challenge the regulations and risk getting judgments that lead nowhere in the application of the regulations,” he said.
Vision ultimately canceled its planned blockade against Tesla on December 9. With Vision’s withdrawal, few obstacles remain for Tesla’s long-planned Kalmar site. A foreign electrical firm completed work this fall, and Tesla’s Careers page currently lists a full-time service manager position based there, signaling an imminent opening.
Tesla Semi Program Director Dan Priestly teased the major improvements to the all-electric Class 8 truck on Thursday night, following the company’s decision to overhaul the design earlier this year.
Priestley said he drove the Semi on Thursday, and the improvements appear to be welcomed by one of the minds behind the project. “Our customers are going to love it,” he concluded.
Just drove the redesigned Semi. Our customers are going to love it. https://t.co/KZ88sf1CDL
— Dan Priestley (@danWpriestley) December 19, 2025
The small detail does not seem like much, but it is coming from someone who has been involved in the development of the truck from A to Z. Priestley has been involved in the Semi program since November 2015 and has slowly worked his way through the ranks, and currently stands as the Director of the program.
Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries
Tesla made some major changes to the Semi design as it announced at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting that it changed the look and design to welcome improvements in efficiency.
Initially, Tesla adopted the blade-like light bar for the Semi, similar to the one that is present on the Model Y Premium and the Cybertruck.
Additionally, there are some slight aesthetic changes to help with efficiency, including a redesigned bumper with improved aero channels, a smaller wraparound windshield, and a smoother roofline for better aero performance.
All of these changes came as the company’s Semi Factory, which is located on Gigafactory Nevada’s property, was finishing up construction in preparation for initial production phases, as Tesla is planning to ramp up manufacturing next year. CEO Elon Musk has said the Semi has attracted “ridiculous demand.”
The Semi has already gathered many large companies that have signed up to buy units, including Frito-Lay and PepsiCo., which have been helping Tesla test the vehicle in a pilot program to test range, efficiency, and other important metrics that will be a major selling point.
Tesla will be the Semi’s first user, though, and the truck will help solve some of the company’s logistics needs in the coming years.
Tesla is dominating in the United Kingdom so far through 2025, and with about two weeks left in the year, the Model Y and Model 3 are leading the way.
The Model Y and Model 3 are the two best-selling electric vehicles in the United Kingdom, which is comprised of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and it’s not particularly close.
According to data gathered by EU-EVs, the Model Y is sitting at 18,890 units for the year, while the Model 3 is slightly behind with 16,361 sales for the year so far.
The next best-selling EV is the Audi Q4 e-tron at 10,287 units, lagging significantly behind but ahead of other models like the BMW i4 and the Audi Q6 e-tron.
GOOD NEWS 🇬🇧 Tesla is absolutely crushing the UK electric vehicle market in 2025 💥
The numbers are in, and the dominance is clear. With an impressive amount of 42,270 vehicles delivered year-to-date, the brand now commands a solid 9.6% market share of the total auto market 🆒… pic.twitter.com/dkiGX9kzd0
— Ming (@tslaming) December 18, 2025
The Model Y has tasted significant success in the global market, but it has dominated in large markets like Europe and the United States.
For years, it’s been a car that has fit the bill of exactly what consumers need: a perfect combination of luxury, space, and sustainability.
Both vehicles are going to see decreases in sales compared to 2024; the Model Y was the best-selling car last year, but it sold 32,610 units in the UK. Meanwhile, the Model 3 had reached 17,272 units, which will keep it right on par with last year.
Tesla sold 50,090 units in the market last year, and it’s about 8,000 units shy of last year’s pace. It also had a stronger market share last year with 13.2 percent of the sales in the market. With two weeks left in 2025, Tesla has a 9.6 percent market share, leading Volkswagen with 8 percent.
The company likely felt some impact from CEO Elon Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration and, more specifically, his role with DOGE. However, it is worth mentioning that some months saw stronger consumer demand than others. For example, sales were up over 20 percent in February. A 14 percent increase followed this in June.
Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
Tesla Semi program Director teases major improvements
