Rivian is preparing owners to use Tesla Superchargers fitted with the “Magic Dock” in its newest Over-the-Air update.
Tesla opened select Superchargers in the United States to other electric vehicle manufacturers last month, which has been a successful program thus far.
The decision by Tesla to open various charging piles around the U.S. to other EV makers helps it qualify for a slice of $7.5 billion in government funding, which required charging makers to develop non-specific or non-dedicated chargers that were only operational with set manufacturers.
Tesla makes its own chargers and has long held a sizeable advantage in EV charging due to the sheer size of its infrastructure and its dependability.
Now, Rivian is helping owners take advantage of the Supercharger Network by adding locations in the in-car navigation.
As a part of Rivian Software Update 2023.10.00, Tesla Superchargers will now appear in Rivian’s in-car navigation:
“Your vehicle now shows select Tesla Supercharger locations with a Magic Dock in the Navigation app’s charger filters. A Magic Dock allows you to charge your Rivian at select Tesla Supercharger locations. These locations also show in the Rivian mobile app version 1.12 or later. To charge at a Tesla Supercharger, you need to download the Tesla app.”
Select Rivian owners have already utilized the Supercharger Network run by Tesla, and reviews have been mixed thus far. The most notable is that of well-known tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, who said his experience was chaotic due to the congestion the program could cause.
“Suddenly, you’re taking up two spots for what would normally be one,” he said.
The Superchargers are already optimized for Tesla vehicles, which have their port located on the rear of the vehicle. Other cars are forced to double park or park awkwardly to take advantage of the charging system.
“If I was like a huge Tesla person I would probably be worried about you know my own Tesla experience,” Brownlee added. “Will it get worse because more people are charging? Potentially, you’ll have more people waiting in line more people taking up more spots.”
Rivian is also adding a new TuneIn Premium Trial, giving owners a year of free service. Plug and Charge will also allow a more seamless experience at Rivian Adventure Network and Waypoint Chargers.
Rivian’s full 2023.10.00 release notes are available below (via Rivian.Software):
New TuneIn Premium Trial
An exclusive TuneIn Premium trial for 365 days is now available for Rivian customers. With TuneIn Premium you have access to:
- Every MLB and NHL game. Live. No blackouts.
- Nonstop news coverage. Commercial free.
- Less ads on 100,000 radio stations.
Note: You may lose access to TuneIn Premium channels unless you activate the free trial or have a Premium account.
Tesla Supercharger Network Now Available In Navigation Charger Filters
Your vehicle now shows select Tesla Supercharger locations with a Magic Dock in the Navigation app’s charger filters. A Magic Dock allows you to charge your Rivian at select Tesla Supercharger locations. These locations also show in the Rivian mobile app version 1.12 or later. To charge at a Tesla Supercharger, you need to download the Tesla app.
Plug and Charge
This release enables vehicle Plug and Charge functionality when charging on the Rivian Adventure Network and Waypoint Chargers, in order to provide a seamless experience.
Note: This feature will be introduced on the Rivian Adventure Network and Waypoint Chargers on a rolling basis.
New Third Row Fan Control (R1S ONLY)
The second- and third-row seats now have separate controls for your convenince. For access, choose the temperature with the Fan icon on the center display. Then choose Middle to access the second-row climate controls, or choose Back to access the third-row fan controls.
Additional Improvements
- Highway Assist has been improved to reduce the frequency of hands-on warnings when Highway Assist is active in stop-and-go traffic scenarios. You still must remain attentive and should be prepared to take control of the vehicle at any time while Highway Assist is engaged. For more information, please see the Owner’s Guide.
- You can now open and close your liftgate with the mobile app version 1.12 and later (R1S ONLY)
- You can now open your tailgate with the mobile app version 1.12 and later (R1T ONLY)
- Improved range loss when a phone key is near the vehicle for long periods of time.
- Improved phone key and key fob proximity unlocking consistency.
- You can now toggle exterior lock sound on and off. Choose Settings > Vehicle > Access > Lock Sound (exterior).
- Added a text label to state your key fob’s battery level inside of Settings > Drivers and Keys. The indicator text will appear when the battery level is medium or low only.
- Hotspot Improvements
- You can now choose the Hotspot button in the status bar to toggle the hotspot on or off and open hotspot settings.
- Fixed an issue where quickly toggling the hotspot on and off indefinitely disabled it until you restarted the vehicle.
- Media Fixes and Improvements
- You can scroll through your Favorites with the left thumb control on the steering wheel.
- Fixed a rare issue where TIDAL crashed when trying to perform a text search.
- Fixed an occasional issue where the Bluetooth media player showed the incorrect play/pause state.
- Fixed an occasional issue where the radio wouldn’t resume playing after returning to your vehicle within five minutes.
- After you remove the charging cable, the charge port door no longer automatically closes after 30 seconds. The charge port door closes automatically when you drive the vehicle. You can also manually close it from the center display or using the sensor on the charge port door.
- Fixed an issue where an erroneous notification was shown when attempting to use Adaptive Cruise Control while stability control was disabled in vehicle settings.
- Fixed a rare issue that caused inconsistent lane centering when Highway Assist was active.
- Fixed an occasional issue where you would see an unrelated notification when switching between day and night mode.
- Fixed a very rare issue that caused an internal loss of communication when turning on a vehicle, which drained the 12 V batteries.
News
Tesla (TSLA) receives “Buy” rating and $551 PT from Canaccord Genuity
He also maintained a “Buy” rating for TSLA stock over the company’s improving long-term outlook, which is driven by autonomy and robotics.
Canaccord Genuity analyst George Gianarikas raised his Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target from $482 to $551. He also maintained a “Buy” rating for TSLA stock over the company’s improving long-term outlook, which is driven by autonomy and robotics.
The analyst’s updated note
Gianarikas lowered his 4Q25 delivery estimates but pointed to several positive factors in the Tesla story. He noted that EV adoption in emerging markets is gaining pace, and progress in FSD and the Robotaxi rollout in 2026 represent major upside drivers. Further progress in the Optimus program next year could also add more momentum for the electric vehicle maker.
“Overall, yes, 4Q25 delivery expectations are being revised lower. However, the reset in the US EV market is laying the groundwork for a more durable and attractive long-term demand environment.
“At the same time, EV penetration in emerging markets is accelerating, reinforcing Tesla’s potential multi‑year growth runway beyond the US. Global progress in FSD and the anticipated rollout of a larger robotaxi fleet in 2026 are increasingly important components of the Tesla equity story and could provide sentiment tailwinds,” the analyst wrote.
Tesla’s busy 2026
The upcoming year would be a busy one for Tesla, considering the company’s plans and targets. The autonomous two-seat Cybercab has been confirmed to start production sometime in Q2 2026, as per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting.
Apart from this, Tesla is also expected to unveil the next-generation Roadster on April 1, 2026. Tesla is also expected to start high-volume production of the Tesla Semi in Nevada next year.
Apart from vehicle launches, Tesla has expressed its intentions to significantly ramp the rollout of FSD to several regions worldwide, such as Europe. Plans are also underway to launch more Robotaxi networks in several more key areas across the United States.
News
Waymo sues Santa Monica over order to halt overnight charging sessions
In its complaint, Waymo argued that its self-driving cars’ operations do not constitute a public nuisance, and compliance with the city’s order would cause the company irreparable harm.
Waymo has filed a lawsuit against the City of Santa Monica in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeking to block an order that requires the company to cease overnight charging at two facilities.
In its complaint, Waymo argued that its self-driving cars’ operations do not constitute a public nuisance, and compliance with the city’s order would cause the company irreparable harm.
Nuisance claims
As noted in a report from the Los Angeles Times, Waymo’s two charging sites at Euclid Street and Broadway have operated for about a year, supporting the company’s growing fleet with round-the-clock activity. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in residents in the area reportedly being unable to sleep due to incessant beeping from self-driving taxis that are moving in and out of the charging stations around the clock.
Frustrated residents have protested against the Waymos by blocking the vehicles’ paths, placing cones, and “stacking” cars to create backups. This has also resulted in multiple calls to the police.
Last month, the city issued an order to Waymo and its charging partner, Voltera, to cease overnight operations at the charging locations, stating that the self-driving vehicles’ activities at night were a public nuisance. A December 15 meeting yielded no agreement on mitigations like software rerouting. Waymo proposed changes, but the city reportedly insisted that nothing would satisfy the irate residents.
“We are disappointed that the City has chosen an adversarial path over a collaborative one. The City’s position has been to insist that no actions taken or proposed by Waymo would satisfy the complaining neighbors and therefore must be deemed insufficient,” a Waymo spokesperson stated.
Waymo pushes back
In its legal complaint, Waymo stated that its “activities at the Broadway Facilities do not constitute a public nuisance.” The company also noted that it “faces imminent and irreparable harm to its operations, employees, and customers” from the city’s order. The suit also stated that the city was fully aware that the Voltera charging sites would be operating around the clock to support Waymo’s self-driving taxis.
The company highlighted over one million trips in Santa Monica since launch, with more than 50,000 rides starting or ending there in November alone. Waymo also criticized the city for adopting a contentious strategy against businesses.
“The City of Santa Monica’s recent actions are inconsistent with its stated goal of attracting investment. At a time when the City faces a serious fiscal crisis, officials are choosing to obstruct properly permitted investment rather than fostering a ‘ready for business’ environment,” Waymo stated.
News
Tesla FSD v14.2.2 is getting rave reviews from drivers
So far, early testers have reported buttery-smooth drives with confident performance, even at night or on twisty roads.
Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.2.2 is receiving positive reviews from owners, with several drivers praising the build’s lack of hesitation during lane changes and its smoother decision-making, among others.
The update, which started rolling out on Monday, also adds features like dynamic arrival pin adjustment. So far, early testers have reported buttery-smooth drives with confident performance, even at night or on twisty roads.
Owners highlight major improvements
Longtime Tesla owner and FSD user @BLKMDL3 shared a detailed 10-hour impression of FSD v14.2.2, noting that the system exhibited “zero lane change hesitation” and “extremely refined” lane choices. He praised Mad Max mode’s performance, stellar parking in locations including ticket dispensers, and impressive canyon runs even in dark conditions.
Fellow FSD user Dan Burkland reported an hour of FSD v14.2.2’s nighttime driving with “zero hesitations” and “buttery smooth” confidence reminiscent of Robotaxi rides in areas such as Austin, Texas. Veteran FSD user Whole Mars Catalog also demonstrated voice navigation via Grok, while Tesla owner Devin Olsen completed a nearly two-hour drive with FSD v14.2.2 in heavy traffic and rain with strong performance.
Closer to unsupervised
FSD has been receiving rave reviews, even from Tesla’s competitors. Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng, for one, offered fresh praise for FSD v14.2 after visiting Silicon Valley. Following extended test drives of Tesla vehicles running the latest FSD software, He stated that the system has made major strides, reinforcing his view that Tesla’s approach to autonomy is indeed the proper path towards autonomy.
According to He, Tesla’s FSD has evolved from a smooth Level 2 advanced driver assistance system into what he described as a “near-Level 4” experience in terms of capabilities. While acknowledging that areas of improvement are still present, the Xpeng CEO stated that FSD’s current iteration significantly surpasses last year’s capabilities. He also reiterated his belief that Tesla’s strategy of using the same autonomous software and hardware architecture across private vehicles and robotaxis is the right long-term approach, as it would allow users to bypass intermediate autonomy stages and move closer to Level 4 functionality.