Rivian bet the company on R2. RJ Scaringe told us almost everything

Congress could decide who's allowed to fix your car

Who's allowed to fix the car you own? Who's allowed to choose the mechanic that wrenches on the vehicle you own? As cars have become more complex and computerized, and corporations have become more fixated on gathering data, the topic of right to repair has become more intense. It's been thrust back into the limelight with recent comments from automaker CEOs and the White House. The Drive's Director Of Content And Product Joel Feder and Executive Editor Andrew P. Collins break down what right to repair is, what's happening, how we got here, and what it means for you. Stories mentioned in today's episode: Feds Might Flip the Script on Right to Repair Vehicle Emissions Systems [https://www.thedrive.com/news/feds-might-flip-the-script-on-right-to-repair-vehicle-emissions-systems] Ford CEO Jim Farley’s Right To Repair Comment Should Make Every Car Owner Uncomfortable [https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-ceo-jim-farleys-right-to-repair-comment-should-make-every-car-owner-uncomfortable] Want To Stop Your New Car From Transmitting Your Personal Data? It’s Possible [https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-security-pros-toyota-rav4-cant-spy-on-him-anymore-heres-how-he-did-it] Replacing Brake Pads on a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Requires a Professional Mechanic’s Login [https://www.thedrive.com/news/replacing-brake-pads-on-a-hyundai-ioniq-5-n-requires-a-professional-mechanics-login] 00:00 Intro 06:05 - What is right to repair? 07:53 - How did we get here? 10:49 - Why are we talking about this? Where are we now? 12:44 - Ford CEO Jim Farley claims it's about Safety 21:14 - Modern cars are complicated and computerized 22:49 - The future 32:32 - What can consumers do? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

License plate cameras are tracking everything

The devices you carry will enable law enforcement and the government to track your every move. Scary thought. Time to break out the tin-foil hats. A new kind of license-plate reading camera is said to be far more than its name. It will be able to scrape the smart devices you take with you and wrap all that data in a nice little bow for law enforcement and government agencies. The Drive's Director Of Content And Product Joel Feder and Senior Editor Adam Ismail are joined by security expert Matt Hurewitz, who is currently the CISO at Ent.AI, to sort fact from fiction and dissect what's really going on here. Stories mentioned in today's episode: License Plate Cameras Will Soon Track Phones, Wearables, Infotainment, and Even Your Pets [https://www.thedrive.com/news/license-plate-cameras-will-soon-track-phones-wearables-infotainment-and-even-your-pets] Want To Stop Your New Car From Transmitting Your Personal Data? It’s Possible [https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-security-pros-toyota-rav4-cant-spy-on-him-anymore-heres-how-he-did-it] Cops Are Already Using License Plate Readers to Stalk People [https://www.thedrive.com/news/cops-are-already-using-license-plate-readers-to-stalk-people] 00:00 Intro 04:14 License plate cameras are about to track you 07:42 Should you be concerned? 13:56 The danger that lurks 16:42 Slippery slope 18:40 Cars are incredibly complicated and connected now 20:37 What can people do? 23:04 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

GM said they crushed them all. One ended up in Sweden

Almost two decades ago General Motors almost changed pickup truck history, and would've changed the entire market. A new, smaller, Baby Duramax turbodiesel V8 was set to launch and reset the bar for torque, fuel economy, and technology in the half-ton market. The engine was done, but the entire thing was scrapped with the crash of 2008 when GM filed bankruptcy. The automaker claimed all the prototypes were crushed, but at lest one escaped into the wild. So today, we dig into the history books and dissect the story of the unreleased Baby Duramax and a prototype surfacing in the real world. Stories mentioned in today's episode: The Recession Killed GM’s 4.5L Duramax V8, But One Escaped the Factory [https://www.thedrive.com/news/culture/the-recession-killed-gms-4-5l-duramax-v8-but-one-escaped-the-factory] I Found the Canceled 4.5L Duramax V8 Prototypes, Then They Disappeared [https://www.thedrive.com/news/i-found-the-canceled-4-5l-duramax-v8-prototypes-then-they-disappeared] We Found GM’s Lost Duramax V8 Prototype That Could’ve Reinvented Modern Trucks [https://www.thedrive.com/news/we-found-gms-lost-duramax-v8-prototype-that-couldve-reinvented-modern-trucks] 00:00 Intro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Rivian bet the company on R2. RJ Scaringe told us almost everything

Rivian, by many accounts, has become the darling of the automotive industry. It’s a hot topic despite its current volume and scale. To date, it’s not a mainstream brand with a mass-market offering. But that changed yesterday with the launch of the R2, which costs between $45,000 and $60,000 while hitting at the absolute heart of the compact crossover SUV market at 186 inches long, which is the size of the Toyota RAV4 and Tesla Model Y. The former is one of the best selling vehicles period while the latter is one of the best-selling EVs by the widest of margins it’s not even funny. Now it’s Rivian’s turn to step into the arena and aim for the masses. This is the moment RJ Scaringe and his team has been building towards for years. Everything is riding on this. This week, The Drive's Director of Content and Product, Joel Feder, is joined by Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe to dissect how we got here, missteps, where the company is today, and what's about to happen in both the immediate and longer-term future. So, today, it’s behind-the-scenes on Rivian going into the mass market arena, what that looks like, how it plays out, and addressing how the automaker aims to tackle it all. Stories mentioned in today's episode: 2027 Rivian R2 First Drive Review: The Perfect Car for So Many People [https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/2027-rivian-r2-first-drive-review]Somehow, Rivian’s Cheaper R2 Is Its Most Refined Vehicle [https://www.thedrive.com/news/somehow-rivians-cheaper-r2-is-its-most-refined-vehicle] The Rivian R2 Needed a Rear Wiper That Didn’t Exist. So Rivian Invented One [https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-rivian-r2-needed-a-rear-wiper-that-didnt-exist-so-rivian-invented-one] 2026 Rivian R1T Quad First Drive Review: When Too Much Is Just Enough [https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/2026-rivian-r1t-quad-review] Rivian Is Going RAD. But Can It Stick the Landing? [https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-is-going-rad-but-can-it-stick-the-landing] Rivian Won’t Talk About the Missing R2 Tri-Motor. The Reason Why Is Big [https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-wont-talk-about-the-missing-r2-tri-motor-the-reason-why-is-big] Rivian Sidesteps Apple CarPlay With Built-In Texting [https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-sidesteps-apple-carplay-with-built-in-texting] 00:00 Intro 04:05 R2 profitability 07:43 R2 launch 10:49 Service 16:54 Rivian Adventure Network 20:03 RAD 25:47 R3X 26:25 R2T? 29:13 R4 29:31 Patents and a winch for R1 30:57 Repairability 35:32 Buttons, knobs, and the Halo wheels 37:43 Voice controls 39:07 RJ's final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Inside Toyota's reliability crisis

Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, who for decades has been known for building more reliable cars than anyone else. But lately, some big cracks are starting to form in that foundation. Last month, Toyota added another 44,000 vehicles to its ongoing recall of Tundra pickups and Lexus SUVs with the company’s troubled 3.4-liter twin turbo V6, bringing the total to nearly 270,000 trucks over the last two years. And this isn’t some precautionary move—metal debris left in the engine during assembly is causing sudden and catastrophic failure, a previous attempt to stop it didn’t work, and so far Toyota has had to replace tens of thousands of engines for free. So today, it’s Toyota’s reliability crisis—how it ended up here, what’s really happening beyond the headlines, and what might be next. Stories mentioned in today's episode: Toyota Turbo V6 Recall Campaign Grows to Include More Than 250,000 Trucks [https://www.thedrive.com/news/toyota-turbo-v6-recall-campaign-grows-to-include-more-than-250000-trucks] We Finally Know Why the Toyota Tundra V6 Keeps Self-Destructing [https://www.thedrive.com/news/we-finally-know-why-the-toyota-tundra-v6-keeps-self-destructing] ‘Total BS’: Engine Teardown Specialist Says Toyota’s Explanation for V6 Failures Doesn’t Make Sense [https://www.thedrive.com/news/total-bs-engine-teardown-specialist-says-toyotas-explanation-for-v6-failures-doesnt-make-sense] Toyota Will Replace Over 100,000 V6 Engines in Recalled Tundras, Lexus SUVs [https://www.thedrive.com/news/toyota-will-replace-over-100000-v6-engines-in-recalled-tundras-lexus-suvs] Toyota Recalls Another 127,000 Tundras and Lexus SUVs Over Self-Destructing Turbo V6s [https://www.thedrive.com/news/toyota-recalls-another-127000-tundras-and-lexus-suvs-over-self-destructing-turbo-v6s] Is Toyota’s New Twin-Turbo V6 Really Less Reliable Than Its Old V8s? [https://www.thedrive.com/news/a-deep-look-inside-the-twin-turbo-v6-that-replaced-toyotas-v8s] Toyota Dealers Brace to Replace 100,000 Tundra V6s [https://www.thedrive.com/news/toyota-dealers-brace-to-replace-100000-tundra-v6s] 00:00 Intro 06:07 How did we get here? 09:40 What's happening? 18:26 Where do we go from here? 25:51 What do you tell potential buyers? 30:06 The competition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]