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I was out for a few days last week and we have a bit of catching up to do! I won’t rehash too much, but expect a few of the bigger news items — ahem, Wayve’s $1.2 billion raise — to make it in here.
One more housekeeping note: I will be in Austin next week for SXSW, the annual tech, music, film, and culture event that always attracts an interesting collection of tech founders, creators, politicians, and other industry folks. I plan to attend the Rivian event, where the company is expected to reveal full details of its upcoming R2 line. I will also be moderating a panel called Innovation & Impact: Female Leaders Transforming Legacy Industries, alongside Rivian CFO Claire McDonough, Madison Reed CEO and founder Amy Errett, and Spotify chief public affairs officer Dustee Jenkins. If you’re there, please reach out!
Speaking of Rivian, the company is planning one of the fastest launches of a new all-electric car in the U.S. with its forthcoming R2 SUV. And the stakes couldn’t be any higher.
Senior reporter Sean O’Kane looked at historical sales data as well as Rivian’s own projections for 2026. Rivian said it expects to sell between 20,000 and 25,000 R2s this year, the first of which will head to customers in June once production begins.
That means it has six months to reach that goal. Even if Rivian hits the low end of that target, its sales rate will outpace every other comparable electric vehicle at or under $60,000 aside from the Tesla Model Y, O’Kane writes. Read the full story here.
Image Credits:TechCrunch/Sean O'Kane
My question is what tactical move is Rivian planning to use to reach that goal? It won’t be enough to merely state, “Pent-up demand, stupid.” This is no small feat. I expect Rivian to try a variety of tactics to spread the word and turn interest in its EVs into actual sales. What do you think the company will do? Email me!
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