Rivian’s last chance to take on Tesla
For years, Rivian has looked like one of the most compelling electric vehicle companies in America — and maybe the car maker most equipped to take on Tesla. All that potential comes down to this: the R2, the long-awaited and more affordable car that Rivian hopes can make it truly mainstream. After a journey to the R2's factory earlier this year, The Verge's Andrew Hawkins explains what the R2 is, why it matters, and what happens to Rivian if it's a hit — or a flop.
Further reading:
Range anxiety
The Rivian R2 is too much fun to let drive itself
Rivian surprises with R3 and R3X electric SUVs
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TikTok on the Clock + Tesla’s Flop Era + How NASA Fixed a ’70s-Era Space Computer
On Wednesday, President Biden signed a bill into law that would force the sale of TikTok or ban the app outright. We explain how this came together, when just a few weeks ago it seemed unlikely to happen, and what legal challenges the law will face next. Then we check on Tesla’s very bad year and what’s next for the company after this week’s awful quarterly earnings report. Finally, to boldly support tech where tech has never been supported before: Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab try to fix a chip malfunction from 15 billion miles away.
Guests:
Andrew Hawkins, Transportation Editor at The Verge
Todd Barber, Propulsion Engineer at Jet Propulsion Lab
Additional Reading:
‘Thunder Run’: Behind Lawmakers’ Secretive Push to Pass the TikTok Bill
Tesla’s in its flop era
NASA’s Voyager 1 Resumes Sending Engineering Updates to Earth
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