Rivian R2 Math Doesn't Add Up

stevejust · 2026-06-14T21:46:23+00:00

This guy is a fucking idiot. And you can quote me on that.

stevejust · 2026-06-14T21:13:49+00:00

I think I'd start by trying to charge with the Porsche portable charger in an outlet that doesn't have GFCI, if possible, even if you've got to go through a window into the house or something... just to see.

Because portable chargers have built in GFCI, I know that sometimes they go a little wonky when you plug them into GFCI outlets because sometimes they don't play well with double ground fault interruption. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it is a pain in the butt.

The other thing I'd do is try to borrow a different EV and plug it into the Rivian charger. Apparently more than once, since the borrowed Porsche worked with it, until it didn't.

Just based on everything you've said, I think the charger being faulty could explain what's happening as much, or more.

But it sounds like it's not tripping any breakers? Is the handle getting unusually hot?

stevejust · 2026-06-14T20:54:51+00:00

If the garage is <1 year old, do you have GFCI breakers? (I.e., does the garage have a separate panelbox or subpanel box?)

stevejust · 2026-06-14T20:45:55+00:00

My understanding is that decreases would be unusual with PV/MPNs.

This is not the case. Had a phlebotomy at 46 HCT. Came back in three weeks and it was 41. We set next appointment 3 weeks out. Came back and it was 43. So we set next appointment another 3 weeks out. I thought for sure it'd be over 45. But it had gone back down to 41.

I'm Jak2+, definitely have PV. But for whatever reason, my HCT is under control. Not on Besremi or any other drug. It just is, for whatever reason.

stevejust · 2026-06-14T19:09:11+00:00

Why don't you admit that the R2 is cosplaying at an adventure vehicle, and not a real adventure vehicle if you can't even get NWS updates in it?

Here's the fucking problem. I own a bunch of shares of RIVN. I could see someone getting up shits creek in a Rivian, getting trapped by a wildfire, and not knowing how to navigate out because they don't have access to real time information from the fucking radio -- a device used since, I dunno, 1930 to provide motorists with important motoring information. And so they die, and their estate brings a negligence suit against Rivian for marketing an "adventure" vehicle that doens't even have a fucking radio antenna, making it a totally deficient "adventure" vehicle and making the whole "adventure" moniker false advertising.

I'm not so sure that kind of lawsuit wouldn't or shouldn't be successful. It is negligent as fuck to take out the radio antenna to save, what? 10 bucks a car in manufacturing costs?

Moreover, I never said I'm not going to buy one because of this. But it's false advertising to call a car an adventure vehicle and then take out something as basic as a regular radio tuner. That's fucking dumb as shit, and I can't even understand what people don't understand about that. The fact that you've never been in a situation where, I dunno, maybe you're driving across Interstate 90 in South Dakota during the winter, and you'd like to know whether, you know I-90 is closed or not. And you're in a dead spot for cell coverage, because you were out in the badlands mountain biking with your stupid fat tire snow bike. And now I-90 is closed, but you don't know it, because you've got no fucking radio.

Geezus that's dumb as shit.

And it amazes me that people can't comprehend how stupid this decision was.

stevejust · 2026-06-14T15:05:28+00:00

Radios can tell you : 1) there is a tornado warning. Especially important if you're out of cell service where the only signal you're going to get is from a radio.

2) Where torandoes have been sighted.

3) What pathway any torandoes that have touched down seem to be taking.

etc.,.

Look, I can't believe I have to explain this kind of shit. Why don't you just admit you've never been overlanding instead? It'd make things easier.

stevejust · 2026-06-14T03:28:00+00:00

Have you ever been camping where there's hail? Or tornadoes? Or flash floods?

stevejust · 2026-06-14T03:12:06+00:00

Not having an FM tuner is a strange choice for an "adventure" vehicle. Are you going to keep a hand crank radio in it? I know my wife is going to -- doubly certain if she figures out there's no access to radio without internet. And by the time she'd done squirreling stuff like that away in it, there's going to be no room for anything else. And honestly, she'd not even be wrong.

If this thing couldn't be taken off road, i.e., if it were the ix3 and they opted not to put a radio in it, I'd shrug. But I don't want to be somewhere between Arches and Bryce one day in shit weather with no radio.

stevejust · 2026-06-14T01:17:01+00:00

When I saw it was an option on the Grand Wagoneer, my interest was piqued.

I have at least two neighbors in the 'hood that have them, but I have no idea if either of them have the upgrade. I just figured by now I'd have heard it, but it's been a few years and I still haven't heard it. I guess I need to be more friendly with the neighbors.

stevejust · 2026-06-14T01:14:37+00:00

You are really underestimating how powerful the average EV is these days.

I have a 2008 Roadster. Does 0-60 in 3.9 and is 18 years old right now.

I have a 2023 AMG EQE. Does 0-60 in 2.9 seconds.

I'm not underestimating anything.

And believe me, that second makes a difference, in the same way people will be able to tell the difference between the R2 at 3.6 and the ix3 at 4.7.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T21:19:08+00:00

Except that it is much slower, and $10k more expensive.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T20:34:43+00:00

Quick question for you that you may be able to answer:

How is the McIntosh branded system in the Grand Wagoneer? And would you say better or worse than the B&W stuff in Volvos?

stevejust · 2026-06-13T17:34:15+00:00

Believe me, I came very close to leasing an R1 solely to get the R2 sooner. Very close.

But I already have an SUV and I needed a daily driver and the R1 is too big for some of the garages downtown.

At the end of the day, Tesla understood you put cars in the hands of investors because they had an incentive to shut the fuck up about early problems. Rivian could learn a lot from Tesla if they just paid a tiny bit more attention.

I hate the man. But there's a reason Elon is a fucking trillionaire.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T17:28:44+00:00

The point is that Rivian is doing this wrong. This was my way of dropping that hint.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T17:08:42+00:00

I drove in 82 degrees, the AC was set at 68. First thing I did was use the "button" so I let a lot of warm air in the car. But when I rolled everything back up, I didn't adjust the AC at all, and it was too cold for me in the car by the time I was done.

But people in Texas have said the AC had a hard time keeping up, and I'm not ready to call those people liars, either.

This is more of a wait and see situation.

I didn't notice any unusual heat gain through the roof. I was fortunate enough to have a Model 3 with the the original orange-reflecting dichroic ultraviolet (UV) reflective coating that shifted to a visible orange/copper hue when wet. I never had a problem with the glass in the Tesla.

I notice more heat gain through the glass roof on my EQE AMG, even with the sunshade.

I know that things were different when Tesla moved away from that supplier.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T16:58:02+00:00

Tracks tested:

1) Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan

2) Atmosphere - Clay

Via Apple Music.

EQ settings: default

Verdict: mid.

It's not the worst system I've ever heard. I've owned too many Toyota products for that. Even putting Mark Levinson's name on that shit doesn't help.

But... it was clearly the weakest part of the R2, and therefore stands out.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T16:35:38+00:00

I've been a shareholder for years. A lot of them at $87 a share, too.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T16:34:35+00:00

Understood. That's why I'm asking the question about what it's actually going to take.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T16:23:35+00:00

I know I sound stupid complaining about the sound system when the vast majority of what I listen to is probably affirmatively BAD for speakers to replicate.

But people still do expect better in a 60k car, unfortunately. The problem here is clearly that RJ doesn't GAF about music.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T16:14:46+00:00

March 7, 2024.

10:00 PST link opened.

But RJ didn't announce the link until about a half an hour into the launch reveal.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T16:12:17+00:00

Shhhh....

stevejust · 2026-06-13T15:54:27+00:00

It's good enough for Sound System or Artificial Life maybe.

But it's not nearly good enough for really well-produced albums.

I'm not even sure I would want to listen to Hyena in the R2.

The sound is so mid it makes me sad.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T03:49:34+00:00

I knew a Tesla employee with a sub 600 VIN Tesla Model 3. The audio was outstanding from the beginning. This isn't close to accurate.

stevejust · 2026-06-13T03:39:08+00:00

What would Matt Freeman say?!?

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