March 13, 2026

Rivian R2, Lucid counter attack, and Tesla's 'Digital Optimus'

1 hour 4 minutes

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Rivian R2, Lucid's counterattack, and Tesla's 'Digital Optimus'.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Musk confirms xAI-Tesla joint ‘Digital Optimus’ project — after saying Tesla didn’t need xAI

Rivian reveals full R2 lineup and pricing, starting at $57,990 with a $45K RWD model coming later

Rivian is phasing out the R1S Dual Standard, its most affordable SUV, ahead of the R2

Lucid (LCID) reveals Cosmos and Earth SUVs as first midsize EVs, starting under $50,000

Lucid takes aim at the Tesla Cybercab with Lunar, a two-seat EV robotaxi concept

BMW’s flagship i7 EV is getting a Neue Klasse upgrade: Here’s our first look

BYD is open to building cars in Canada and acquiring a rival automaker

BYD’s luxury EV with 5 min fast charging and nearly 500 miles of range is headed overseas

Honda is scrapping three of its most important EVs for the US, including the Acura RSX

Aptera (SEV) raises $6.3M through warrant exercise to fund solar electric vehicle validation

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:

https://www.youtube.com/live/aLUDy28zGmw

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