Rivian might be facing huge headwinds, but CEO RJ Scaringe is looking forward to 2026 and the launch of the company's next model, the $45,000 R2.
"I've never been more confident in the company than I am today," he told me this week during a fireside chat I moderated for the Automotive Press Association.
"We've got this product about to launch. It is insanely good. It takes everything that we've learned in launching the R1 and embodies it in a smaller package."
"The teams are functioning with incredible accuracy and precision, and the way they're working would have been unimaginable 5-10 years ago," he said.
"And along with that, the brand is resonating in ways that we'd only hoped to achieve."
Federal tax credits for electric vehicle purchases may be dead, but depending on where you live, you might still get a sizable state tax break on your EV.
But be prepared to pay a higher vehicle registration fee than your neighbor who drives a gasoline-powered car.
Why it matters: The rewards and penalties on EVs reflect an industry in flux, as policymakers try to balance environmental goals with the need to pay for roads and other critical infrastructure.
U.S. oil production growthmay prove more resilient than it appeared a few months ago — but big, dramatic output and price swings have become passé for now.
Why it matters: Oil prices ripple throughout the economy, affecting everything from consumer goods to the strength of competing tech like EVs.
Airport staffing shortages saw thousands of flights delayed across the U.S. on Tuesday night as overstretched air traffic controllers continued to work with no pay during the government shutdown.
The big picture: Seven days into the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Chicago, Las Vegas, Nashville and Philadelphia, and at air traffic control centers in the Atlanta, Boston, Dallas and Houston areas.
Tesla debuted a slightly cheaper version of its Model Y crossover and Model 3 sedan on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The announcement apparently disappointed investors who were eager to see what the company had in store after it teased a product reveal.
Almost one in five U.S. homes — worth around $8 trillion — are at severe or extreme risk from hurricane wind damage, according to a Realtor.com analysis.
The analysis also found that roughly 6.1% of homes (worth around $3.4 trillion) are at severe or extreme risk of flood damage and 5.6% ($3.2 trillion) from fire.
Why it matters: Climate change is intensifying extreme weather — hiking home insurance premiums in especially storm-prone areas and driving some insurers to retreat.
Flights at major U.S. airports were delayed amid staffing issues on Monday night, hours after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported an uptick in air traffic controllers calling in sick since the government shutdown began.
Why it matters: The disruptions were affecting airports in the Los Angeles-area, Newark and Denver. But there are concerns the situation could escalate like during the 2019 shutdown, when severe strains on U.S. air travel helped push President Trump to end it after 35 days.
President Trump announced the U.S. will take a 10% stake in Canadian minerals explorer Trilogy Metals and ordered the approval of a permit for a mining road in northwest Alaska.
Why it matters: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters the moves will unlock "all of the minerals that we need to win the AI arms race against China," which dominates in the processing of metals.
