# Rivian’s last chance to take on Tesla

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-vergecast/rivian-s-last-chance-to-take-on-tesla
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-vergecast/rivian-s-last-chance-to-take-on-tesla.md
Podcast: [The Vergecast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-vergecast)
Published: 2026-07-01T19:33:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/257/traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP9883579359.mp3
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/257/traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP9883579359.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-vergecast/episodes/rivian-s-last-chance-to-take-on-tesla
Duration seconds: 2098

## Resource

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 Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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## Transcript

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