Oncast Tech · Machines

Musk picks a 27-year-old fight

· Fact-checked before it aired. Unconfirmed claims from this segment are not shown.

Rivian's R2, expected around 2026, is slated to start under $50,000 and would compete directly against the Tesla Model Y and other electric SUVs in that segment.

Tesla has said it plans to expand its Cybercab robotaxi service beyond Austin, with the two-seat vehicle having no steering wheel or pedals. This is a link-sharing post, not a factual claim. This is a link-sharing post with a subjective framing; whether Canadians are "running out of time" to oppose Bill C-22 is not a checkable fact. This is a link-sharing post, not a factual claim. This is a link-sharing post; the title asserts a factual claim but no search could confirm or refute the technical claims about UUIDv7's properties.

Fact-check

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Rivian's R2, expected around 2026, is slated to start under $50,000 and would compete directly against the Tesla Model Y and other electric SUVs in that segment.

The Rivian R2, starting under $50k, is entering the electric vehicle arena. This positions Rivian directly against the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai IONIQ 5, Kia EV6, and Ford Mustang Mach-E, marking a significant move in the EV market. #Rivian #EV https://t.co/OVWCxVMo5F

Original post · Test Miles (@nikjmiles)

Rivian

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Tesla has said it plans to expand its Cybercab robotaxi service beyond Austin, with the two-seat vehicle having no steering wheel or pedals. This is a link-sharing post, not a factual claim. This is a link-sharing post with a subjective framing; whether Canadians are "running out of time" to oppose Bill C-22 is not a checkable fact. This is a link-sharing post, not a factual claim. This is a link-sharing post; the title asserts a factual claim but no search could confirm or refute the technical claims about UUIDv7's properties.

Tesla plans to expand its driverless Cybercab service beyond Austin, Texas. The two-seat electric vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals and is designed for fully autonomous rides. Read more 👇 https://t.co/3ISsd2oLpD #Tesla #Cybercab #Robotaxi #EV #AutonomousDriving

Original post · The Times of GenZ (@TimesGenz)

Tesla POST hn:50169499: NOCLAIM None POST hn:50202114: NOCLAIM None POST hn:50211729: NOCLAIM None POST hn:50211746: NOCLAIM None

Sources

What the hosts said

MLet's talk Tesla. A different story's brewing.
CGo on.
MTesla says the Cybercab is expanding beyond Austin. Two seats, no steering wheel, no pedals.
CThe robotaxi push. They've been running a pilot in Austin and people keep asking: what's next?
MThe account from The Times of GenZ framed it as a major expansion, but Tesla's actual language is more careful: they plan to expand, no destination named.
CStill, the idea getting past one city means the ops are stable. Charging, cleaning, insurance. That's the hard part.
MAnd yet, a two-seat car for a rideshare service? Most rideshare trips have one passenger, but not all.
CThat's the design bet. More like a minicab than a taxi. I think it's clever for cost, but families won't use it.
MWhich is why Waymo went with the I-Pace and now a purpose-built vehicle with a back seat. More universal.
CFair. You lose airport runs with luggage. But for single urban trips, the Cybercab is cheaper.
MCheaper to build, sure. Cheaper to operate with no driver? Some data says cleaning and remote assistance eat margins.
CThat's an infrastructure problem, not a design problem. Every robotaxi company has it.
MI'm not saying fail. I'm saying the two-seat format limits markets before scaling starts.
CLet's see where they expand. That'll tell us if they want city density or public trust.
MMeanwhile, one post on X is spreading a claim I want to knock down: that California would rather buy EVs from Chinese BYD than Tesla or Rivian.
CThat's a big claim. Who made it?
MJames Croft, a California guy mad at Gavin Newsom. He says the state is giving contracts to BYD over American companies.
CIs there any contract?
MCouldn't confirm one. California has taken actions against Tesla, and BYD is expanding here, but no fleet contract preference could be verified.
CSo it's a vibes claim. The state excluded Tesla from an EV rebate proposal, people hear that, and suddenly it's 'buying Chinese.'
MExactly. The rebate exclusion was about market share, not contracts. And Rivian wasn't excluded.
CI hate when this stuff spreads. Newsom does plenty worth criticizing without inventing a BYD contract.
MAnd BYD doesn't even sell passenger EVs in the US right now. Their California work is buses and trucks.
CSo the post is disconnected from reality twice over. Like we needed that confirmed.
MDifferent world entirely: Rivian's R2, the SUV slated for under fifty thousand dollars, is getting closer.
CNow that one's real. Rivian pinned the R2 against the Model Y, Ioniq 5, EV6, Mach-E.
MThe account Test Miles framed it as a marketplace signal: Rivian lands in the most competitive EV segment.
CBut Rivian already has a brand: adventure, quality, software. The R2 brings that to people who can't pay R1S money.
MThe risk is margin. Under fifty grand in that segment, with Rivian's materials, the profit is thin.
CVolume could fix that if they nail production. R1 line struggles taught them a lot.
MI'd say the bigger risk is timing: by 2026, that segment will have more entrants, not fewer.
CTrue, but Rivian's differentiator is not price. It's the brand. I think they hold it.
MWe'll know when the R2 ships. For now, that's the EV landscape today: one fake contract, one real robotaxi step, one real SUV.
CAnd one robotaxi that still has to prove it can work in more than one city.

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