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Rivian introduced a few cool new features in its latest software update, including hands-free driving through its new ADAS, Enhanced Highway Assist. But that’s not all. Rivian also launched a “Rally” drive mode and unlocked a new way for EV drivers to gain more power.

Rivian launches hands-free driving for EV owners

Through regular OTA updates, Rivian’s electric vehicles continue to get smarter, more efficient, and, well, just more fun to drive.

In its latest software update (2025.06), the EV maker introduced its new advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), Enhanced Highway Assist. The new feature unlocks hands-free driving for Gen 2 R1S and R1T owners.

Rivian said the hands-free driving feature can be used for “extended periods” on compatible highways. It’s similar to Tesla’s Autopilot, which is technically a “hands-on” system that requires you still to pay attention to the road ahead using interior cameras.

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Rivian’s Enhanced Highway Assist uses an infrared camera in the rearview mirror to detect whether you are paying attention rather than periodically requiring you to take control of the steering wheel.

With regular software updates nearly every month, Rivian’s platform continues to improve. Later this year, it will expand its hands-free, eyes-on driving system to more highways and select roads.

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Rivian R1S (Source: Rivian)

Next year, it plans to launch a hands-off, eyes-off feature under “controlled conditions” with current Gen 2 vehicles.

Rivian developed its Autonomy Platform entirely in-house. It’s fully integrated with 11 cameras and five radars for a complete 360-degree view. The company claims its in-house developed cameras “have the highest resolution of any vehicle in North America.” Meanwhile, the radars provide even more visibility, detecting objects further out.

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(Source: Rivian)

At over 200 trillion operations per second, Rivian says the on-board compute module is likely the most powerful computer its customers own.

Wait there’s more

The software update also adds a new “Rally” driving mode for performance dual-motor vehicles. When off-road mode is active, you can now select Rally Mode, which tightens the steering and throttle response for driving on ice, mud, dirt, asphalt, etc.

We knew a Performance Upgrade would also be available in the new update after Rivian’s head of software, Wassym Bensaid, confirmed it earlier this month.

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Rivian Performance Upgrade now available through a software update (Source: Rivian)

Unlike before, Rivian drivers can now add the Performance Upgrade even after they’ve purchased the vehicle. Gen 1 and Gen 2 Dual-Motor vehicles with the Standard, Large, and Max battery pack are eligible for the upgrade.

For $5,000 (CAD 7,200), the upgrade will “make your vehicle instantly quicker, sportier and more powerful,” unlocking up to 665 horsepower and 829 lb-ft of torque.

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Rivian R1T (left) and R1S (right) electric vehicles (Source: Rivian)

You also gain three new drive modes: Sport, Rally, and Soft Sand. Owners can purchase the Performance upgrade directly from their Rivian account page or mobile app, which will be delivered through a software update.

Rivian didn’t stop with that. It also added the ability to change your wheel type in the settings for a more accurate range estimate.

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Rivian R1S interior (Source: Rivian)

Several other new features were added to make your everyday drive safer and smarter. Like Tesla vehicles, the side mirrors now automatically tilt down when you shift into reverse so you can see the road behind you.

If you forgot to close the charge port door, no worries. You can now do it remotely through the app with the push of a button. And don’t forget the new “Go Chime,” which gives you a (gentle) reminder that the car ahead of you is moving. It’s available on Gen 2 models and will roll out to Gen 1 soon.

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In a historic first, wind and solar combined overtake coal in the US

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In a historic first, wind and solar combined overtake coal in the US

In the US in 2024, wind and solar accounted for 17% of total electricity generation, surpassing coal, which fell to a record low of 15%, according to a new report from global energy think tank Ember.

Since US coal power peaked in 2007, wind and solar have overtaken coal in 24 states, with Illinois the latest to join the ranks in 2024, following Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Maryland in 2023, the report finds. It’s the first analysis of full-year US electricity data, which was published by the EIA on February 26.

After being stagnant for 14 years, electricity demand started rising in recent years and saw a 3% increase in 2024, marking the fifth-highest level of rise this century. The increase in demand and fall in coal was met with higher solar, wind, and gas generation. Natural gas grew three times more than the decline in coal, increasing power sector CO2 emissions slightly (0.7%). Coal fell by the second smallest amount since 2014, as gas and clean energy growth met rising electricity demand, whereas historically, they have replaced coal.

Despite growing emissions, the carbon intensity of electricity continued to decline. The rise in power demand was much faster than the rise in power sector CO2 emissions, making each unit of electricity likely the cleanest it has ever been. 

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Solar grew faster than natural gas

Solar generation rose by 64 TWh in 2024, compared to natural gas, which rose 59 TWh. It remained the fastest-growing source of electricity, with its generation rising by 27% in 2024, surpassing hydropower generation for the time. It made up 81% of all new annual power capacity additions in the US. Gas added no net capacity, as new plants were offset with closures.  

California and Nevada both surpassed 30% annual share of solar in their electricity mix for the first time (32% and 30%, respectively). California’s battery growth was key to its solar success. It installed 20% more battery capacity than it did solar capacity, which helped it transfer a significant share of its daytime solar to the evening. Texas installed more solar (7.4 GW) and battery capacity (3.9 GW) than even California. Yet the growth of solar was uneven – 28 states generated less than 5% of their electricity from solar in 2024, highlighting significant untapped potential – even before adding battery storage. 

As solar grew massively, wind saw a modest 7% increase in generation, adding the least capacity in 10 years. However, it still generated 50% more power than solar in 2024, making 10% of the US electricity mix.

Solar and wind can meet rising demand

With the adoption of EVs, air conditioning, heat pumps, and rapid expansion of data centers, demand for electricity is guaranteed to grow in the coming years.

To meet the rise in demand, clean generation needs to grow faster. Unlike solar, wind’s growth has been slow. Clean energy is able to meet rising electricity demand alone – without raising bills, sacrificing security of supply, or further relying on gas.

“As the demand remained unchanged for years, solar, wind, and gas together worked to replace coal, transforming the US electricity system,” Dave Jones, chief analyst at Ember, said. “But now that electricity demand is rising fast, the battle is between solar and gas to meet this. And solar is winning – it added more generation than gas in 2024, and batteries will ensure that solar can grow more cheaply and quickly than gas.”

Daan Walter, principal at Ember, said, “Electricity demand is rising as new uses emerge across the US economy, from data centers to transportation and heating. This makes the case for solar and wind today even stronger – they are not only fast to deploy and cheap but also help stabilize energy costs in the long run.”

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Elon Musk claims Tesla will double US production in next two years, let’s do the math

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Elon Musk claims Tesla will double US production in next two years, let's do the math

Elon Musk said today that Tesla will double its electric vehicle production in the US in the next two years.

What would that look like? Let’s do the math.

Today, during a press conference to promote Tesla at the White House, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the following:

“As a function of the great policies of President Trump and his administration, and as an act of faith in America, Tesla is going to double vehicle output in the United States within the next two years.”

This raises many questions, as Musk’s phrasing of the statement suggests that Tesla is planning to add previously unannounced production capacity in response to Trump’s policies.

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However, the reality could be different.

What is Tesla’s current production capacity in the US?

We only know Tesla’s installed capacity, which is much different than its actual production rate.

This is Tesla’s latest disclosed global production capacity at the end of 2024:

Region Model Capacity Status
California Model S / Model X 100,000 Production
Model 3 / Model Y >550,000 Production
Shanghai Model 3 / Model Y >950,000 Production
Berlin Model Y >375,000 Production
Texas Model Y >250,000 Production
Cybertruck >125,000 Production
Cybercab In development
Nevada Tesla Semi Pilot production
TBD Roadster In development

In the US, it adds up to 1,025,000 vehicles per year.

In reality, Tesla’s factories are operating at a much lower capacity.

Based on sales and inventory from 2024, Tesla is currently building fewer than 50,000 Model S/X vehicles per year compared to an installed capacity of 100,000 units.

As for Model 3 and Model Y, Tesla is currently building them in the US at a rate of about 600,000 units per year compared to claimed installed capacity of over 800,000 units.

Finally, the Cybertruck is being produced at a rate of less than 50,000 units per year compared to an installed capacity of over 125,000 units.

This adds up to Tesla producing 700,000 units per year in the US in 2024.

What will be Tesla’s new capacity?

Considering Musk mentioned that it will happen “within the next two years”, it is unlikely that he is referring to installed capacity.

The CEO is most likely talking about Tesla’s actual production, which would also make sense, especially considering he mentioned “output.”

Tesla currently outputs roughly 700,000 vehicles per year in the US.

Doubling that would mean bringing the total to 1.4 million units per year, which would be an incredible feat, but it’s not entirely a new plan for Tesla.

First off, Tesla has already announced plans to unveil two new, more affordable models this year. These models are going to be built on the same production lines as Model 3/Y, which would potentially enable Tesla to fully utilize its installed capacity for those vehicles.

That’s another 200,000 units already.

As already mentioned in Tesla’s installed capacity table, the company is currently developing its production facility for the Tesla Semi electric truck in Nevada.

Production is expected to start later this year and ramp up next year. Tesla has previously mentioned a goal of 50,000 units per year. It would leave Tesla roughly a year and half to ramp up to this capacity, which is ambitious, but not impossible.

Then there’s the “Cybercab”, which was unveiled last year.

The Cybercab is going to use Tesla’s next-gen vehicle platform and new manufacturing system, which is already being deployed at Gigafactory Texas.

Production is expected to start in 2026, and Musk has mentioned a production capacity of “at least 2 million units per year”. However, he said that this would likely come from more than one factory and it’s unclear if the other factory would be in the US.

Either way, Tesla would need to ramp up Cybercab production in the US to 450,000 units to make Musk’s announcement correct.

It’s fair to note that all of this was part of Tesla’s plans before the US elections, Trump’s coming into power, or the implementation of any policies whatsoever.

Electrek’s Take

Based on my analysis, this announcement is nothing new. It’s just a reiteration of Elon’s plans for Tesla in the US, which were established long before Trump came to power or even before Elon officially backed Trump.

It’s just more “corporate puffery” as Elon’s lawyers would say.

Also, if I wasn’t clear, we are only talking about production here. I doubt Tesla will have the demand for that, especially if Elon remains involved with the company.

The Cybercab doesn’t even have a steering wheel, and if Tesla doesn’t solve self-driving, it will be hard to justify producing 450,000 units per year.

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EV incentives surged to 14.8% of ATP in Feb – highest in 5+ years

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EV incentives surged to 14.8% of ATP in Feb – highest in 5+ years

The average incentive package for a new EV was 14.8% of the average transaction price (ATP), or approximately $8,162, the highest level in more than five years, according to the latest monthly new-vehicle ATP report from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book. 

Incentives for EVs are more than twice the overall market. A year ago, EV incentives were 10.2%. EV incentives, as a percentage of ATP, have increased by 44% in the past year.

In February, at $55,273, new EV prices were lower by 1.2% from January – generally aligned with the industry – and higher by 3.7% year-over-year. The January EV ATP was revised higher by 0.06% to $55,929.

Compared to the overall industry ATP of $48,039, EV ATPs in February were higher by 15.1%, an increase from the 14.9% gap recorded in January.

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EV market leader Tesla increased ATPs by 1.8% year-over-year in February to $53,248 but decreased by 3.7% month-over-month from $55,315. Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck posted price declines in February compared to January; Model S and Model X saw month-over-month increases.

As sales cooled, the Cybertruck ATP in February dropped by more than 10% from January to an estimated $87,554.

Read more: You can lease a 2025 Polestar 3 for the same price as a Polestar 2 right now


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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