Rivian tops Consumer Reports ‘most loved’ ranks after its reviewers derided it
Consumer Reports is out with its annual owner satisfaction survey, showing Rivian to be far and away the most-loved car brand according to owners. The rating comes soon after Consumer Reports strangely listed the R1S as one of its “least favorite cars we tested in 2023.”
Consumer Reports does an annual survey of its readers, with 330,000 responses from owners of all sorts of vehicles in the 2021-2024 model years. In the past, electric vehicles have ranked well in the survey, and this year is no different, with Rivian topping the list by a commanding margin.
In this year’s rankings, Rivian was the only brand, out of 29, to reach a satisfaction score of 5 out of 5. Six other brands got a 4 out of 5 score, with the biggest chunk of brands receiving a score of 3.
Beyond the satisfaction score, Consumer Reports also asked owners if they would buy from that brand again. In this survey Rivian again ranked the highest, with an 86% score, 9% higher than Mini’s 77% second-place score. And that 9% gap is a big one – it’s the biggest gap between places on the list, with other brands largely being clustered close together, only a percent or two away from each other.
This isn’t the highest “would buy again” score that Consumer Reports’ has ever had, as Tesla has ranked over 90% in the past. Tesla’s score is down significantly from its peaks, which could be a reflection of several factors – slipping service quality, annoyance with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s nonsense, or just simply a move from catering to a smaller and more evangelistic early customer base to becoming a mass market company.
That last factor probably does help Rivian in these rankings, as the company is still rather small, and thus will tend to have a customer base that identifies more fully with the brand and its early mission statements. It also helps that Rivian produces only two vehicles, so its brand score is more a representation of how good those two vehicles are, rather than an entire product line (which, for some other larger brands, might include a few good cars and a few stinkers).
When breaking down owner satisfaction into different categories, Rivian excels in most of these individual categories as well. Rivian shows up as one of the most satisfying vehicles in comfort (alongside several luxury brands), driving (alongside Tesla, sportscar brands, and a couple luxury brands), cabin storage (though well behind Ram), and ownership cost (fuel, maintenance, and so on – where electric cars and Asian automakers did well). The only category that Rivian didn’t rank near the top of is usability of the interface, perhaps due to the car’s heavy use of a digital touchscreen-based interface instead of analog controls.
It’s also true that Rivian’s vehicles have been exceptionally well-reviewed by, well, basically everyone. We loved the R1T and the R1S (Seth owns one, and loves it), and so has basically every other outlet. In fact, the earliest reviews were so good that when I talked to a fellow journalist about how positive they were, they expressed suspicion: “usually there’s at least someone who says something bad about a car, but I’ve heard nothing negative about the R1T.”
Well, except for Consumer Reports. The company’s Talking Cars podcast recently noted that the R1S was one of its “worst cars of 2023”. They stated that the car was too expensive, and was “undriveable” and “nauseating.”
The problem, to Consumer Reports, was that the throttle is too twitchy both on and off throttle. Letting off throttle for regenerative braking felt “lurching” and “unsettling” to the reviewers. They stated that they found it “odd” that owner satisfaction is so high.
So… why the disconnect?
So why would Consumer Reports’ reviewers have such a different take than Rivian’s owners, and than other EV reviewers as well? I think I’ve got an idea.
The issue here seems to be a matter of throttle response. Electric motors can respond more quickly than internal combustion engines can, so it’s possible to build an electric vehicle that responds much more quickly to throttle inputs. For inexperienced drivers or passengers, this can be jarring, especially in the beginning, as cars will feel much more twitchy for any driver with an unstable pedal foot.
If drivers are used to accelerating and coasting (which you shouldn’t do in a gas car anyway – the most efficient driving method is to maintain a steady level of throttle whenever possible), this can make EVs seem jerky. This style of driving is common in an ICE car, because outside of highly-tuned sportscars, ICE cars just don’t respond very quickly to throttle inputs. And the problem usually can be solved by more experience driving an EV, and recognizing that it’s important to have a steady throttle foot to reduce the jerkiness of the drive experience.
For exceptionally powerful EVs, this is even more the case, because smaller throttle inputs produce larger jumps in power. With the Rivian’s quad-motor setup, regenerative braking can also be very strong, and so letting off the accelerator quickly can produce a jarring braking motion.
Some electric vehicles moderate throttle inputs for this reason, either adding a delay or smoothing out inputs to make for more gradual acceleration and deceleration – both the Fisker Ocean and Chevy Blazer EV, which I’ve driven recently, do this. Frankly, I find the “delay” method to be the nauseating one – it means the car is making decisions, instead of me, and those decisions happen at a time that’s not predictable to me, leading to a jerkier ride. This was the worst spot, to me, in my reviews of both of those vehicles.
VW Group vehicles have a different method – they only allow for light regen off-throttle, and instead use blended brakes to engage higher regen when pressing the brake pedal, only activating friction brakes if you push the brake pedal deeper. But this means “one pedal driving,” which is so popular among EV drivers, is not really possible in these cars.
These solutions are different than the one Rivian has taken, which is to just give you strong regen all the time and let the driver have control over what the vehicle is doing.
The Rivian’s regen is adjustable, but less so than some other vehicles. Some vehicles like the Chevy Bolt have easily-adjustable regen by using paddles on the back of the steering wheel (and the Bolt’s is probably the best regenerative braking system out there all told). On the Rivian, you need to change the setting on a screen menu and there’s no way to turn it all the way off. This has in fact been an area of criticism for Rivians, as some have called for more adjustability to the regen system (and they’re probably right).
This strong regen does tend to shock newer EV drivers, or people who don’t drive EVs full time. But among the longtime EV owners I know, almost all of them prefer strong and responsive regenerative braking, and have learned to moderate their throttle inputs effectively to ensure proper command over the vehicle and also maintain a smooth ride. And I notice the same as a passenger in an EV – it’s usually a smoother ride when the driver is more EV-experienced than when they’re more used to gas cars.
So this could explain it – for a reviewer who doesn’t drive EVs full time, who has a lifetime experience driving relatively unresponsive gas cars before moving to one of the most torquey and responsive cars on the road today, the shocking difference in how quickly power is available could make it hard to adjust. Heck, I had this issue when I drove my Tesla Roadster to test out a Plaid Model S – despite being from the same brand, and the Roadster being incredibly responsive, the Model S still knocked me for a loop with ~4x as much horsepower as I was used to.
Meanwhile, for Rivian owners, who are used to their vehicles, they don’t see what the problem is. The vehicle responds as they expect it to respond, they’ve gotten used to it, and they love the instant availability of torque, the feeling that the vehicle is almost reading your mind as it’s electric motors respond more quickly than any big diesel truck you’ve experienced.
So, this is something to keep in mind for electric vehicle test drives in general – regen could be shocking to you to begin with, but if you take some time to get used to it, to get some practice moderating your throttle inputs in a way that you haven’t had to do before with most gas cars, maybe you too can reach a new level of satisfaction with your car – just like the Rivian owners in this survey have.
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DJI may be best known for drones, but the company just launched a ground-based product that has the power to keep all your tech airborne – and then some. The new DJI Power 2000 is a 2,048 Wh portable power station with a 3,000 W output that quietly muscles its way into the heavy-hitter end of the mobile power world. I’ve been testing it for the past week in a wide range of scenarios – from charging up my electric tractor in the field to power my family’s chest freezer. And of course smaller jobs like charging up my phone and drone are easy jobs too. From my experience so far, I can tell you that this thing delivers.
But before I get into all the praise, let me get my one gripe out of the way early: You can’t use the DJI Power 2000 until you pair it with the DJI Home app.
That step alone doesn’t take long, but I’m not a fan of products that require a phone connection to get started.
When I take a power station out of the box, I want to push a button and see juice, not start pairing like I’m connecting Bluetooth earbuds.
With that said, once it’s set up, the Power 2000 makes a compelling case as the go-to portable power station for everything from remote camping to emergency home use.
It’s quiet. It’s fast. It’s powerful. And it might be one of the most rugged unit I’ve tested – which is a LOT of power stations by this point.
You can definitely tell that it’s built solidly, and I really like the 1/4-20 threaded inserts on the sides for mounting accessories – either those from DJI or others that I could possibly dream up.
Big power, fast charging
Let’s start with the headline numbers: 2,048 watt-hours of capacity and a continuous 3,000W output. That’s enough to run nearly any household appliance, including a microwave, power tools, or even charging up my electric UTV.
When I plugged in my Kandi UTV, the DJI Power 2000 didn’t even flinch. This would be a great way to recharge in the field if you ever accidentally ran low on power in the field. To put it in slightly outdated terms, it’s the equivalent of a little red gasoline can, but in the electric era.
As another “charging out in the field” test, I tried it out with my NESHER L880 electric loader. You shouldn’t ever run out of charge in an electric tractor as long as you’re watching your battery meter – but if you ever did, this would be a convenient way to get some charge back into it to drive home.
And as an added bonus, the NESHER L880’s loader bucket makes a great way to carry the fairly heavy power station around in the pasture.
For ports, the unit features four AC outlets, four USB-A ports, and four USB-C ports (two at 140W and two at 65W), plus dedicated SDC drone ports and a DC car outlet. I also used it to power my chest freezer for a test – it ran smoothly for hours, simulating a blackout scenario where this could genuinely save hundreds of dollars in spoiled food.
Charging the Power 2000 itself is no slouch, either. DJI claims it can go from 0 to 100% in 90 minutes from a standard wall outlet, and my tests confirmed it. I clocked just under an hour to nearly 80%, which is pretty impressive for a battery this size. It also supports car charging and solar input – dual 1.8 kW fast charging if you have the right panels and setup.
Quiet, durable, and smart
What impressed me most beyond the specs was how thoughtfully rugged the Power 2000 is. It uses LFP battery cells (my favorite for safety and longevity), is built with flame-retardant materials, and can allegedly support up to one ton of static weight. While I didn’t park a car on it, I did load it into the back of my electric UTV and bounce it down a dirt trail and across many acres of pasture land. It kept powering devices without interruption, despite getting a decent workout and tossed around quite a bit.
DJI claims that the unit includes 26 built-in temperature sensors that provide constant real-time monitoring, along with 21 fuses to handle any operation abnormality. Those seem like weirdly high numbers, but sure, why not?
DJI also offers a Zignes 100W solar panel and a solar panel adapter, which I tested out for a solar charging setup. It’s not enough to fully recharge the unit quickly on its own, but it’s a nice bonus for trickle charging during daylight hours or topping off mid-campout. And of course you can bundle more solar panels to double or triple the charging power via DJI’s adapter, which can also mount to the side of the unit with the built-in threaded inserts in the side of the power station.
Drone-friendly by design
As expected from DJI, there’s native support for their drone ecosystem. It’s a nice touch that makes this more than just a generic battery box – it’s clearly built for creators and drone operators in mind.
The system works to rapid charge DJI drones including the Air 3, Mavic 3, Inspire 3, and Matrice series. Of course I’ve got the one that doesn’t work: the Mini series. But that’s ok, since I was still able to charge it and the controller directly from the USB-C ports on the power station.
Final Thoughts
At $1,299, the DJI Power 2000 isn’t the cheapest battery in town, but for the performance, safety, and sheer ruggedness it delivers, the price seems quite fair compared to other units in the market that don’t feel as well put together. This isn’t just a big battery in a plastic shell. It’s an industrial-grade power station built to handle your wildest overlanding trips, blackouts, and gear-charging needs with ease.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. But I’d recommend DJI also rethink requiring an app just to get started. The Power 2000 deserves to shine on its own, right out of the box.
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Mercedes-Benz continues to demonstrate the capabilities of its future lineup of all-electric vans and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), all atop its new 800V Van Architecture. Most recently, Mercedes drove two test versions of its VLE MPVs nearly 1,100 kilometers, from Germany to Rome, Italy.
While Mercedes-Benz remains a leading provider of vans, that is one of the few vehicle segments it has truly electrified. At least, not yet. Beginning in 2026, Mercedes intends to begin launching a new series of all-electric, ultra-efficient vans and multi-purpose vehicles on its new Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA).
VAN.EA was unveiled in 2023 as a new 800-volt purpose-built EV architecture that will support both mid and large vans. These new models will feature 4MATIC AWD, significantly expanding driving range and ensuring the BEVs “meet the highest standards regardless of weather conditions.”
In the fall of 2024, we first looked at early camouflaged prototypes testing on public roads. One model, originally codenamed the VAN.EA-P has completed winter testing in Sweden and has since been renamed the VLE by Mercedes.
The VLE and a second all-electric model called the VLS will be the first two Mercedes vehicles to hit the market atop the new Van Electric Architecture. Still, before then, the German automaker took two test models of the former through the Alps to Rome, only stopping to charge twice along the way.
Mercedes’ VLE demonstrates efficiency through EU
According to Mercedes-Benz, two VLE electric van test models recently completed a real-world trip from Stuttgart to Rome, covering 1,090 kilometers (677 miles) and traversing steep, winding mountain passes in the Alps.
The trip lasted approximately 13 hours and faced steady traffic. It began at Mercedes HQ in Stuttgart, Germany, where temperatures were 52°F, and ended in Rome, where temperatures were significantly higher at 91°F. Despite the long route and weather changes, Mercedes said the cabin temperature of each VLE remained comfortable at 72°F.
During the nearly 1,110-kilometer journey, Mercedes says the VLE vans only stopped to charge twice, completing sessions around 15 minutes each time. By completing the journey, Mercedes-Benz says it has confirmed the VLE is ready for real-world use and will bring space and efficiency to families and adventure seekers alike. Per Dr. Andreas Zygan, Head of Development Mercedes-Benz Vans, Mercedes-Benz AG:
Our future MPVs have once again impressively demonstrated their suitability for everyday use on the long-distance route. With just two short charging stops from Stuttgart to the Alps to Rome – the Mercedes-Benz VLE demonstrates impressive efficiency of the new Van Electric Architecture.
Mercedes said it will continue to test the VLE and its Van Electric Architecture in Stuttgart and in real-world environments en route to product launches in 2026 as promised. As mentioned before, two of those initial models have now been confirmed with the names “Mercedes-Benz VLE” and the “Mercedes-Benz VLS.”
The VLE can accommodate up to 8 seats and serves a multitude of purposes, from family-friendly transport to exclusive VIP shuttles. Like the VLE, Mercedes is hailing the VLS as a “Grand Limousine” that will “define a unique segment of its own that bestows true greatness to automotive luxury.”
Better yet, Mercedes says it will offer these all-electric MPVs or Grand Limousines for the first time in the US, Canada, and China. As we move closer to 2026, we expect to see more of the VLE and VLS inside and out, and learn more about the performance specifications and pricing Mercedes intends to deliver. Stay tuned.
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As it struggles to sell EVs in the US, Toyota is resorting to bigger, gas-powered SUVs. That new Toyota electric SUV we are still waiting on? It’s delayed again, but there’s more to it.
Toyota pushes to sell gas SUVs as EV sales slump
Toyota sold 1,223 models of the bZ4X, its sole electric SUV in the US, last month. That’s less than the nearly 1,400 it sold in June 2024 despite upgrading it for the 2025 model year.
Through the first half of 2025, Toyota has sold 9,249 bZ4X models in the US, down from the nearly 9,500 sold in the same period last year.
Its luxury Lexus brand is also struggling to sell its electric SUV, the RZ. Last month, Lexus RZ sales fell 30% to just 763 units. Through the first half of 2025, RZ sales are down by a third (-33%), with just 3,779 units sold.
As the struggles continue, Toyota is now delaying more EV models as it shifts its focus back to gas-powered SUVs.
Toyota plans to begin producing a new electric SUV at its Kentucky plant in 2028, a year later than initially expected. The new EV was scheduled to be built at the automaker’s Princeton, Indiana, facility, following an additional $1.4 billion investment made last April.
According to AutoNews, the sudden shift is to free up capacity for its massive gas-powered Grand Highlander SUV.
Toyota is consolidating EV production and will build the new EV in Kentucky alongside a separate three-row electric SUV. The larger electric SUV is set for production in late 2026, rather than earlier in the year as initially planned.
“As previously announced, Toyota plans to produce two all-new, three-row battery electric SUVs in the US. Toyota will now assemble both vehicles at Toyota Kentucky,” Toyota said in a statement.
Toyota will ramp up production of the Grand Highlander in Indiana with a new dedicated assembly line. Through the first half of 2025, Toyota Grand Highlander sales are 20% with over 65,000 units sold.
Despite the delay, Toyota is still planning to launch seven new EVs in the US by mid-2027, including under the Lexus brand.
Later this year, Toyota will introduce the new bZ electric SUV (an upgraded bZ4X) with more driving range and an added NACS port to charge at Tesla Superchargers.
The smaller Toyota C-HR and rugged bZ Woodland electric SUVs are expected to arrive sometime next year.
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