The Rivian R2, the EV maker’s much-anticipated affordable electric SUV, will be powered by U.S.-made batteries promising to store six times as much energy as those currently used.
South Korea’s LG Energy Solutions announced it will be supplying LG’s 4695 cylindrical batteries to Rivian as part of a five-year agreement.
Within the first year of production, the batteries will be manufactured at LG’s standalone plant in Arizona before being delivered to Rivian’s Normal, Illinois, plant for use in the R2 model, the company said in a statement. Both LG and Rivian reaffirmed their commitment to the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Under the IRA, EVs whose key components are made in the U.S. are eligible for a $7,500 tax incentive upon purchase or signing of a lease agreement.
The larger size of LG’s 4695 cylindrical battery promises to offer both long range and a high level of safety, while featuring six times the capacity of existing 2170 cylindrical batteries, LG says.
The LG battery also aligns well with Rivian’s plans to reduce its manufacturing costs, and will help keep the R2 on track to be the EV maker’s most affordable mass-market model. Rivian said it expects the battery pack assembly processing to improve by approximately 45% compared to the R1’s platform.
Earlier this year, Rivian made the R2 available for preorders with scheduled deliveries due to start in the first half of 2026. With a starting price of $45,000, the R2 is being promoted by Rivian as its first truly accessible EV model, comparable to Tesla’s “Model 3 moment”. Pricewise, however, it’s competing with the likes of the Tesla Model Y and the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The R2 promises acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds and an estimated range of over 300 miles. It’s packed with technology allowing for automated driving and also carries uncommon features, such as a rear window that folds down to provide an “open-air experience”.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.