No real AM or FM radio in the R2

[Zathras]

Yeah... on the edge of bankruptcy.

Not accurate. They are on track to profitability by the end of the year, as long as the R2 sells well. And it's pretty obvious there's a good chance for that to happen.

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[Mos Eisley]

Not accurate. They are on track to profitability by the end of the year, as long as the R2 sells well. And it's pretty obvious there's a good chance for that to happen.

Also not fully accurate.

They won't be net-profitable, especially on vehicles.
Rivian has stuck with their goal to achieve positive gross profit margins by the end of 2026, with the R2 platform as the centerpiece of that plan. That's a meaningfully different (and much lower) bar than overall company profitability.

Despite that gross-margin target, Rivian's own 2026 guidance projects an adjusted pre-tax loss of between $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion for the year, with capital expenditures between $1.95 billion and $2.05 billion. That's a company still burning serious cash, not one approaching net profitability. But they are still in heavy CAPX mode.

On gross profitability, Rivian achieved this last year with an annual gross profit of $144 million in 2025, but that was driven by its software and services joint venture with Volkswagen, which offset $432 million in losses from the automotive business itself. In their most recent quarter, the automotive segment posted a $59 million loss, offset by a $179 million gain from software and services. They're hoping for operating profitability by 2027–2028 as R2 scales and the CAPX costs for Georgia cool down.

They're not teetering on bankruptcy but let's hope there's not another pandemic, anti-EV presidency, tornado hitting the factory kick to the nuts coming. They deserve a break.

 

[rfkxyz]

Not including a buck part that even a 1/1000 people want is idiotic. Not sure why other peeps are acting like this is same as wanting an 8 track.

Fanboy defenders of the brand.

I'll miss XM antenna/receiver more than AM/FM because I actually 'adventure' away from cellular and broadcasting range. Satellite text on iPhone, etc. An integrated satellite antenna like Scout has shown could work, but I have no interest in setting up a yard sale in/on my car just to get XM.

Lack of native AM/FM (esp. FM) still an unforced error for a higher-volume, more mass-market vehicle - just for the negative vibe re: cost-cutting. And in current layoffs, what's up w/ Rivian viability, etc.

 

[Zoidz]

I said is one buck. Someone replied it was $37 or something. I was ordering some parts for my PLC programmer today (industrial computers in simple terms) and checked US/EU AM/FM receivers mini boards that have both digital/analog inputs/outputs. They run a total of 4 to 7 bucks for a single one.. Order over a 1000 and they start dropping to close to a buck. Not including a buck part that even a 1/1000 people want is idiotic. Not sure why other peeps are acting like this is same as wanting an 8 track.

I said $37. Take some time to actually research the spec differences between what you saw (basic functionality designed for cheapest cost) vs. what automotive spec is. Your $1 chip is guaranteed not to support HD FM or have a DSP. You are comparing stale bread to fresh apples.

Rivian could paint their vehicle with Rustoleum rattle cans and it would be a lot cheaper, right? But they use automotive grade paint .... for a reason.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I'll miss XM antenna/receiver more than AM/FM because I actually 'adventure' away from cellular and broadcasting range. Satellite text on iPhone, etc. An integrated satellite antenna like Scout has shown could work, but I have no interest in setting up a yard sale in/on my car just to get XM.

I adventure away from civilization to listen to the outdoors with the windows rolled down. Many times without even having a car.

 

[Zathras]

Also not fully accurate.

They won't be net-profitable, especially on vehicles.
Rivian has stuck with their goal to achieve positive gross profit margins by the end of 2026, with the R2 platform as the centerpiece of that plan. That's a meaningfully different (and much lower) bar than overall company profitability.

Despite that gross-margin target, Rivian's own 2026 guidance projects an adjusted pre-tax loss of between $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion for the year, with capital expenditures between $1.95 billion and $2.05 billion. That's a company still burning serious cash, not one approaching net profitability. But they are still in heavy CAPX mode.

On gross profitability, Rivian achieved this last year with an annual gross profit of $144 million in 2025, but that was driven by its software and services joint venture with Volkswagen, which offset $432 million in losses from the automotive business itself. In their most recent quarter, the automotive segment posted a $59 million loss, offset by a $179 million gain from software and services. They're hoping for operating profitability by 2027–2028 as R2 scales and the CAPX costs for Georgia cool down.

They're not teetering on bankruptcy but let's hope there's not another pandemic, anti-EV presidency, tornado hitting the factory kick to the nuts coming. They deserve a break.

Thanks for the clarification. And I very much agree with your last paragraph.

 

[ksumnole]

I adventure away from civilization to listen to the outdoors with the windows rolled down. Many times without even having a car.

Totally, a cruise ship is not an adventure until it's sinking. I think G. Carlin said one time. Unless your Rivian breaks down in the middle of nowhere and you actually have to hike your fat ass out of a canyon, it's not an adventure. Driving around for fun is a truckers occupation or someone's with poor hobby choices. lol

 

[SwampNut]

Fanboy defenders of the brand.

What an incredibly dismissive and useless way to look at it. I think FM radio is an 8-track, *and* I've been frequently accused of being too critical of Rivian and/or being a Tesla fanboy versus Rivian. I have recommended that anyone who doesn't actually need what the R1T offers (I do), should just consider other brands first.

None of the above means I have an opinion on whether Rivian should or shouldn't remove the radio. I just don't care. Again, dismissive people have accused me of being "against" their needs, when I've said nothing at all like that. Only that FM became obsolete long ago. Like fax. And I still get paid a lot of money to support fax on our network, while telling people STOP IT!

 

[BigSkies]

Also not fully accurate.

They won't be net-profitable, especially on vehicles.
Rivian has stuck with their goal to achieve positive gross profit margins by the end of 2026, with the R2 platform as the centerpiece of that plan. That's a meaningfully different (and much lower) bar than overall company profitability.

Despite that gross-margin target, Rivian's own 2026 guidance projects an adjusted pre-tax loss of between $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion for the year, with capital expenditures between $1.95 billion and $2.05 billion. That's a company still burning serious cash, not one approaching net profitability. But they are still in heavy CAPX mode.

On gross profitability, Rivian achieved this last year with an annual gross profit of $144 million in 2025, but that was driven by its software and services joint venture with Volkswagen, which offset $432 million in losses from the automotive business itself. In their most recent quarter, the automotive segment posted a $59 million loss, offset by a $179 million gain from software and services. They're hoping for operating profitability by 2027–2028 as R2 scales and the CAPX costs for Georgia cool down.

They're not teetering on bankruptcy but let's hope there's not another pandemic, anti-EV presidency, tornado hitting the factory kick to the nuts coming. They deserve a break.

Thanks for clarifying this before I got to it. I don't believe Rivian ever guided to 2026 profitability. I sort of recall (but am too lazy to look it up) that they pushed out the expected profitability date to 2028 after the Uber investment. This is because they are going to put more money into AI/autonomy. That was an investment choice, not a business plan failure.

Their cash flow situation is more nuanced. They actually had positive Operating Cash Flow for a few quarters in 2025. The R1 Gen 2 made a MASSIVE difference in cash flow. Operating Cash Flow will look pretty crappy for a few quarters while the R2 scales and they deal with the working capital issues of converting inventory to cash. I'm guessing they can get to a decent positive Operating Cash Flow (but not FCF) once the R2 line is operating at scale and they've normalized the cash conversion cycle.

I think positive FCF will require Georgia to be online and running at a decent volume.

 

[BigSkies]

I haven't read through all 22 pages of this thread, but I hadn't seen the technical challenges of AM radios in EV's come up.

EV components cause significant interference in the AM radio bands, and the fixes are expensive. On the AM side, it does come down to the question of how much more are people really willing to pay for adding AM radio support?

FM doesn't have these issues though.

 

[racekarl]

I haven't read through all 22 pages of this thread, but I hadn't seen the technical challenges of AM radios in EV's come up.

EV components cause significant interference in the AM radio bands, and the fixes are expensive. On the AM side, it does come down to the question of how much more are people really willing to pay for adding AM radio support?

FM doesn't have these issues though.

It's come up at least 3 times, you clearly have not given each of the 22 pages of this thread the loving attention they deserve!

 

[SwampNut]

It's come up at least 3 times, you clearly have not given each of the 22 pages of this thread the loving attention they deserve!

I think it might be related to the problems I run into every time I try to send a telegraph from my Rivian.

 

[BigSkies]

It's come up at least 3 times, you clearly have not given each of the 22 pages of this thread the loving attention they deserve!

Ah, the dangers of being offline for a whole day and a half.

 

[Zathras]

I think it might be related to the problems I run into every time I try to send a telegraph from my Rivian.

Three lashes with a buggy whip!

 

[Longreach]

What an incredibly dismissive and useless way to look at it. I think FM radio is an 8-track, *and* I've been frequently accused of being too critical of Rivian and/or being a Tesla fanboy versus Rivian. I have recommended that anyone who doesn't actually need what the R1T offers (I do), should just consider other brands first.

None of the above means I have an opinion on whether Rivian should or shouldn't remove the radio. I just don't care. Again, dismissive people have accused me of being "against" their needs, when I've said nothing at all like that. Only that FM became obsolete long ago. Like fax. And I still get paid a lot of money to support fax on our network, while telling people STOP IT!

Here it is again…*you* think FM is 8 track, and anyone who disagrees should be summarily dismissed. It‘s like a dog with a bone.

Your sheer arrogance is palpable. God help the IT users you support.

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