Episode 553: Rivian Gets RAD
Ride the Lightning: Tesla and EV Podcast
Ryan McCaffrey
4.7 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 8 March 2026
⏱️ 77 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Rivian has announced a new performance/skunkworks division of the company that aims to deliver a lot more fun to Rivian owners. Plus: Tesla reclaims the top sales spot in EV-dominant Norway, BYD has a battery breakthrough, and more!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | On this week's episode of Ride the Lightning, the Tesla and EV podcast, |
| 0:04.1 | Rivian has announced a new performance slash skunkworks division of the company |
| 0:08.9 | that aims to deliver a lot more fun to Rivian owners. |
| 0:13.2 | Plus, Tesla reclaims the top sales spot in EV dominant Norway. |
| 0:18.7 | BYD has a battery breakthrough and more. What's happening, friends, alongside Daisy the Boxer and Lily the Silly Labrador. |
| 0:46.8 | My name's Ryan McCaffrey. |
| 0:48.0 | Welcome to Ride the Lightning. |
| 0:49.4 | Episode 553. |
| 0:51.1 | It's your weekly Tesla and EV podcast. |
| 1:12.5 | And now that we're into March, here's how I wanted to start this week's podcast, I thought I would circle back on something that I talked about in January and hold myself accountable. So remember when I floated a tip back in January that I had clearly stated I'd been given by somebody that was an untested source? |
| 1:16.3 | I hadn't been able to vouch for them, didn't have a track record with them, but that |
| 1:20.1 | source said that the Model YL would be coming to the US in February. |
| 1:25.1 | Well, it's March, so clearly that didn't happen. However, what did happen |
| 1:31.9 | in February, as we all know, is the cancellation of the Model X, and of course the Model S as well. |
| 1:39.4 | And so I do still think my source might end up being proved half correct. |
| 1:45.7 | I do think the Model YL is coming to the United States, |
| 1:49.6 | just obviously not as soon as that source thought. |
| 1:53.2 | But really it would make perfect sense for Tesla to announce the Model YL in early Q3, |
| 2:00.3 | basically while the Model X's body is still warm, |
| 2:04.9 | like just right after the last X has been built, presumably at about the end of Q2, |
| 2:11.0 | bring in the Model YL. |
| 2:12.7 | It would leverage existing Model Y manufacturing capacity and could almost certainly capture some of the |
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