274: Wipe the Slate Clean

The Rivian R2 is in the hands of journalists, and the reviews are in. On this week’s podcast, we discuss whether the sprightly new offering from this EV maker will be enough to take on Tesla and its dominant Model Y. Things are looking good for Rivian, but are they also looking good for the likes of Slate and Telo, especially with Ford’s new low cost EV pickup being developed? We stare into our crystal ball to see whether Ford is about to wipe the slate clean. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, PocketCasts, iHeartRadio, Podbean, and more! Or heck, use your favorite podcast application. Perhaps you prefer to watch as well as listen. If so, we’ve got you covered. SHOW NOTES Ferrari Design Team designs an HP laptop: https://www.tweaktown.com/news/112095/hps-new-limited-edition-ferrari-laptop-is-made-from-carbon-fiber-and-glass/index.html Rivian R2 first drive review roundup: https://electrek.co/2026/06/09/rivian-r2-first-drive-this-is-everything-i-need-to-upgrade-my-model-y-except/ https://insideevs.com/reviews/798129/rivian-r2-first-drive-review/ https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a71483800/2027-rivian-r2-drive/ https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/2027-rivian-r2-first-drive-review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8ii1R5aAMM Carvana could become the de facto nationwide franchisee for Slate: https://electrek.co/2026/06/05/carvanas-bet-on-slate-is-actually-a-bet-on-itself-as-the-future-of-automotive-retail/ Slate has amassed 150,000 (refundable) preorders to date: https://insideevs.com/reviews/786896/slate-ev-pickup-truck-everything-we-know/ Telo: https://www.telotrucks.com/ Stellantis attempting to sell Charger Daytona in Europe: https://insideevs.com/news/798063/dodge-charger-daytona-ev-gas-europe/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez Episode art courtesy Slate Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay Website: https://www.thewattcar.com Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar