The Duke of Middleville
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From The Duke of Middleville. ā If purchasing a Rivian or Rivian Gear, use my referral code: CURTIS1921388 Rivian just dropped update 2026.15, and I think this is the best Rivian software update so far. The new Rivian AI Assistant can send text messages by voice, control different parts of the vehicle, open the frunk, open…
From The Duke of Middleville. šIf Purchasing a Rivian use my referral code: CURTIS1921388 to receive 500 referral points and FREE charging! How much does it really cost to road trip in an EV compared to a gas vehicle? In this video, I break down the real-world cost of taking my Rivian R1T Quad Max…
From The Duke of Middleville. šIf Purchasing a Rivian use my referral code: CURTIS1921388 to receive 500 referral points! Gas prices are rising fast, oil markets are unstable, and that could make the Rivian R2 launch way more important than people realize. In this video, I break down why the Rivian R2 may be arriving…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivian just revealed the R2 pricing, and in this video I break down the Standard, Premium, and Performance versions to see what youāre really getting for the money. I go through the pricing, features, options, and the key differences between all three trims so you can figure out which R2…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivian just revealed the R2 pricing, and in this video I break down the Standard, Premium, and Performance versions to see what youāre really getting for the money. I go through the pricing, features, options, and the key differences between all three trims so you can figure out which R2…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivian just dropped Update 2026.03 and my Generation 1 Rivian R1S finally got the feature Iāve been waiting for: LAUNCH CONTROL. This is a big deal because Launch Control was previously tied to higher-performance configurations like the Tri-Motor and Quad-Motor, and Iām driving a Quad Motor Gen 1 R1Sāso Iām…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivian just released Software Update 2026.03, and this one is packed with meaningful upgrades. In this video, I break down everything new ā including the enhanced Kneel Mode, which now lowers the vehicle even further and can be activated while driving under 20 mph. This makes loading, entry, and everyday…
From The Duke of Middleville. The Rivian R2 could be the most important vehicle launch in Rivianās history ā but can their service infrastructure handle it? In this deep-dive analysis, we break down Rivianās current service center footprint (74 U.S. locations across 35 states), compare it to Teslaās service network during the early Model 3…
From The Duke of Middleville. The Rivian R2 could be the most important vehicle launch in Rivianās history ā but can their service infrastructure handle it? In this deep-dive analysis, we break down Rivianās current service center footprint (74 U.S. locations across 35 states), compare it to Teslaās service network during the early Model 3…
From The Duke of Middleville. The Rivian R2 reviews are officially out ā and the reaction from Doug DeMuro, Marques Brownlee, JerryRigEverything, InsideEVs, and MotorTrend has been overwhelmingly positive. But this isnāt just another good EV. This could be HUGE. In this video, I break down: ā¢ What the reviewers actually drove (dual motor ~600+…
From The Duke of Middleville. Choosing between the Gen 2 and the upcoming Gen 3 Rivian R2 isn’t just a preferenceāitās the difference between the Smartest Way to Buy and a costly depreciation trap! In this deep-dive, I break down the critical factors that will affect the resale value and long-term enjoyment of your R2…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivian is launching the R2 in two different hardware generations ā and that decision could have a major impact on depreciation, resale value, and long-term ownership cost. In this video, I break down the real risk behind Rivian R2 Gen 2 vs Gen 3, and why the decision isnāt as…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivian is taking a very different approach to vehicle autonomy than Tesla ā and itās not an accident. In this deep-dive video, I explain the foundational differences between their strategies and why Rivian is focusing specifically on personal Level 4 Autonomy instead of a RoboTaxi fleet. The debate isn’t about…
From The Duke of Middleville. Tesla launching RoboTaxis in Texas makes sense. Scaling them nationwide is a different story. In this video, I explain why dense cities present a much harder regulatory environment for RoboTaxis, how city governments control permits and liability, and why success in one state does not mean fast national expansion. This…
From The Duke of Middleville. Tesla has been very confident about RoboTaxis and full self-driving vehicles operating without drivers across the United States. But the hardest part of the RoboTaxi business is not the technology ā it is getting permission to operate in the cities where RoboTaxis actually make sense. In this video, I break…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivian isnāt just launching the R2 once ā theyāre effectively launching it twice, and that changes everything for buyers, production, and pricing. In this video, I break down Rivianās R2 rollout strategy, including why the first R2 vehicles will launch as one generation, while a more advanced Gen 3 R2…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivian isnāt just launching the R2 once ā theyāre effectively launching it twice, and that changes everything for buyers, production, and pricing. In this video, I break down Rivianās R2 rollout strategy, including why the first R2 vehicles will launch as one generation, while a more advanced Gen 3 R2…
From The Duke of Middleville. Is Tesla’s "cameras only" approach to Full Self-Driving (FSD) a critical flaw, or the future of autonomous vehicles? We dive deep into the real-world Lidar vs. Vision debate to understand the core Tesla FSD problem and examine why relying on computer vision alone might not be enough to solve every…
From The Duke of Middleville. Cameras are incredibly powerful ā but in autonomous driving, cameras alone can only estimate reality. This video explains why that isnāt enough. Using a simple real-world analogy, I break down the idea of ground truth in self-driving systems. Itās the difference between guessing a measurement with your eyes and checking…
From The Duke of Middleville. It was my first time ever driving a Tesla, and it happened during the same trip where I attended Rivian Autonomy Day. Between time behind the wheel of a Tesla Model Y and seeing the Rivian R2 up close, it sparked a lot of thoughts about design, purpose, and where…
From The Duke of Middleville. šIf Purchasing a Rivian use my referral code: CURTIS1921388 to receive 500 referral points! Gas truck owners love saying EVs are boringā¦ So letās do a FULL Kick Turn DEMO šā” In this video, I break down and demonstrate the Rivian Kick Turn feature introduced in the 2025.46 software update,…
From The Duke of Middleville. In this video, I break down and demonstrate the Rivian Kick Turn feature introduced in the 2025.46 software update, showing how it actually works in the real world ā not on a test track, but in my front yard and driveway. šIf Purchasing a Rivian use my referral code: CURTIS1921388…
From The Duke of Middleville. šIf Purchasing a Rivian use my referral code: CURTIS1921388 to receive 500 referral points! Rivian just changed the game. With Update 2025.46, Rivian rolls out Universal Hands-Free highway driving across 3 MILLION miles of roads, and after testing it myselfā¦ yeah, this is the real deal. In this video, I…
From The Duke of Middleville. šIf Purchasing a Rivian use my referral code: CURTIS1921388 to receive 500 referral points! Rivian just changed the game. With Update 2025.46, Rivian rolls out Universal Hands-Free highway driving across 3 MILLION miles of roads, and after testing it myselfā¦ yeah, this is the real deal. In this video, I…
From The Duke of Middleville. Tesla has dominated the autonomy conversation for years ā but after attending Rivian Autonomy Day, Iām not convinced that lead is safe anymore. Here are my two biggest takeaways š š Rivian Ditches Alexa for Its Own AI Assistant Rivian is replacing third-party voice assistants with a fully in-house AI…
From The Duke of Middleville. STOP! Before you place a deposit on an R1T or R1S, you HAVE to watch this. Rivian just unveiled its game-changing Gen 3 Autonomy Platform at Autonomy Day, and it completely redefines what an electric vehicle can do. š¤Æ This is the autonomous update you need to see before making…
From The Duke of Middleville. This is the video EV owners never want to talk about ā how much their electric bill REALLY goes up after switching to an electric vehicle. I pulled every single electric bill from 2025 to calculate exactly how much it cost me to charge my Rivian R1S and Rivian R1T…
From The Duke of Middleville. This is the video EV owners never want to talk about ā how much their electric bill REALLY goes up after switching to an electric vehicle. I pulled every single electric bill from 2025 to calculate exactly how much it cost me to charge my Rivian R1S and Rivian R1T…