The Duke of Middleville
Join us on this journey as empower you to be self-sufficient through energy independence, self-reliance, and sustainable living by leveraging vehicle electrification, solar energy, DIY projects, and energy reduction to be free from big oil, and local utilities, and contractors that can exploit you into bankruptcy. Sweet Freedom Baby!!
From The Duke of Middleville. While America is still debating electric vehicles, China is building the factories, battery supply chains, workforce, and manufacturing knowledge that could control the future of transportation. This video explains why China is winning the electric-vehicle race, why America is moving more slowly, and what the United States can still do…
From The Duke of Middleville. Why wonāt America switch to EVs as fast as Europe, China, or other parts of the world? In this video, I break down the real reasons America will likely be slow to adopt electric vehicles ā and why that may not be a bad thing. This conversation is much bigger…
From The Duke of Middleville. Why wonāt America switch to EVs as fast as Europe, China, or other parts of the world? In this video, I break down the real reasons America will likely be slow to adopt electric vehicles ā and why that may not be a bad thing. This conversation is much bigger…
From The Duke of Middleville. Before taking an EV road trip, there are several things you need to do. Iāll show you how I prepare my Rivian by checking the tire pressure, washing the vehicle to reduce aerodynamic drag, packing my charging adapters, planning my charging stops, and charging to 100%. Then we hit the…
From The Duke of Middleville. Is your EV charger safe, or is it a fire hazard waiting to happen? Many homeowners assume that if a professional electrician installed their charger, it was done correctlyābut that isn’t always the case. In this video, Iām breaking down the critical mistakes that can lead to melted outlets, damaged…
From The Duke of Middleville. Is your EV charger safe, or is it a fire hazard waiting to happen? Many homeowners assume that if a professional electrician installed their charger, it was done correctlyābut that isn’t always the case. In this video, Iām breaking down the critical mistakes that can lead to melted outlets, damaged…
From The Duke of Middleville. New to electric vehicles? EV charging doesnāt have to be confusing! In this video, I break down everything you need to know about charging your EV, from using a Level 2 charger at home to understanding DC fast charging on the road. I take my Rivian R1T through a real-world…
From The Duke of Middleville. The Slate Truck starts at $24,950 and promises a simple, affordable electric pickup with a blank-canvas design, customizable accessories, and lower-cost utility. But is the Slate Truck actually a good value? In this video, I break down Slate Autoās value proposition, including price, range, towing, repairability, home charging, accessories, fleet…
From The Duke of Middleville. Did Rivian let people jump the R2 reservation line, or is there a hidden strategy behind the order invites? In this video, I break down why some Rivian R2 reservation holders may feel skipped, why a reservation isnāt the same as a sale, and how Rivian may be using demand…
From The Duke of Middleville. My wife and I finally got the chance to test drive the Rivian R2, and after driving it, sitting in it, checking out the interior, looking at the rear seat space, and walking around the vehicle, I honestly believe Rivian knocked this one out of the park. In this Rivian…
From The Duke of Middleville. Electric vehicles can feel confusing when you are new to them. Between kilowatts, kilowatt-hours, miles per kilowatt-hour, battery percentage, projected miles, Level 1 charging, Level 2 charging, DC fast charging, charging apps, adapters, and connector types, it can feel like you need to learn a whole new language just to…
From The Duke of Middleville. Electric vehicles can feel confusing when you are new to them. Between kilowatts, kilowatt-hours, miles per kilowatt-hour, battery percentage, projected miles, Level 1 charging, Level 2 charging, DC fast charging, charging apps, adapters, and connector types, it can feel like you need to learn a whole new language just to…
From The Duke of Middleville. Before you spend $2,000 or more installing a Level 2 EV charger at home, you need to know whether you actually need one. In this video, I break down Level 1 EV charging using a regular 120-volt household outlet. We look at how many miles a regular outlet can add…
From The Duke of Middleville. Think EV charging takes too long? After 40 years of driving gas cars and 15 years behind the wheel of an EV, I did the mathāand the results surprised even me. Most people focus on how "slow" a single charging session is, but theyāre missing the big picture: the difference…
From The Duke of Middleville. The Rivian R2 is one of the most important electric SUVs coming to market, but it is not just competing with the Tesla Model Y. Depending on the trim, the Rivian R2 is going up against mainstream EVs like the Chevy Equinox EV, Hyundai IONIQ 5, Kia EV6, and Ford…
From The Duke of Middleville. Rivianās R2 pricing strategy is much more than just a $45,000 starting price. In fact, that headline price might be a total decoy. In this video, Iām diving into the Rivian R2 configurator to break down the full pricing ladder and show how Rivian may be nudging buyers toward specific…
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 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…