Rivian's R2 just helped it set a new sales record

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  October 02, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Rivian's R2 just helped it set a new sales record: Deliveries jumped roughly 45% compared to the same quarter last year, with Rivian delivering more than 19,000 EVs. Read More Rivian issues R2 recall for poorly tightened battery packs: The company says around 14 vehicles may be affected, and that it has resolved the issue on the assembly line. Read More Google thinks SpaceX's Starship has to launch 1,800 times before space data centers get off the ground: Google launched its first advanced chip into orbit to pave the way for space data centers. Read More A message from Spin Analytics SPIN Analytics is Building for the next phase of banking AI SPIN Analytics is expanding in the US with RISKROBOT™, its AI-driven platform for regulatory credit risk modelling. Our ambition: make governed risk intelligence a core capability across financial services. We invite investors and strategic partners to accelerate this growth. This company is part of Santander X 100, global community of Santander X. Discuss the opportunity Morning Must-Reads Lyft is paying $272.5M to settle lawsuit over how it classified drivers: Today, gig economy drivers are classified as contractors. This settlement clears up a lingering lawsuit from 2020 when that was still an unanswered issue. Read More Tesla sustains its EV sales momentum despite US troubles: The company delivered more than 486,000 EVs in the third quarter, down from last year's record but moving in a positive direction. Read More Medical records giant Epic pauses product development to fix security bugs that risk patients' data: The health tech software giant, which makes the widely used MyChart system for accessing medical data, will focus on fixing security bugs for the next few weeks. Read More Slovenia's .si domain sees a surge in registrations after Trump's 'super intelligence' order: The .si domain name is seeing unprecedented demand after President Trump's super intelligence executive order. Read More ChatGPT can now virtually try on clothes for you: OpenAI is rolling out new shopping features for ChatGPT that let users virtually try on clothing and accessories using their own photos and save products they like to a Favorites library. Read More A message from RoMADE Big-fleet technology, built for small trucking carriers 91.5% of U.S. trucking carriers run 10 trucks or fewer, yet most fleet software is built for the giants. SICO TRACK, from Romania's SICO MEDIA, puts fleet, loads, costs, documents, GPS and an AI assistant in one SaaS platform. Its working beta has 11 companies lined up to pilot. At Disrupt 2026 it's seeking $1M and a U.S. partner. Meet SICO TRACK Last but Not Least Musk's AI chatbot Grok reportedly encouraged Trump to capture Venezuela's president: President Trump reportedly asked for Grok's opinion before invading Venezuela and capturing Nicolás Maduro. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

Google thinks SpaceX's Starship has to launch 1,800 times before space data centers get off the ground

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  October 01, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Google thinks SpaceX's Starship has to launch 1,800 times before space data centers get off the ground: Google launched its first advanced chip into orbit to pave the way for space data centers. Read More Opus 5.5 loves to tell you 'this matters' (and other AI writing tells): Opus 5.5’s biggest tell is the word “dependable,” which pops up 23 times more often than in human samples. Read More ChatGPT can now virtually try on clothes for you: OpenAI is rolling out new shopping features for ChatGPT that let users virtually try on clothing and accessories using their own photos and save products they like to a Favorites library. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Get your Disrupt pass and get 50% off a second The Disrupt experience is better shared. Get one pass at regular price and a second at 50% off for a co-founder, partner, colleague, or peer. Make more connections, gain fresh insights, and discover the next wave of tech together. This offer ends when Disrupt begins Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. PT. Register now Afternoon Must-Reads Audible's new features let you explore book worlds — and use AI to talk to characters: Audible is rolling out new features that help listeners keep track of characters, explore places and imagery mentioned in books, and even interact with characters using generative AI. Read More California governor vetoes bill banning use of 'pervert glasses' to secretly record people: The California state bill would have penalized people who secretly recorded people in public with wearables equipped with cameras and microphones. Read More Satlyt, founded by a former Google and SpaceX product manager, raises $8M to run AI on satellites: Satlyt wants to be the Android of orbital computing, offering open software that works on many companies' satellites, versus SpaceX's closed, all-in-one iPhone-style approach. Read More OpenAI cuts ties with 3 safety researchers, WSJ reports: OpenAI has parted ways with three safety researchers after an internal investigation found they mishandled sensitive company information, report says. Read More Amazon releases its own Jev clone as decision models flood the web: Amazon Web Services' Strand Labs has released the latest Jevalike decision model, Strands Decider 2B. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Tomorrow is your last day to exhibit at Disrupt Don’t wait until the Expo Hall is full to wish you had a table. Book by tomorrow, Oct. 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and put your startup in front of 10,000+ founders, investors, and decisionmakers at Disrupt. Showcase your breakthrough, generate valuable leads, and connect with VCs. Your table could go to your competitor. Book now Last but Not Least The new Kindle ditches the raised bezel in a push toward a smaller, lighter e-reader: The new Kindle lineup features its lightest and thinnest designs yet, with a sleek, front-flush display that eliminates bezels for good. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107