Rivian software chief Wassym Bensaid went on Decoder, and it's the clearest look yet at the VW deal, why Rivian's software culture is the real asset, and what RV Tech means for every future EV from Audi to Scout.
R2 ordering is officially open as of June 9th, starting with the Performance Launch Edition only at $57,990. You're getting 656 hp, semi-active suspension, around 330 miles of range, and the full Launch Package, with current R1 owners getting priority and first deliveries targeted for 2-6 weeks from the date.
Leasing is confirmed for the R2 Launch Edition from day one, which is new territory for Rivian, and if you're trying to figure out how to pay for yours, I'd lean lease. Not for the money, but because R2 is a brand-new platform arriving right before LiDAR lands in late 2026, and that's hardware you can't add to an early build later. Here's the case for leasing, the case for buying, and why I'm personally doing the opposite of what I'd tell you to.
Software week. RivianOS 2.0 got confirmed for R2 at launch, Wassym ran an R2 software AMA on Thursday, the self-driving roadmap we'd been waiting on finally dropped, and it turns out the entire R2 lineup is getting a heat pump.
Rivian's software and autonomy leads jumped into a Reddit AMA and ended up spilling more concrete R2 detail than we've gotten in a while. Wassym handled most of it, with James stepping in for the self driving questions. From point to point autonomy timelines and the edge compute bet to the heat pump, the charging mat retrofit, and why the premium audio actually works, here's everything worth knowing.
