Rivian's Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid is back for his third Reddit AMA this Thursday, May 21st, and this one is focused specifically on the R2 software platform. He'll be live from the Palo Alto office between 11:30am and 3pm PST.
Rivian rolled out the full R2 accessory lineup alongside the configurator going live, with pricing now available for everything from the NACS Wall Charger to All-Weather Mats and Cargo Crossbars. Most of it is priced in line with the R1 side, but there is one compatibility detail R1 owners will want to know about before launch.
The Rivian R2 configurator is officially live, and Performance buyers can now price out a build starting at $57,990 with a spring 2026 delivery. Early orders get a Launch Package worth roughly $3,700 in extras, including lifetime Autonomy+, and there is a lot to dig into across colors, wheels, and trim timing.
The first R2 in Forest Green has been spotted in person at the Palo Alto R2 Block Party, and it looks way richer and glossier than the configurator rendering suggested. Here's a closer look at how it compares to Launch Green in real light.
Rivian is exploring a way to manufacture its own lidar sensors in the United States, possibly through a joint venture using Chinese technology. If the plan lands, the R2 would become the first mass-market American EV fitted with a domestically built lidar unit, and it would mark another step in Rivian's push to bring more of its critical tech stack in-house.
RJ Scaringe confirmed to Reuters that Rivian is working on undisclosed R2 variants, even floating the R2X by name before catching himself and saying he didn't want to announce the program. With the Georgia plant being built for flexibility, an R2X performance trim, an R2 RAD Edition, and even a smaller R2T pickup all feel like real possibilities now.
Rivian confirmed today that the Cargo Crossbars sold for R1 will not be interchangeable with R2, which is a tough pill for anyone planning to own both trucks given the $700 to $800 price tag on the existing accessory.
The Rivian R2 is meaningfully smaller than the R1S, but the numbers tell a more interesting story than just a shrunken sibling. The R2 is 15 inches shorter, 10 inches lower, and rolls on a tighter wheelbase, yet somehow has more rear legroom than the R1S. Here's the full side-by-side breakdown, including where the R1S still wins.
A LinkedIn post from a newly promoted R2 Group Leader is the first employee-level signal that Rivian is already staffing the night shift at Normal, just over a week after R2 saleable production officially kicked off on April 22.
Rivian confirmed today that Borealis won't be available on the R2 Launch Edition and will instead show up later on the R2 Performance trim. Forest Green is still coming to Launch Edition later this year, Coastal Cloud Signature might join the list too, and Esker Silver will be the only no-cost color on R2.
