The R2 is actually happening. Omar, a Rivian employee, posted a photo on LinkedIn showing R2 bodies moving through the assembly line in Normal, Illinois, and our sources tell us select Rivian executives took delivery of real production R2s as early as last week and are already driving them around.
Rivian is building a massive new 40,000 square foot showroom, service center, and charging hub right off I-4 across from the Millenia Mall in Orlando. I stopped by the site today and construction hasn't gone vertical yet, but once it does this thing is going to move fast.
Autonomy+ is easy to dismiss right now. The feature set is light, the big capabilities aren't here yet, and $50 a month is a tough sell for hands-free lane centering. But the $2,500 one-time payment is a different conversation. You're not paying for what Autonomy+ is today. You're locking in at today's price for everything it becomes, point-to-point driving, eyes-off capability, and eventually personal Level 4 autonomy, all tied to your VIN and yours for the life of the truck. Tesla just killed their one-time FSD purchase option entirely and confirmed the $99 monthly price is only going up from here. Rivian is still offering you a way out of that subscription trap. It might not be open forever.
Rivian is heading back to Coachella both weekends of the festival, April 10-12 and 17-19, and this time they're bringing the R2 along. If you're going and have been curious about the car, this is a pretty easy way to see it in person before deliveries even start.
Rivian has confirmed that R2 first drives are coming in June at your local Rivian Space or Service Center and yes, I'll finally be getting behind the wheel for the first time too.
