The Sunday Drive, Rivian Week in Review, May 11 to May 17, 2026

Big week. The R2 configurator went live, accessories pricing dropped, first real world Forest Green sightings happened, Rivian Assistant landed in 2026.15, and customer deliveries are basically right around the corner. Let’s get into it.

The configurator going live was the headline moment. Pricing, colors, and Launch Package details all confirmed, and reservation holders can finally start spec’ing for real. Full breakdown in Rivian R2 Configurator Goes Live Today With Pricing, Colors, and Launch Package Details.

Accessories pricing dropped right alongside it, which is always one of the more revealing parts of a launch. Some of it lines up with R1 pricing, some of it surprised me. Full list in Rivian R2 Accessories at Launch, Pricing and What to Know.

Customer deliveries are also just days away at this point, and the real test starts now. Production is one thing, but how the first wave of owners feel in the first few weeks is going to set the tone for everything that comes after. My take in Rivian R2 Customer Deliveries Are Days Away and the Real Test Starts Now.

The Palo Alto Block Party gave us the first real world look at the R2 in Forest Green, and it looks even better in person than it did in renders. Photos in First Real World Look at the Rivian R2 in Forest Green From the Palo Alto Block Party.

Rivian Assistant officially rolled out in 2026.15 too, and I spent some time digging into it. Did a full hands on video review covering what works, what’s still rough, and where it’s clearly going. Watch in Rivian Assistant Hands On Video Review in 2026.15.

A couple of follow up pieces on Assistant since people had questions. First, how to actually use the Google Calendar integration if you don’t use Google Calendar, which is a more common situation than you’d think. Walkthrough in How to Use Rivian Assistant’s Google Calendar Integration if You Don’t Have Google Calendar.

The other one is why Assistant can’t reply to group texts over Bluetooth, which is a limitation a lot of people are bumping into and getting frustrated by. It’s not really Rivian’s fault. Explained in Why Rivian Assistant Can’t Reply to Group Texts Over Bluetooth.

On the broader Rivian ecosystem side, Mind Robotics hit $1B in total funding after a new $400M round. Not a Rivian story directly but worth keeping an eye on given how much of the future humanoid robotics overlap with where Rivian and adjacent companies are heading. More in Mind Robotics Hits $1B Total Funding After New $400M Round.

That’s the week. Configurator live, accessories up, deliveries imminent. Catch you on the next Sunday Drive.