Rivian’s future may ride on a five-seat SUV with animatronic-looking headlights.
The R2 — Rivian’s new midsize SUV that launched to customers on June 9 — hits the sweet spot on paper: It (eventually) starts at $44,990, delivers around 300 miles of range across trims, and competes in America’s best-selling new-vehicle segment: midsize SUVs.
That makes it super important for Rivian.
If it works, Rivian could join Tesla in the tiny club of modern American automaker startups that have reached sustained profitability. If it doesn’t, it risks joining the gigantic graveyard of we-tried-and-burned-through-lots-of-cash EV startups (we’re looking at you, Fisker, Canoo, Lordstown, Nikola, Bollinger, et al.).
Business Insider reviewed customer communications and spoke with early R2 buyers to map when customers can place their orders in detail, including trims and drivetrain options, paint colors, interiors, wheels, and future self-driving hardware.
Here’s what we found:
You may see these R2s on the road today
The first R2s to reach customers are the $57,990 Performance models with the Launch Package. Several have been spotted on the road (and their pictures subsequently been posted on social media) across the US.
Those vehicles are available to order in six exterior colors: Esker Silver, Glacier White, Midnight, Catalina Cove, Half-Moon Grey, and Launch Green. The 20- and 21-inch wheels are also available.
The only available interior color is Black Crater.
Customers speaking to Business Insider have reported lease prices ranging from $829 to just over $1,000 a month. Delivery estimates have ranged from three to 12 weeks.
And in the future, you can order…
First, a new, differently colored batch of R2 Performance options is expected to become available for order later this year.
Forest Green exterior paint and the Coastal Cloud Signature interior are expected in August 2026, while a purple Borealis exterior paint (shown above) is expected in September 2026.
Then, there will be new trims and powertrain options. The $53,990 Premium trim is expected in late 2026, while the initial Standard trim options are expected in spring of 2027.
Finally, several drivetrain configurations are arriving on different schedules. Rear-wheel-drive Long Range and all-wheel-drive Long Range versions are expected in spring 2027.
The lowest-cost, $44,990 rear-wheel-drive Standard trim is expected in summer 2027.
Rivian also expects to offer a lidar configuration in late 2026, which will help steer its self-driving ambitions, the company said.
Rivian’s Model 3 moment
Seth Goldstein, an auto industry analyst at Morningstar, told Business Insider he expects the R2 could be popular enough to help America get out of its EV sales slump.
John Rosevear, a contributing analyst at The Motley Fool, is also bullish on the R2, telling Business Insider that he estimates Rivian could start turning a profit in four to six quarters of R2 sales.
For many analysts, the R2’s launch reminds them of Tesla’s Model 3 moment. Before the launch of the sub-$50,000 EV sedan in 2017, Elon Musk’s startup relied entirely on sales of premium products — the Model X, Model S, and Roadster. The Model 3 bridged the gap between EV tech optimism and reasonable affordability.
Rivian could follow the same trajectory if all goes well. CEO RJ Scaringe has said he understands the stakes.
“The launch of R2 really ignites the business,” Scaringe said during a podcast interview in October. “You need a certain level of scale, which R2 brings for us.”
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