Rivian plans to open the public R2 online configurator in May, giving customers the ability to build and price the mid-size SUV on the company’s website ahead of the first external deliveries in June.
When it officially launched the model on March 12, the EV maker said that the online configurator woul open “in the coming months.”
Earlier this week, the company updated the R2 website page and the model’s mini configurator, showing the three trims — Standard, Premium, and Performance — with their respective specs, colors, and wheel options.
The internal configurator for Rivian employees is already live, allowing staff placing their launch orders to select trims, colours, and options through the same tool that will later be opened to the public.
The May target tightens the timeline Rivian had previously communicated.
On its website, the company still states that the “R2 online configurator will open in the coming months” — language first spotted at the SXSW reveal on March 12 and unchanged since.
A customer email sent to reservation holders separately indicated that “in June, you’ll see your estimated time to order.”
A May launch would mean the configurator opens roughly a month earlier than the publicly communicated June milestone, narrowing the gap between ordering and first customer deliveries.
Internal Configurator
Rivian employees are now able to configure their R2 units through an internal version of the online tool. The system covers the full Launch Package for the Performance trim — the only variant available at the initial rollout.
Employee handovers have reportedly begun, according to new pictures of the company’s delivery area at its Illinois plant, which showed an R2 and an R1S vehicle.
All employee deliveries must be completed at the factory itself, consistent with Rivian‘s practice when it first launched the R1T and R1S.
Earlier this month, Bensaid confirmed that internal deliveries would begin in April in a reply on X.
Rivian‘s Chief Software Officer said last month at the SXSW festival that employees would hold their vehicles “for a few months” to accumulate mileage and return software experience data before public deliveries begin.
Reservation Confirmation
Non-employee reservation holders remain in the pre-configurator phase.
Since mid-March, Rivian has been contacting holders to confirm delivery addresses and measure interest in the Launch Edition, with an additional $100 refundable deposit required on top of the original reservation for those wanting to secure a launch unit.
“In June, you’ll see your estimated time to order,” Rivian wrote in the email, first reported by EV on March 12.
A later variation of the communication stated: “In June, we’ll be reaching back out with a date for when you can configure and order your R2.”
If the configurator opens in May, the June email would serve as the formal invitation to place an order — with the online tool functional ahead of that communication.
R1 owners are being prioritised for early access, consistent with Rivian‘s treatment of existing owners during the R1S launch in 2022.
Scope at Launch
Only the R2 Performance with Launch Package will be configurable when the public tool opens.
The Premium trim, priced at $53,990 and expected in late 2026, and the Standard variants — $48,490 for the single-motor long-range version in the first half of 2027 and approximately $45,000 for the base configuration in late 2027 — will be added to the configurator closer to their respective launch windows.
Configurable options for the Performance Launch Edition include exterior colours (Catalina Cove, Esker Silver, and Half Moon Grey among the new options), interior finishes, wheel options, the tow package rated at 4,400 pounds, and Autonomy+ — which is included as a lifetime subscription in the Launch Package but otherwise costs $49.99 per month or $2,500 one-time.
The R2 Performance starts at $57,990 with the Launch Package.
The dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain produces 656 horsepower and 609 lb-ft of torque, with a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds and an EPA-estimated range of up to 330 miles.
Production Ramp
Rivian completed its first manufacturing validation builds of the R2 in mid-January. The company is targeting 20,000 to 25,000 R2 deliveries in 2026 within a total production target of 62,000 to 67,000 vehicles.
Of those, Rivian expects to sell 5,000 R2 units this year in California alone, according to an EPA filing.
The Normal plant has capacity for 215,000 vehicles annually, including up to 155,000 R2s.
Production is currently running on a single shift, with a second shift planned for late 2026 and a third in 2027.
Chief Financial Officer Claire McDonough told investors on the fourth-quarter earnings call that R2 launch complexity would pressure margins in the second and third quarters before becoming a tailwind in the fourth.
