R2 buyers - will you wait for gen 3 hardware (including LiDAR)?

[RivAW]

Why would anyone buy an initial R2 unless there are amazing lease deals. Rivian is "shooting themselves in the foot" by essentially announcing fast-tracked planned obsolesce (and depreciation). Are their enough people that want the R2 so badly that they don't necessarily care about the hardware upgrades 6 mos down the line (and do those people have the necessary risk tolerance to buy the early VINs of a new vehicle)? I love my R1T enough that I'll just likely wait for the R3x at this point and cancel my early day-1 reservation for R2 (excepting only a limited scenario where "something" happens to my R1T).

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[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Like at least a couple others on this thread, this is a "for the wife" vehicle, as R1T fits my size and needs better. So it depends on how her current vehicle is holding up at the time.

And also the big "smoking gun" in the room - any vehicle purchase for us would have to depend on the economy and our jobs. There is basically a zero-percent chance we buy anything given the current conditions.

May just hold out for R3, if that fits our timeline better.

 

[Budman]

Sounds perfect to me.

A thought experiment for everyone. Given these two options which would you choose. Pricing is the same between options A and B

A. An R2 with a “large” battery pack and the Gen 2 autonomy hardware

B. An R2 with a “standard “ battery pack and the Gen 3 hardware.

I will choose option A without hesitation. A bigger battery is WAY more important to me. Would not spend an extra dollar for LiDar.

 

[dleepnw]

Even if you don't use or care much about advanced autonomy, remember that when the Gen2 R2 launches it will not have the next gen Rivian chip and tech stack. So its not just Lidar that you won't get. It'll definitely be less future proof by years than the Gen3 R2 relating to AI features and improvements. And lets be honest, Rivian is going to focus on the latest and greatest with regards to software updates and features. Gen1 is legacy code at this point.

 

[CrazyOne]

Sounds perfect to me.

A thought experiment for everyone. Given these two options which would you choose. Pricing is the same between options A and B

A. An R2 with a “large” battery pack and the Gen 2 autonomy hardware

B. An R2 with a “standard “ battery pack and the Gen 3 hardware.

I will choose option A without hesitation. A bigger battery is WAY more important to me. Would not spend an extra dollar for LiDar.

Agree. Even *if* they launch a perfect eyes off system, it will take several years before I can trust it enough. If I am leasing, it's even less relevant.

 

[Budman]

Agree. Even *if* they launch a perfect eyes off system, it will take several years before I can trust it enough. If I am leasing, it's even less relevant.

And what will used car buyer value in a 5 year old car? A bigger battery and more range or more autonomy? I think they will want and be willing to pay for more range but not autonomy that requires a subscription fee.

The resale argument for the Gen 3 hardware falls a bit flat for me.

 

[CrazyOne]

And what will used car buyer value in a 5 year old car? A bigger battery and more range or more autonomy? I think they will want and be willing to pay for more range but not autonomy that requires a subscription fee.

The resale argument for the Gen 3 hardware falls a bit flat for me.

Gen 2 hardware can already support hands free and that is the level most people are comfortable with.

Speculation: Level 3 and 4 will cost more in subscription fee.

 

[mkhuffman]

I waited for Gen2 (2025) to get the latest and greatest hardware. If they can’t provide L3 in R1 Gen2 because of lack of LiDAR, and it’s only available on Gen3 (2026), I will be sad. 1 year between generations in HW that blocks a major feature feels like a fail, especially if they move the R1 to Gen3 (speculative) in the next year.

But you have not been cheated.

1. Rivian is planning to provide L3 autonomy in Gen2 vehicles, including the R2s without Lidar.

2. The Gen3 R1 is likely two years away, so our 2025 Gen2 vehicles have all the latest technology Rivian has to offer right now.

3. The Gen3 R2 is not equivalent to the R1, IMO, so they could make that model fly and the R1 would still have the latest technology.

4. You bought what you drove home the day you drove it home. Rivian has no obligation to make it better, even though they do, every month.

You have not been cheated.

 

[DavidM]

But you have not been cheated.

1. Rivian is planning to provide L3 autonomy in Gen2 vehicles, including the R2s without Lidar.

2. The Gen3 R1 is likely two years away, so our 2025 Gen2 vehicles have all the latest technology Rivian has to offer right now.

3. The Gen3 R2 is not equivalent to the R1, IMO, so they could make that model fly and the R1 would still have the latest technology.

4. You bought what you drove home the day you drove it home. Rivian has no obligation to make it better, even though they do, every month.

You have not been cheated.

 

[TexasBob]

The price is not going to stay the same ….things are going to get interesting when pricing is announced…

Sounds perfect to me.

A thought experiment for everyone. Given these two options which would you choose. Pricing is the same between options A and B

A. An R2 with a “large” battery pack and the Gen 2 autonomy hardware

B. An R2 with a “standard “ battery pack and the Gen 3 hardware.

I will choose option A without hesitation. A bigger battery is WAY more important to me. Would not spend an extra dollar for LiDar.

I choose:
C. An R2 with a "large" battery pack and the Gen 3 hardware.

 

[DavidM]

#4 - you have a legacy vehicle mindset. Rivian vehicles (and Tesla) are subscription based tech platforms with wheels; like a smartphone. So yes, we all have expectations and Rivian does have obligations to make it better over time. Or, like a smartphone, we will dump Windows mobile for iPhone.

 

[Just Passing By]

I have a similar perspective to others so I voted ASAP. I have no interest in auto drive at this time in my life, let alone waiting for lidar to be available. I haven't even used cruise control for approx. two decades, so certainly not interested in paying for the autonomy package. Not concerned about possible re-sale implications due to lack of lidar/Gen 3 platform either.

So for me, the "ASAP" R2 needs to be built well with good fit and finish and drive well. I'm not price sensitive so somewhere in the $60-70k region is fine for an R2 with the following core attributes -

• dual motor
• adequate 0-60 performance in the 5s range or better
• a battery size/range of 300+ miles, since I plan on taking longer soft-roading trips where the distance from fast charger-to off road-and back to a fast charger may be significant
• a decent sound system, nothing out of the ordinary, but Rivian apparently needs to do better here, so hopefully they deliver on that
• V2x should be in place at delivery to me, not a promise for the future

Seems like the above should be a reasonable match for the earliest production version. Of course chance would be a fine thing since I only put in a reservation last January. So I may be defaulted into the upgraded platform sometime in 2027 anyway if I wait that long.

 

[VC_Rivian]

I was on the fence, I’ll keep my reservation, but I’m all in on my gen 1 Quad. I’ll get an extended warranty . Just got new tires for it. R2 2027 at this point.

 

[AlphaSnowbordergirl]

Due to the fact I plan to keep the vehicle for 8-10 years like my other vehicles, I would like the gen 3 hardware as its only a few months away, but the lack of clarity on pricing and specs this late in the game is a bit annoying for me. I'm a person who compares early and this will be the most expensive car I have ever purchased. My previous car was 15,000 dollars. so this will be 3 to 4 times more expensive. I would like to be able to plan what I will be spending and try to save up as much as I can prior to purchase and down payment. Right now I still don't know when their official launch date is, still don't know configurations available, already iffy on when I'd even get my vehicle as I don't own an R1S so I know I'll be pushed back and don't know where I am in line even if they go in order as they haven't updated reservations since July of 2024 and now they're two versions they're bringing out meaning 2 configuration set ups and we may not know when the gen 3 version is coming out. I am trying really hard not to spend a lot of money on my current car. My car is probably worth 5k now, so changing the tires is literally 25% of the worth of the car and other maintenance will be coming up soon. The uncertainty of the R2 and when I'll get it is driving me crazy and may have to spend 50% of what my cars worth to get the maintenance it needs as I may not get the R2 from anywhere from next month to another year. Give me some information Rivian I am begging you. Something solid.

 

[savethemanual]

I feel there is just too much speculation yet around these details, I'm waiting for the official press day they have for R2 coming early next year. Rivian will officially announce all these details then.

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