R2 Configurator is Live! 🎉 What's your configuration?

[Bullwinkle]

With most getting a premium or better trim because they want AWD on their rugged "adventure vehicle" and then just adding a spare tire, paying 1.5k destination fee, and state tax, they almost all will find themselves north of 59k or a lease on that basis. Does 59k+ work as a mass market vehicle? An AWD Tesla Model Y which does sell as a mass market vehicle sells south of 46k after destination fee and taxes. Even if you go to the premium AWD Model Y which is arguably more comparable, it is still 6k cheaper. I'm sure many here for many reasons would choose to pay that 6k more, but my question is more for the masses less about us the enthusiasts.

You can’t even take a Model Y on an even slightly rutted road.

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[Bullwinkle]

They would be wrong. Some people say "I'm like" for "I thought" or "I said". Even if common, still wrong.

“Like” included in every sentence is the single most annoying thing in American culture, except red caps.

 

[Bullwinkle]

I'm really leaning towards no on R2, at least for now that the options have prices.

Pricing on this is all upside down. It all seems focused on driving demand for the LE but risks creating a demand cliff once LE demand wears off or is pulled from availability. In the R2 market space price perception and value have more sway that just catering to what a wealthy EV enthusiast wants, which is were R1 is positioned. RJ has routinely bragged R1 is cross shopped with Porsche 911. R2 is Hyundai, Mach E GT, Tesla 3/Y, etc. I think Subaru has a sleeper hit with Trailseeker that is right in the R2 demo, but $15k less. (Brief aside: As much as people here compare R2 to BMW iX3 it needs to be a slight stretch purchase from below, not compete with lux performance brands, the number of R2s they need to move out the door demand it).

The LE looks to be a relative bargain with only a $4k delta to the premium. The premium which should be the volume seller becomes almost as expensive as LE with the same wheels and tow package but no auto+ or performance motors. Add Auto+ and you are now paying a few grand more for a Premium than what someone else paid of a LE a week or two earlier. Not a good look for a company trying to have its big moment.

Pricing on the Standard AWD is just as screwed up. That's a $2k delta to Premium.

In product sales there's a thing called "the product walk." A company will have an array of similar products with increasing features and prices. A sales person can then introduce a potential customer to the place along the walk they are comfortable with and the try and walk them to the next higher stop, maximizing the sale. That seems to be what Rivian is trying to do here but the issue is there needs to be a solid value proposition at each stop so the customer doesn't feel screwed if that’s where they decide to stop.

Finally, I'm not driving a silver car. I'm also not paying $2000 to get a few bucks of pigment added to paint that is already being put on the car. It's not what I can afford but more like feeling like a sucker. This is not a Porsche, it's a mass market car that really feels like Rivian is trying to back door boost the MSRP through paint. I don't care that Tesla does it. This was a chance for Rivian to differentiate from Tesla and they blew it. Hell, raise the price by a grand and keep the premium paint at a few hundred.

The sense I get is that Rivian isn't hitting the unit cost it needs to on R2 and isn't predicting it will for a long while. It's a vicious cycle: To get the sale price they need to turn a unit profit they have to charge more than the wider market will pay to achieve sales volume to support lower unit cost. I hope for Rivian's sake I'm wrong.

Rant over from somewhere over the Atlantic on my way to London, I really wanted to be excited for this day but I'm just not feeling it.

I think you missed the point.

Paint options on a more expensive BMW iX3 are still less.
Paint options on a wildly more expensive Taycan, from a company that nickles and dimes you for everything, are less.

Neither of those should be the case. Rivian paint options don't have to be less, but they shouldn't be that much more either.


I'd also say that even if you disagree, it's pretty clear by this thread and other discussions on the internet, that the pricing of the paint is shifting the narrative on what is almost certainly a wonderful vehicle more negative. Today should be nearly universally celebratory & exciting.


R1 configurator launch was HYPE for those of us who had a preorder. It created loads of excitement and it drove loads more reservations. It was palpable. Was this?

The paint pricing model is super similar to every Rivian ever sold. Rivian has smaller runs through their (probably) single paint line than BMW. It is probably a comparatively high cost process for them. If this is their biggest R2 failure, kudos to Rivian. I think the value offered by R2 LE is excellent.

 

[Bullwinkle]

That gives them up to a year leeway and doesn't imply priority.

If we look at Tesla, Porsche and other manufacturers, priority is given to previous owners, not lease holders. My guess is that Rivian wants the data more than the ability to prioritize. They likely want to know what numbers they need to hit to satisfy demand after the initial launch. According to the data, only 10-30% of reservation holders will convert.

Based on paintgate, I think those of us who want one will probably get one.

Funny and true

 

[Bullwinkle]

So I priced the Performance launch edition with White exterior and interior of $59,990 along with the Premium trim with the same features (add autonomy+, tow package) of $59,440 since I don't need the R2 this year. The difference is $550. It really doesn't make sense.

HP difference and suspension upgrade?

 

[Timbuk2000]

Where is this option and what is the cost?

Where is this option and what is the cost?

20" Black Sand All-Terrain
$1,000

 

[SANZC02]

The paint pricing model is super similar to every Rivian ever sold. Rivian has smaller runs through their (probably) single paint line than BMW. It is probably a comparatively high cost process for them. If this is their biggest R2 failure, kudos to Rivian. I think the value offered by R2 LE is excellent.

They have a single paint line but use a state of the art paint system that uses cartridges. There is a video out there somewhere talking about it. They can paint each vehicle a different color with no need to purge anything. I think they said the vehicles only need to be 3 meters or so apart.

Paint option cost is more about margin than actual cost. All manufacturers look for places to add margin, this seems to be Rivian’s place.

 

[VegasWeezy]

20" Black Sand All-Terrain
$1,000

Oh haha… I thought you meant dark wheels as in something like a dark out package similar to what is offered on the R1.

 

[R1T Preds Fan]

Will that still be the case when in 3-4 years there are tens of thousands of R2's with 21" wheels that need new tires?

I was about to purchase my third set by the time an alternate AS option was available for my 21” rims on the T… I decided to go with a set of 20’s from another owner instead of purchasing the scorpions at the end of my first set simply due to the cost difference between tires alone vs the 20’s!

 

[r2fb]

I was about to purchase my third set by the time an alternate AS option was available for my 21” rims on the T… I decided to go with a set of 20’s from another owner instead of purchasing the scorpions at the end of my first set simply due to the cost difference between tires alone vs the 20’s!

R1 is still (and will always be) a niche vehicle. Just like it happened with Tesla on model X vs Y, the R2 will rocket past the R1 in sales.

 

[R1T Preds Fan]

Agreed they will sell more units over time; but don’t expect viable/decent options on tires until at least mid to late’27 or longer… weird size along with the weight/power of the vehicle requiring more out of the tire than a standard vehicle.
But we’ll be staying away from the 21” this time simply due to the $500/tire limited selections and in stock availability.

 

[Just Passing By]

Are we sure about that?

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx6EGOV2fzh1xTK4X8eFwZ6pNhVYwK_PXH?si=DIweCOSl_HAIEIox

I don't think Travis has it quite right. Both the older Trail Terrain T/A and the new Trail Terrain T/A+ that will replace the older series are 3PMS rated as retail tires. However, BF Goodrich on their website in the Feature #2 section specifically note that this rating excludes Original Equipment tires for the non "+" version. They don't currently list the "+" version on their website but it seems likely the OE exclusion will also apply to them too.

BTW the "+" version doesn't seem to be a Rivian exclusive as The Drive had an article on them here.

 

[CarseatHeadrest]

I don't think Travis has it quite right. Both the older Trail Terrain T/A and the new Trail Terrain T/A+ that will replace the older series are 3PMS rated as retail tires. However, BF Goodrich on their website in the Feature #2 section specifically note that this rating excludes Original Equipment tires for the non "+" version. They don't currently list the "+" version on their website but it seems likely the OE exclusion will also apply to them too.

BTW the "+" version doesn't seem to be a Rivian exclusive as The Drive had an article on them here.

So the 20" AT tire option for the R2 won't be 3PMS rated? That's unfortunate. I wanted a tire option that would be decent in snow without going for a dedicated snow tire.

 

[Thebandit]

So the 20" AT tire option for the R2 won't be 3PMS rated? That's unfortunate. I wanted a tire option that would be decent in snow without going for a dedicated snow tire.

The ones on the vehicles displayed so far do not appear to have the 3 peak rating. I looked at some videos and pics and the marking is not there.

 

[loqueid]

So the 20" AT tire option for the R2 won't be 3PMS rated? That's unfortunate. I wanted a tire option that would be decent in snow without going for a dedicated snow tire.

That's fine my me. The mountains near me only have two peaks.

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