Rivian R2s Hitting The Road For Final Testing In Fun Vinyl Wraps

Rivian’s next big model, or rather, small, is due sometime next year, and since we’re about halfway through 2025, the clock is quickly ticking away. Fortunately for the company, it seems that development of the electric SUV is progressing smoothly. Just a couple of weeks ago, it announced that it had finally produced some validation examples of the R2. Now, just as it had said, it has begun final development testing of those prototypes. Not only that, but they’re sporting some of the coolest camouflage wraps we’ve ever seen.

Hiding In Colorful Plain Sight

Now it does seem a little silly that Rivian would feel the need to cover up its R2 testers, since the company already revealed the R2 last spring. The company addresses that in its post about testing starting. According to Senior Director of Exterior Design Jonathan Szczupak said that there are still some design details that could receive some minor changes. We also wouldn’t be surprised if there might be some rough edges and parts on these vehicles that Rivian might not want standing out, just like any early version of a vehicle.

Also, as you can surely see, Rivian has gone way beyond what’s necessary to camouflage their R2 testers. Most early prototype vehicles use the same sorts of black-and-white abstract designs to hide various details. Rivian has created full-color wraps with different outdoor themes. Of the ones shown, one features a forest, and the other a desert. It’s easy to make out all kinds of related objects, such as trees, cacti, and even Rivian’s unofficial mascot, a friendly sasquatch. Interestingly, Szczupak says in Rivian’s post that they’ve heard some people express interest in the camouflage vinyl wraps for the final production vehicles. He didn’t rule out the idea, but he didn’t commit to offering it, either. At the very least, it would be neat if Rivian offered ultra-high-resolution files of the designs that owners could take to a custom vinyl shop to have it made.

What We Know About The R2

As we mentioned, the R2 is set to go on sale next year. Rivian will be building the SUVs at its factory in Normal, Illinois, where the larger R1 models are also built. The company intends to offer it at a base price of $45,000, which is roughly $30,000 less than a base R1S. The base model will have just a single motor, but dual- and quad-motor versions will be available similar to the R1 line. Among these models will be at least one with a range of around 300 miles, and one with a 0 to 60 mph time of less than 3 seconds.