Skip The Rivian R2 Waitlist For Just $20,000 Over Sticker Price

The first used Rivian R2 has hit the market with just 50 miles on the odometer and a price tag that's $19,000 above MSRP.

Photo by: Rivian

Rob Stumpf

By: Rob Stumpf

Jul 6, at 1:34pm ET

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It looks like the first Rivian R2 just hit the used market.
However, you'll have to pony up about an extra $20,000 for the privilege of skipping the reservation queue.
Would-be buyers are torn on whether this is capitalism at its finest, or just plain old scalping.

Well, folks, it's official: a Rivian R2 has hit the used market. If you've spent the last several months staring impatiently at your reservation screen in the Rivian app (like I have), you might be pleased to learn that there's an opportunity to skip the line.

With just 50 miles on the odometer, this 2027 R2 Performance Launch Edition for sale in Colorado is essentially a brand new car. And not just any new car—this is supposed to be the Tesla Model Y killer we've all been waiting for. The car you've been waiting for 851 days to get your hands on. But are you willing to pay a premium to get it sooner?

Photo by: Cars.com

The asking price for what seems to be the first R2 on the used market (spotted on Reddit) is a whopping $79,900. That nearly $20,000 surcharge gets you an R2 painted in Half Moon Gray with a charger, and the privilege to skip the R2 reservation line.

R2 customer sales kicked off last month at $57,990 for that first-edition variant with all the bells and whistles. When you factor in the optional paint color ($1,500) and 20-inch wheels ($1,000), this example would have sold new for $60,490 before destination fees. So it looks like the premium, based on sticker prices, is $19,410.

Here's the information that the current owner included in the for-sale listing:

New 2027 R2 Launch Edition. 20" AT wheels and tires. The color is dark gray (half moon gray). Charging cables included. Performance package and lifetime autonomy+ (hands free driving), 2 cards and Remote included.

As for why they're selling, the listing notes that this R2 "was intended as a present but it is no longer needed." Should've kept the receipt, I guess.

Charging more for an in-demand car is nothing new. We saw it happen with the Tesla Cybertruck market (though values didn't stay high for long). We saw it with the C8 Corvette, Ford Bronco, GMC Hummer EV, and just about every hyped-up or limited-run performance car that has ever existed. If demand dramatically exceeds supply, a car dealer or early reservation holder will inevitably decide that their unique position is a business opportunity.

So the R2 was destined to see some early flips with opportunistic pricing. The thing is, Rivian fans are torn on the idea.

Over on Reddit, reactions ranged from taking offense to what they deemed to be scalping behavior—especially existing Rivian customers who were also day one reservation holders—to cheering on the seller on, or admitting they would do the same because "some impatient loser will buy it instantly." Some argued that the deal could "find someone for which money is no object" who wants an R2 and also wants to skip the line. "Wishing this person the worst karma possible," one user wrote.

What do you think?

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Several commenters also pointed out that $79,900 will buy a very nice used R1, or for just $4,000 more, a brand new R1S. Granted, it's not the hip new car on the block, but that's still a fairly small price gap for Rivian's flagship SUV, especially since the automaker did away with the cheaper $76,990 R1S Dual Standard trim.

So will somebody actually pony up nearly $80,000 to get into an R2 before almost everyone else? It's a steep price to pay. But when something as hyped up as the R2 hits the streets, it might be more likely than you think. Whether you call that capitalism or plain old scalping is up to you.